The Culling Collection of Military Watches

German military: A ‘Calibre 40’ pilot’s monopusher chronograph wristwatch, by Hanhart, post 1939, with accompanying case back opener, the signed black dial with luminous Arabic numerals, outer seconds chronograph scale, luminous hands and centre sweep chronograph seconds hand, subsidiary dials at 3 o’clock for chronograph 30 minutes and at 9 o’clock for running seconds, unsigned jewelled movement, the coated steel case with ridged bezel and single push chronograph button at 2 o’clock, the screw down back numbered ‘108299’, to a later brown leather strap, accompanied by a Hanhart watch case opener, bearing German military ensignia of an eagle with outspread wings over a swastika within a wreath and the letter M - a Thrid Reich Waffenamt stamp for the Kreigsmarine, signed ‘Hanhart’ and numbered ‘No. 428B’, dial diameter 34mm. £3,000-£5,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Culling Collection of Military Watches.

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Circa 1940 Hanhart began producing the Calibre 40 single button chronograph for the Wehrmacht (the German Armed Forces). Although the Hanhart was built to exacting standards it nevertheless represented an economical alternative to the Glashutte wrist chronograph. The Hanhart Calibre 40 was used by all sections of the armed forces, by mainly by the Luftwaffe - it was only property marked when issued by the Kreigsmarine, who stamped the backs with the Waffenamt mark over M.
Hanhart later produced a two button chronograph wristwatch, the Calibre 41, with continued in commercial manfuacture well into the 1950s.

See: Wesolowski, Z. M., A concise guide to military timepieces, 1880-1990, Crowood Press, 1996, p 147.