http://www.mwrforum.net/forums This is the site for enthusiasts of military timepieces. All discussions related to military timepieces, and watches in general are welcome. en Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:31:53 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.mwrforum.net/forums http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59120&goto=newpost Thu, 20 Jun 2013 01:42:02 GMT I have in my possession an Omega Seamaster with the following engraved on the back: 6645-RAF-6B/159 PR66-64 I have had the watch since I found it in... I have in my possession an Omega Seamaster with the following engraved on the back: 6645-RAF-6B/159 PR66-64
I have had the watch since I found it in an abandoned house on Darwin's Esplanade in 1980.
I would be interested to know if any further information has been unearthed from the previous discussion:

http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?p=120631

that dealt with a similar watch numbered PR65-64 found in Brisbane, Australia. Seems strange that two watches with sequential numbers should surface. If they were issued in the 1960s one can only guess at a possible relationship with the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation that involved both the RAF and some RAAF squadrons. ]]> Main Forum DanielG http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59120 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59117&goto=newpost Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:23:07 GMT Today I saw a Luminox 8400 watch in an antique shop It is being sold with original box registration card and soft case It appears to need a new... Today I saw a Luminox 8400 watch in an antique shop
It is being sold with original box registration card and soft case
It appears to need a new battery. It ran for a while and stopped
It had a rubber type strap and appears to be in nice condition
I know nothing about these watches and it does not fit in my collection
Can anyone help with a value on these?
Is it a desirable watch?
I have the owner's phone number
If anyone is interested in this watch please lmk
And we may be able to work something out
My email is
Agee66 at verizon dot net
Watch is in the USA ]]> Main Forum agee http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59117 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59116&goto=newpost Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:47:24 GMT Does anyone know what the correct replacement crystal number is for a Bulova-star watch case A17A, And where the best place to get one might be? ... Does anyone know what the correct replacement crystal number is for a Bulova-star watch case A17A, And where the best place to get one might be? Thanks... ]]> Main Forum mfaz28 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59116 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59112&goto=newpost Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:23:26 GMT This watch is dedicated to Francesco Baracca. For those of you who frown and scratch your head asking "who?" Francesco Baracca was a ace Italian pilot of airplanes in the first World War. Why him? Simply because it is the only one I know... I don't even know if he had a watch and I am sure that if he had one it did not look anything like this one, however I like to think he would have liked this...

The watch itself has been put together using the case of a Japan made Seiko SRP151, the dial replaced with the one of another Seiko model the SNKF09 and the hour and minute hands from a Seiko FFF model. The red seconds hand is the one using in the SARB15 or black Alpinist.

The case is 42mm wide without crown, the lugs are 20mm apart. The movement is the hackable and handwindable 4rxx. It has day and date complications. It is also pretty thin but feels substantial. It has a really nice lume, bright and long lasting which is expected since it is a Seiko.

This is of course the only one in existence and it is keeping company to the other similar projects. But on that more later...

Here are some pics, sorry for any dust specs or lint.












]]> Main Forum carlomwr http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59112 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59106&goto=newpost Wed, 19 Jun 2013 02:17:45 GMT The original thread here....



Since then, I have been in contact with this World War II veteran who has quite an interesting story to tell. This is his story in his own words, as told to me:

Several years ago while researching my WWII pilot, I happened on this website where you have a Naval Aviator's watch with the name Frank A McKeon on it. I was a Combat Aircrewman in WWII and my pilots name was Ens Frank A McKeon. You can read what I wrote about our time we were associated. I just reviewed my comments and find someone is asking what squadron we were in. We completed our Combat Training in August 1945 just as the war ended. We were assigned to and formed VT(N)53 (Night Torpedo Squadron 53) at the Naval Air Facility at Marthas Vineyard, Massuchusets. After further training there we transferred to NAS Boca Chica, (Key West), FL. At that time Naval Aviators with a minimum number of discharge points could leave the service. Ens McKeon left the Navy and attended Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia and earned his Medical Degree.

I apologise for not being registered with you, perhaps I should. I will review your organization as I am not familiar with your activities. I also apoligise for my comments I wrote several years ago using all caps.

If you could publish the answer to the question what squadron we were in, I would appreciate it. Again, it was VT(N)53. Also, I believe there was an earlier VT 53. Thank you.

I was Ensign McKeon's radioman, machine gunner, bombardier and navigator in the back end of a Grumman Torpedo Bomber. We had about 250 flight hours together and when the war ended , he got an early out. I then got another 50 or so hours with another pilot. I was also the Plane Captain of our plane when on the ground. A Navy Plane Captain makes sure the plane is gassed, tires at right pressure, oil level OK. Also I ran up the engine every morning before flight to make sure the RPM did not fall when one of the two magnetos was cut off. The aircraft engine ignition spark was created by magneto's just as your lawnmower is.

