7 Greatest Military Watches of All Time | Armand The Watch Guy

Тәжірибелік нұсқаулар және стиль

In today's video, I would like to discuss 7 of the greatest and most influencial examples of military watch used since the beginning of the 20th Century. These watces have been used in theatres of war as varied as mine-hunting under the waves, to dogfights in the clouds and active duty on the ground in the Second World War.
Featured Watches:
- Trench Watches - 0:50
- Italian Panerai Military Dive Watches - 4:51
- German Flieger Watches - 8:33
- British "Dirty Dozen" Watches - 13:26
- French Type XX Chronograph - 18:33
- Blancpain Fifty-Fathoms - 24:34
- British Rolex Mil-Sub - 29:14
For horological photography, follow me on on Instagram at: armand_the_watch_guy
For any questions or business enquiries, please email me at: questionsforatwg@gmail.com

Пікірлер: 100

  • @joeq.publicus3616
    @joeq.publicus36165 жыл бұрын

    Another excellent video. You are without a doubt one of the best horological documentarians working today. I salute you good Sr.

  • @Deusmecumest
    @Deusmecumest5 жыл бұрын

    This has to be one of my top 3 favorite videos of your channel. So far. Truly thanks for posting.

  • @teamhonn
    @teamhonn5 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for taking the time to put these timeless documentary's together.

  • @jc944t
    @jc944t5 жыл бұрын

    Great video. Being a military officer I appreciate how you captured the history behind the design of these watches. Hard to believe that Rolex and Omega watches were standard issue back in the day, certainly not the case now. Also great job on capturing influence of Hanhart which in my opinion is a very underrated German brand. Thank you!

  • @markwoods4574

    @markwoods4574

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hi James , the Omega and Rolex as you know is still used by the British Military however are it’s are Special Forces who use these excellent watches.

  • @phmwu7368

    @phmwu7368

    Жыл бұрын

    The days of the real toolwatch are gone ... all modern versions of iconic brands have become large bling !

  • @carlomarzot9654
    @carlomarzot96545 жыл бұрын

    Excellent chronological timeline of wristwatches - well researched. I’ve enjoyed it very much. Thank you.

  • @getoffmylawn8986
    @getoffmylawn89865 жыл бұрын

    Fascinating, Armand. One of your very best videos. As a military watch fan, this one is a keeper. Thank you.

  • @donrogan2812
    @donrogan28125 жыл бұрын

    Another fantastic video!! Really appreciate all your efforts!! Thank you.

  • @artagain8977
    @artagain89775 жыл бұрын

    Very interesting. Thanks for producing this.

  • @PiersLortPhillips
    @PiersLortPhillips5 жыл бұрын

    Fascinating. Thank you.

  • @chrisauge6802
    @chrisauge68025 жыл бұрын

    Thanks Armand! I really enjoyed this video!!!

  • @blueshirtbuddah1665
    @blueshirtbuddah16655 жыл бұрын

    Fascinating video Armand. Keep up the great work.

  • @nyanates
    @nyanates5 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video. My interest in vintage military watches has really increased lately. They have a rich history.

  • @peterlewis3540
    @peterlewis35404 жыл бұрын

    Extremely comprehensive video, and i listened intently throughout. Thank You for a great and informative lecture on the history of military watches over the years

  • @WuBloodKin09
    @WuBloodKin095 жыл бұрын

    I appreciate the history and this editorial...amazing video!

  • @Bergrgenjohannes
    @Bergrgenjohannes5 жыл бұрын

    Lovely and educational as always. Loved the "Watchmakers four" on presenting the Dirty Dozens. It's all in the details.

  • @jackpurcell274
    @jackpurcell2745 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for your research, I always learn so much

  • @fullthrottlewrx
    @fullthrottlewrx5 жыл бұрын

    Absolutely phenomenal video Armand! the depth of your explanations is hugely respectable. Fantastic research!

  • @mrg1911
    @mrg19115 жыл бұрын

    Great stuff, thank you!

  • @hughmckendrick3018
    @hughmckendrick30185 жыл бұрын

    Informative and entertaining.

  • @noelmurphy3450
    @noelmurphy34505 жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much for the very interesting and informative historical review Armand - Great stuff! Cheers Noel

  • @dimitriskekos
    @dimitriskekos5 жыл бұрын

    excellent video .thx

  • @thewatchloungechris
    @thewatchloungechris5 жыл бұрын

    Love the videos you can tell you do your research keep up the great work !

  • @eyeheartsushi2212
    @eyeheartsushi22125 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video. Thank you.

