Credits: Article and images by Ian Skellern @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/07/26/crash-course-in-flieger-pilot-and-b-uhren-navigator-watches-covering-both-historic-and-modern-examples-pilots-watch-photofest-2/
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Flieger (pilot’s) chronographs
Unlike for the B-Uhr, there were no published specifications from the RLM for German Fliegeruhren. However, pilot chronographs were introduced to indicate time, the elapsed flight time using the rotating bezel with a marker, and the flyback mechanism for precise timing. Germans called this the Tempostopp back in the day; today we would definitely call it a flyback chronograph.
German pilots had an advantage in using the flyback feature to restart the chronograph function to coincide with a radio-transmitted signal, allowing them to calculate direction with maximum precision.
An alternate use for the flyback function came about during poor visibility, where the pilot must rely on instruments for flight by following course indications to the nearest second.
After World War I, Germany was prohibited from military aviation, so there were no official aviation watches produced. However, in the 1920s and 1930s there were pilot’s watches in circulation produced by Swiss makers such as Omega, Longines, and a few by IWC.
By World War II, many of the chronograph wristwatches for the German air force were being produced in Germany by Tutima in Glashütte and Hanhart in Schwenningen (Black Forest). Hanhart first began producing aviator chronographs in 1938, while Tutima started in 1941.
The watches by both brands were similar in appearance, having a rotating bezel with a reference marker, and a flyback chronograph for timing up to 30 minutes; these watches did not display any military markings.
They also featured black dials with radium-coated luminous hands and Arabic numerals for easy reading in poor visibility. Early examples featured one-piece cases, with the lugs part of the case, while on later examples the lugs were soldered on to the case.
On most chronographs, the pusher for resetting the chronograph was coated in a red enamel so the wearer would not accidentally engage it.
Hanhart produced some of its flieger chronographs with a single pusher (monopusher) to control the start, stop, and reset functions. The monopusher fitted with Caliber 40 is considered much more collectible by aviation watch enthusiasts than the two-pusher chronograph fitted with Caliber 41.
Aside from the manufacturer’s name on the dial, the watches were also distinguishable by the asymmetry of the pusher – the top pusher on Hanhart watches touches the upper right lug, while the bottom pusher on Tutima watches touches on the lower right lug.
From 1939, Hanhart chronographs were issued to German air force pilots and naval officers during World War II.
Tutima was founded in 1927 by Dr. Ernst Kurtz, the managing director of Urofa/Ufag (Uhren-Rohwerk-Fabrik Glashütte AG). In the 1940s, Urofa/Ufag developed flyback chronograph Caliber 59 and used this movement in Tutima watches supplied to the German military.
It is estimated that approximately 15,000 chronographs were produced for the German Air Force, but following the war most were returned upon completion of a pilot’s mission. Early Tutima models are particularly sought after by collectors but are often in either poor condition or heavily restored. Since the case was made of nickel-plated brass, many of them have the brass showing through worn plating.
Hanhart, located in the horologically traditional Black Forest region, manufactured two types of chronographs: two-pusher and a monopusher timers. The chronographs had either rotating or stationary bezels.
Before the 1950s, Hanhart chronograph cases were nickel-plated brass; afterward, Hanhard switched to steel cases. After the war, the Black Forest became part of the French Occupation Zone, so Hanhart continued to produce the chronographs under the brand name Vixa for the French forces.
The post-World War II watches for the German air force have some interesting and (now/still) familiar watch brand, model, and movement names. Here is a representative sampling.
1955: Hanhart 417
The Hanhart 417 was the first watch issued to pilots of the reformed West German Air Force (Bundesluftwaffe) in 1955.
Nearly identical to the wartime flieger chronographs, the 417 had developed a cult-like status, thanks in great part to its association with Steve McQueen, who wore one in the 1960s.
The Hanhart was a decidedly pre-war design for men flying Mach 2-capable F-104 Starfighters. Hence, Junghans was tapped as a second provider of pilot’s watches in 1957.
1955: Junghans J88
Junghans developed the famous column-wheel J88 chronograph movement in 1946. The Black Forest-based company’s watches stand out to this day with the unusual 12-sided bezel.
This Junghans watch was issued to pilots (F-104 Starfighters) from 1957 until it was replaced by the Heuer (Leonidas) Bundeswehr chronographs in 1967.
1967: Heuer-Leonidas Bundeswehr
In 1964 Heuer merged with Leonidas, a competitor who produced watches for the Italian military. The new company, known as Heuer-Leonidas S.A., supplied the Bundeswehr chronograph bearing the Leonidas logo to the Bundesluftwaffe in 1967. It had a 43 mm case and a hand-wound Valjoux 220 movement.
1967: Sinn 1550
Helmut Sinn was awarded a contract to service watches for the German army and took the opportunity to swap out the original Heuer dials with a Sinn logo replacement. So the watch is essentially a Heuer 1550SG with Valjoux 230 movement.
Helmut Sinn purchased Heuer parts and sold several Sinn-dialed 1550SG models to military personnel and later to civilians.
1979: Orfina/Porsche Design
The Orfina Porsche Design “3H military” model was issued to the German military beginning in 1979. This watch was manufactured by Orfina and designed by the Porsche car company design offshoot Porsche Design.
Orfina used the Lémania 5100 automatic movement to power this chronograph. Tom Cruise wore an Orfina “3H military” as “Maverick” in Top Gun. Many watch companies, including Arctos, Sinn, Heuer, Nivada, Tutima, Aristo, and Lémania, cashed in on the popular lug-less design by producing their own versions.
1982: Arctos
Arctos of Pforzheim manufactured a chronograph for the Army Air Corps of the Federal Forces of Germany. The Arctos Bund watch looked just like the Orfina watch and was also powered by the Lémania 5100 movement.
1983 and beyond: Tutima
Tutima received the contract for supplying chronographs to the airmen of the Turkish Army, Airforce, Navy, and the reconnaissance troops of the army and submarine personnel.
In 1985 the German army contracted Tutima to create a brand-new military watch, and Military Chronograph 798 was born. It has been part of the standard equipment for Bundeswehr (German armed forces) pilots ever since.
The military prerequisites of Military Chronograph 798 were even stricter than those of the pilot’s watch of 1941. The movements of these watches were based on Lémania Caliber 5100 as well.
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Credits: Article and images by Ian Skellern @ Quill & Pad. See the original article here - https://quillandpad.com/2024/07/26/crash-course-in-flieger-pilot-and-b-uhren-navigator-watches-covering-both-historic-and-modern-examples-pilots-watch-photofest-2/