A. Lange & Söhne B-uhr World War II Pilot/Aviator Watch, Steel

This rare, manual-winding, A. Lange & Söhne B-uhr Navigator's watch is in fantastic vintage condition and has perfect mechanical functionality. This watch has been serviced to the highest possible standards by the UK's leading watch restoration service, SHWR.

The movement is signed by A. Lange & Söhne, one of the companies originally comissioned to deliver watches for the Luftwaffe. However, they failed to deliver the watches on time. As a result, the movements were often taken elsewhere to be assembled by other manufacturers. In this case, it was the Berlin-based Felsing that finished the watch.

This rare piece is from circa 1941 and it has the standard B-uhren specifications; a large case with a prominent fluted 'onion' crown, so pilots could adjust their watches without taking their gloves off. The case measures an imposing 60 mm with the crown (55 mm without) and is 20 mm thick. The simple black dial has an outer, sixty seconds divisions and large, Arabic, five second markers to ease legibility. At noon the dial has the signature two dots and the upward pointing triangle, designed to help pilots orientate the dial during night-time. The hour and minute markers are blue, sword-shaped hands with luminous inserts.

This observer watch has its original, long, brown leather straps. They are another, signature characteristics of these Navigator's watches as a pilot would need to be able to adjust the straps around the jacket, and often around the arm, requiring unusally long straps. As a vintage watch, we cannot warranty its current water resistance.

Viewings can be arranged in Central London by appointment.