  • @bartmotorcycle
    @bartmotorcycle Жыл бұрын

    Fascinating. Great to hear a real expert and student of history

  • @herbhandyman8933
    @herbhandyman89335 жыл бұрын

    Fascinating ! I like the way those references just roll off your tongue.. Would be interesting to see a side by side of the Rolex - Omega - Rolex dive watches to see the progression of development. I have a Remontoir Cylindre 10 Rubis wristwatch my grandmother owned. It's a pocketwatch, hunter style with lugs soldered on. The XII is at the crown which is at the 3 o'clock position on the wrist. Seeing the pocketwatch conversions of WWI is revealing and poignant since she would have received the watch right during this period when she was a teenager in Bavaria . It has her maiden name engraved in the inside of the back cover. Keep up the great work.

  • @OneTalaw
    @OneTalaw5 жыл бұрын

    Very interesting, lots of information, much more information than many of the other watch reviews on KZread. Though I am always interested in reviews on one particular watch at a time or style i.e. field, aviation, racing, dive etc....

  • @jimbegin6554
    @jimbegin65545 жыл бұрын

    Great! Thank you Armand.

  • @mikeyoung2862
    @mikeyoung28625 жыл бұрын

    Very interesting, and a lot of research on your part. Many thanks

  • @triples4good
    @triples4good5 жыл бұрын

    One of your best videos to date. Superb.

  • @mgmmaze
    @mgmmaze5 жыл бұрын

    This video is amazing. I was in the Marines for 12 years I had s crappy timex but always wondered what was used before

  • @rohanbansal2324
    @rohanbansal23245 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video

  • @sergioromano4901
    @sergioromano49013 жыл бұрын

    outstanding video!!

  • @donutheist
    @donutheist5 ай бұрын

    I think the German KM watches deserve a place in the list. Simple and beautiful.

  • @hughmckendrick3018
    @hughmckendrick30184 жыл бұрын

    Excellent content.

  • @markbyrum4743
    @markbyrum47433 жыл бұрын

    Enjoyed the historical review. Good vid Keep at it!

  • @donnyboon2896
    @donnyboon28962 жыл бұрын

    Very informative and data good to know.👍🏻

  • @auxiliary4023
    @auxiliary40232 жыл бұрын

    What makes me chuckle about the Rolex milsubs is everyone out there is stolen property. The MOD don't hand out souvenirs when you leave the service and none I know of were sent to a MOD clearance auction. Food for thought. 🤐

  • @gregorybarry4564
    @gregorybarry45643 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video.

  • @brianfuller7691
    @brianfuller76914 жыл бұрын

    It all starts with trench watches and pilot watches during WW1. There was a huge stigma about men even wearing wristwatches pre-war but the War changed that. This was an awesome list and everyone of these watches is important to horological history. Always impressed by the details you present quite clearly. Thanks for mentioning the legendary Blancpain 50 Fathoms and the Rolex Mil-Sub. But the A-11 was not mentioned.

  • @tomotopic1007
    @tomotopic1007 Жыл бұрын

    Very nice

  • @christophersteidinger7466
    @christophersteidinger74664 ай бұрын

    I learn knowledge through the information of discussions of watches past and present interest interestingly thanks

  • @boydsargeant7496
    @boydsargeant74966 ай бұрын

    Great video! Love all the watches, no favourites, want them all! I have one military watch, a Lemania from 1946 with a Tissot 27A movement. Would love more videos like this. Well done with all your pronunciations!

  • @billcosgrave6232
    @billcosgrave62325 жыл бұрын

    Great!

  • @roygardiner2229
    @roygardiner22295 жыл бұрын

    That was truly excellent. I shall have to watch this video several times, such is the amount of detailed information presented. As a side issue, despite my interest in these watches and the history of their development, I am not attracted to their aesthetic qualities, nor do I currently need the functions and protective elements of a military watch or a chronometer. So their obvious appeal and popularity in the mass market makes me somewhat of an outlier.

  • @markwoods4574
    @markwoods45742 жыл бұрын

    As far as I’m aware “ The Omega Dirty Dozen Watch “ was the Army Commando ( My Late Grandfather was in 1 Commando ) , SAS , SBS watch

  • @highdesertforester
    @highdesertforester5 жыл бұрын

    My war was Vietnam and I don't know how you could overlook the Seiko 5, 6119-8100, which was sold by the thousands to US troops during that time. To me, that was the classic Military watch.

  • @sofijeffrey9797

    @sofijeffrey9797

    5 жыл бұрын

    Vietnam was before my time. Thank you for your service! I love the Seiko 5s

  • @patrickjean-philippe7679
    @patrickjean-philippe76792 жыл бұрын

    Great video. I have an IWC B.Uhr 52 SC

  • @ms.annthrope415
    @ms.annthrope4159 күн бұрын

    Eric Satie Gynopedie #1. Great piano music.

