Helvetia Military Wristwatch, Calibre 820B
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
around 1940
This military wristwatch is attributed by the auction house to Helvetia and dated to around 1940 during the Second World War. The steel case measures approximately 34 mm in diameter and is fitted with a screw-down case back reported by the auction house to carry U.S.
Army military markings and the number 3190. According to the auction catalogue, the watch is powered by a Helvetia calibre 820B movement with center seconds. The dial features luminous Arabic numerals, a peripheral minute track, blued hands, and a green textile strap.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Dial
- Silvered dial with luminous numerals
- Type
- Military wristwatch
- Strap
- Military textile strap
- Case size
- Ca. Ø34 mm
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Movement calibre
- Helvetia calibre 820B
- Case back marking
- U.S. Army military marking, No. 3190
- Maker / attribution
- Helvetia
Design
- Visible features
- • Dial is signed 'WATERPROOF HELVETIA' below the 12 o'clock marker. • Luminous Arabic numerals with skeleton blued-steel hands and a sweep center seconds hand. • Outer railway minute track includes five-minute Arabic numerals. • Small 'SWISS MADE' inscription located along the dial edge at the 6 o'clock position. • Fitted with an olive-drab woven textile pass-through strap with steel rings.
- Case and Reported Markings
- The steel case is reported by the auction catalogue to measure approximately 34 mm in diameter and to feature a screw-down case back. The lot title dates the watch to around 1940 and associates it with the Second World War. The auction description states that the screw-down case back carries a U.S. Army military marking along with 'No. 3190'. However, the case back is not depicted in the provided photograph, so the specific layout, wording, and execution of these markings are not recorded in this visual record.
- Dial and Visual Appearance
- The watch features a silvered dial with luminous Arabic numerals and an outer railway minute track that includes five-minute Arabic markers. Time is shown with skeletonized blued-steel hands and a sweep center seconds hand. Below the 12 o'clock position, the dial is signed 'WATERPROOF HELVETIA'. Along the bottom rim at 6 o'clock, a small 'SWISS MADE' inscription is printed. The watch is fitted with an olive-drab woven textile pass-through strap with steel rings, described in the auction text as a military textile strap.
- Movement and Condition Notes
- The auction house identifies the internal mechanism as a Helvetia calibre 820B with center seconds. The cataloguer also reports the piece to be in very good condition and in working order. Because the movement and interior are not visible in the listing image, mechanical details such as finishing, jewel count, shock resistance, and factory stamps are not recorded in the available source data.
Identification
- Serial number
- 3190
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: The case back markings, movement, and interior are not visible in the provided photograph; all technical and historical markings rely on auction catalogue claims.
- Research required: Running condition and grading assessments are reported by the source and not independently verified.