By Ivans, Founder of UKCHRONO For many people entering the world of watch collecting, the biggest fear is buying a fake watch. Twenty or thirty years ago, that was often the main concern. A watch was either genuine or counterfeit.…
Before electric light, a repeating watch was not just a luxury. It was useful. A gentleman could press a slide or pendant and hear the time in the dark, without lighting a candle. For this reason, repeating pocket watches became…
Smiths is one of the most important names in British watchmaking. While many famous vintage watches sold in the United Kingdom were made in Switzerland, Smiths represents something different: a British company that produced clocks, instruments, wristwatches and military timepieces…
Lemania is one of the most important names in the history of Swiss chronograph watchmaking. Founded by Alfred Lugrin in 1884, the company became renowned for producing chronographs, stopwatches and highly respected mechanical movements. Over the twentieth century, the Lemania…
Omega military watches from the Second World War period are among the most historically important and collectible vintage Omega timepieces. For collectors, one of the most common questions is whether a wartime Omega serial number proves that a watch was…
One of the most common questions among vintage Omega collectors is: “How old is my Omega watch?” In most cases, the answer can be found by examining the movement serial number and case reference number. Vintage Omega watches can often…
Among collectors of military watches, few markings generate more discussion than the simple letters stamped on the back of German-issued wristwatches from the Second World War. Codes such as DH, D, DU, KM and RLM are often used to identify…
Today, Omega is one of the most famous watch brands in the world. For many people, the name means the Moonwatch, James Bond, Olympic timing and luxury boutiques. But for collectors, watchmakers and people who repair old movements, Omega means…
The Laco FL 23883 was not an ordinary pilot’s wristwatch. It was a military navigation instrument built for the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Large, highly legible and fitted with the Durowe D5 movement, it was designed for one…
The UROFA 59 is one of the most important German chronograph movements of the twentieth century. It was not created as a luxury calibre or as a decorative complication. It was designed as a serious aviation instrument, built in Glashütte…