  • @MVO884
    @MVO8843 жыл бұрын

    Thanks.

  • @paulandsueroberts4121
    @paulandsueroberts41215 жыл бұрын

    A terrific vid as usual Armand.Note:The photo shown of British troops......the soldier 3rd on the left (sitting) was to lose his life later in the war.

  • @Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo
    @Pierluigi_Di_Lorenzo2 ай бұрын

    13:26 The Wehrmacht (German armed forces) had a very similar 'Dienstuhr' (service watch) which was produced by German and Swiss manufacturers.

  • @hiker64012
    @hiker640123 жыл бұрын

    I can tell you did quite a bit of research for this video, good job.

  • @paredair
    @paredair5 жыл бұрын

    AIF issue watches for soldiers in WWI had leather caps that buttoned down over the dial - very popular with drovers after the war as well, because of all the dust in the Australian Outback...

  • @Sokol10
    @Sokol102 ай бұрын

    11:18 - The predecessor of "modern day NATO strap" is the (British) 1945 VB Hygienique strap, essentially the same basic design.

  • @OneTalaw
    @OneTalaw5 жыл бұрын

    I would very much like to see review on field watches, am particularly interested in Hamilton, as they seem to GIVE A LOT FOR THE MONEY.

  • @ForbinColossus
    @ForbinColossus5 жыл бұрын

    @5:49 the Panarai you show for 1938 surely didnt have a California dial, did it?

  • @toddkennedy5714
    @toddkennedy5714 Жыл бұрын

    I love the intro music. What is the name of the piece? Thanks!

  • @philipsdefreville6138
    @philipsdefreville61385 жыл бұрын

    Very nice look at military watches. You mentioned the Dirty Dozen watches as being shockproof. I don't believe that innovation existed at that time. The movements are actually quite delicate.

  • @brinkee7674

    @brinkee7674

    2 жыл бұрын

    Yes some were shock proof. I was also surprised though. There is a video of a restoration of a Helma AS1130, a watch of the WWII German Wehrmacht and it is also shockproof I'm not sure about the Dirty Dozen though as I have a Elgin 554 US WWII watch and don't believe i to be shock proof I was watching a video on a Vaer a12 which is a repro of the Dirty Dozen watch. It was a British watch I believe an Omega which did have a shockproof case

  • @Bravo-Too-Much

    @Bravo-Too-Much

    10 ай бұрын

    He said “shock troops” not “shock proof”. He was referring to more specific units that needed watches.

  • @katahajimeudegarame2397
    @katahajimeudegarame23974 жыл бұрын

    I just aquired a military CYMA Tavannes watch with black display and triangular 12´ index with dots ( B-Uhren type-a inspired ) 36 mm diam. and in very wearable condition (military steampunk kinda vibe) without noticible restoration except the crown wich i suspect it was replaced for civilian use (aviation watches have large unconfortable crowns), i think i found a history jewel for 165 buckaroos, what do you think?

  • @LaserFocused
    @LaserFocused4 жыл бұрын

    What about Marathon Military watches..

  • @donutheist
    @donutheist5 ай бұрын

    Depollier predated Panerai in terms of underwater military watches.

  • @enricoadriatico7244
    @enricoadriatico72444 жыл бұрын

    what was the music playing in the intro?

  • @gsrocks71321

    @gsrocks71321

    4 жыл бұрын

    Minecraft

  • @gustavoholtz1
    @gustavoholtz18 ай бұрын

    What does the letter T mean on the Rolex submariner at the end of the video?

  • @davidthom7127
    @davidthom71274 жыл бұрын

    I think your videos are AMAZING. But, when you are listing a dozen watch brands, can you please list them down below. I was trying to write them down quickly but you were saying them so fast that I had to go back and replay it over and over and over and over and over and over again, about a DOZEN times before I eventually got them all.

  • @gkelly941
    @gkelly9413 жыл бұрын

    My now-late friend who served a naval career in the submarine service corrected my pronunciation. Like you, I had always called it a "sub- mariner," but he informed me that in the service, men (and in his day, they were all men) who served in submarines were called "submarine-ers." Therefore, I wonder which is correct, and if there is any difference between the standard pronunciation between Britain and the US. Interesting video. Back in the 1960s, when I bought my first watch, a Submariner cost around $250 in the US, but a lot of servicemen bought them for quite a bit less in Japan and Hong Kong.

  • @geographyinaction7814

    @geographyinaction7814

    6 ай бұрын

    I have never heard the term sumarine-ers. The term is sub- mariner, below the water, as opposed to a mariner, above water.

  • @_cru8368
    @_cru83684 жыл бұрын

    May not rise to level of these watches, but consider Unimatic U2-B, and then Unimatic U2-C, in that order, to be on any military watch list.

  • @grahamthebaronhesketh.
    @grahamthebaronhesketh.2 жыл бұрын

    Pilot watches need a bezel. I am a pilot and I use the bezel all the time. The problem with the Rolex you feature is the have lines instead of numbers.

  • @markphillips8097
    @markphillips80979 ай бұрын

    Well you left out a few classics hamilton ,Bulova, benrus stocker and yale ,marathon

  • @georgeversluis8442
    @georgeversluis8442 Жыл бұрын

    You did not mention the 7021/0 Tudor snowflake, the Rolex clone I have a couple, great machines

  • @ventus5th
    @ventus5th4 жыл бұрын

    As much as I like the content: Would anyone know what the intro song is?

  • @RogueAgentX

    @RogueAgentX

    4 жыл бұрын

    ventus5th gymnopedie no 1

  • @McLaughter_
    @McLaughter_3 жыл бұрын

    Incorrect regrading the BP FF which was in existence before the French navy started searching for a suitable diver

  • @amitfromisrael5006
    @amitfromisrael50065 жыл бұрын

    what is the difference between "military" and "pilots" watches?

  • @georgiivanov2111
    @georgiivanov21115 жыл бұрын

    what about Hamilton khaki field.

  • @mr.Swartz
    @mr.Swartz5 жыл бұрын

    Sangin should be up top

  • @boxwoodgreen
    @boxwoodgreen3 жыл бұрын

    Does anybody make a homage watch of the WW2 WWW watch ?

  • @mikerogers879
    @mikerogers8793 жыл бұрын

    No mention of the A-11 aptly named “the watch that won the war” from WW2? Literally the most popular watch worn by the allied forces...

  • @TheMockTrail
    @TheMockTrail5 жыл бұрын

    No Russian: Vostok (since the 1930s) dive watches with their ingenious pressure-resistant system? No Chinese (since the the mid-1950s) pilot watches with it's adaption of Venus movements? And no Hamiltons......?

  • @andres-gu8yu
    @andres-gu8yu3 жыл бұрын

    come on man, no A-11 watches??? u joking?

  • @ambindia
    @ambindia4 жыл бұрын

    Switzerland being landlocked and surrounded on all sides by Germany and its allies or German occupied territories, how did these watches reach the British armed forces?

  • @ArmandTheWatchGuy

    @ArmandTheWatchGuy

    4 жыл бұрын

    +ambindia: That's a fascinating question. Unfortunately, it's one which I am unqualified to answer yet, to the best of my knowledge, they had to work their way across the Iberian peninsula to Portugal or Gibraltar before getting to Britain. it should also be remembered that some of the 12 'Dirty Dozen' watches never actually made it to British troops during the war and were delivered in 1945.

  • @ambindia

    @ambindia

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@ArmandTheWatchGuy That was the only explanation I too came up with, when my brother posed the question to me.Of course, watches are not bulky cargo so sending them across Iberia[but do recall that occupied France was in the middle,might not have posed much problem. Through Italy and then by sea could be another way.With cooperation of course!

  • @ambindia

    @ambindia

    4 жыл бұрын

    Did Swiss neutrality allow non lethal cargoes to move?

  • @ArmandTheWatchGuy

    @ArmandTheWatchGuy

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@ambindia To the best of my knowledge, Swiss neutrality had no effect whatsoever. However, whilst I don't believe that Italy played a role in the transportation of these watches, they did play an interesting other one. When Panerai produced the (only) ~300 watches for the Italian navy, most of them ended up being used by Italian-trained German military divers.

  • @donutheist
    @donutheist5 ай бұрын

    Oh give me a break. The A-11 is far more iconic than the milsub. Good lord.

  • @Shawncombat
    @Shawncombat4 жыл бұрын

    75million people died in ww2, 40 million in ww1

  • @EranBuhbut
    @EranBuhbut4 жыл бұрын

    7:10 *Luminor. Please double check. Great vid nevertheless.

  • @MLKusername
    @MLKusername Жыл бұрын

    What happened to the channel 😢

  • @specialized41
    @specialized415 жыл бұрын

    36 minute to talk about 7 watches??

  • @TheGreatAmphibian
    @TheGreatAmphibian3 ай бұрын

    In reality, this is utter nonsense. The greatest military watches were the 5 button G shock and the f91w. You’re just jewellery collecting while trying to con yourself into thinking it’s Manly…

  • @justinyap3370
    @justinyap33705 жыл бұрын

    seriously your video is too long