I enlisted in 1943 at age 17 in the Navy V-5 program. This was the program to train Naval Aviators. I was accepted in the program and told to go home and await further orders. Several months went by and I received a letter that the quotas for training Naval Aviators had been drastically reduced but they needed Combat Aircrewmen. There, of course were Combat Aircrewmen in the fleet but they had been trained , so to speak, On The Job. We were sent to a special Aviation Boot Camp at NAS Jax, then I went to Aviation Radio and Radar School at Memphis, TN. Then to aerial gunnery at Miami. We then went to operational training at Opa Locka, Fl where I met Ensign McKeon. We trained there for 12 weeks in torpedo and glide bombing. He then volunteered for further advanced Night Training at NAS Kingsville , TX. While there I went to Navigators School and became a Qualified Navigator. Upon completion in August of 1945 we were ordered to Quonset Point, RI to form VT(N) 53,(Night Torpedo Squadron 53). But, as we were checking out of Kingsville, the two atom bombs were dropped and the war ended. We did then continue on to Quonset and the Squadron Commissioned. After several months we transferred to NAS Boca Chicka , FL There an ALLNAV came out that Pilots with so many points could be discharged. Ens McKeon chose to get out and went back home to Philadelphia and entered Jefferson Medical College and obtained his MD. Later he completed a residency in Pathology. After he left the Squadron we then went on to the west coast and to Hawaii to the Barbers Point Naval Air Station. After several months there, we were decommissioned. I was an Aviation Radioman Second Class and was then discharged. I went back home to OHIO and attended The Ohio State University and earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. At Columbus, I re-joined the Naval Air Reserve and then was Commissioned. I remained in the Reserve for a total of active and Reserve time of 31 years. I am now Retired from the Navy with the rank of Commander. One time when I was a LT I attended a two week course at Willow Grove Naval Air Station. While there I met DR McKeon and we had dinner together and he took me to his home and I met his wife and kids. He later as the Pathologist at York, PA and then I believe he passed away at an early age.

About the CAPS. The Navy always used CAPS in their messages and Orders. Just two weeks ago, they announced they were going to lower case as many on the internet did not like CAPS. My last assignment in the Reserves, I was the Administration Office of the Naval Air Staff at the Naval Air Facility at Detroit. I was in the habit of using Caps. I retired from there in 1975.

I will try to register with you when I have time. I have a chronometer wrist watch I wore when in training and in the squadron. I will have to photograph it and right now do not remember the name. It still will run for a little while after rotating the whole watch to get it started. I believe all it needs is cleaning but that is expensive these days. I have two other watches that need cleaning, not military. One is a pocket Waltham, I think, that was my Grandfathers and the other is a Girard Pirogue (SP?). The latter is self winding and will run if you continue to wear it. If you take it off, it will stop.

I just checked the date stated was found on the watch and find it may be confusing though maybe not. The date stated was 12-8-42 or December 8, 1942. I met Ensign McKeon in about April of 1945. Normally a Naval Aviator Training period is about 18 months. If he started his training then, that would put his completion, ie designated as a Naval Aviator. date around June of 1944. Of course the traininmg period could have been longer. From June 44 to April of 45 I dont know what he did. I do remember after we met he mentioned he had only flown the Grumman TBF about 20 hours. Perhaps the date on the watch is the date he was accepted as a candidate to be a Naval Aviator.

I met his parents once, stayed at their Philadelphia home one night. Ens McKeon had applied for the regular Navy, officially he was in the USNReserve. In Sept or Oct of 1945 we took an RON, Remain Over Night, navigation flight from our base at Marthas Vineyard, Mass to the Willow Grove Naval Air Station outside Philli. We stayed at his parents but went out on the town that night and got home very late. His mother was waiting up to inform him there was a phone call from the squadron that he was to appear at a meeting related to his application for Regular Navy, that morning at Quonset Point. After a couple hours sleep his father drove us out to Willow Grove and we took off for Quonset. It must have been 6 AM when we crossed NY Harbor and went by the Statue of Liberty at about a thousand feet and maybe 500 feet off to one side. When we arrived at Quonset he asked me to get his blue uniform hanging inm my compartment in the back of the plane. I did so and he said where are my black shoes. Aviators wore Brown shoes except with blues. There were no shoes. I was wearing my blue enlisted uniform under my flight suit and had black shoes. We exchanged shoes and he went to his meeting. I went to the chow hall in blues and brown shoes. You were supposed to have a chow pass to get in. I did not have one but explained why to the Master at Arms at the door. Then he saw my brown shoes. After explanation I went on in to have breakfast. We then flew back to our base at Marthas Vineyrd. He cancelled his application for Regular Navy.

(quite possibly to be continued.....) ]]> Main Forum Bob http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59106 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59105&goto=newpost Wed, 19 Jun 2013 01:06:43 GMT been hunting one of these for a good while and finally found a nice one from the original owner up on the Dutch coast who wore it around the world in... been hunting one of these for a good while and finally found a nice one from the original owner up on the Dutch coast who wore it around the world in the offshore industry... really great watch, an instant favorite :thumbsup:

anyone know if any of these were actually issued?

:cheers2:
Peter

]]> Main Forum greatsw http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59105 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59103&goto=newpost Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:11:00 GMT Hoping somebody could help with a little diagnosis of an issue I am having with a IWC 3536 Aquatimer. New to me just recently. As soon as it... Hoping somebody could help with a little diagnosis of an issue I am having with a IWC 3536 Aquatimer.

New to me just recently. As soon as it arrived I discovered it was running slow, between 20 and 30 seconds a day. Then I discovered it wouldn't hold power longer than about nine hours. The seller paid for it to go off to a watch repair service he used. Disassembled, cleaned, lubed, reassembled.

Got it back and it was running about three seconds slow a day. After a few days that climbed to maybe seven slow. I didn't pay attention for a few days, but re-zeroed the time yesterday and checked today and discovered it had lost almost 25 seconds in a day.

Is this just settling in after the work and need some regulation? They returned it in a hurry so they didn't run if for days after they worked on it. Or is this more symptomatic of a different issue?

At this point I am trying to decide if I send it back to a watchmaker in which I have little faith, let my local guy try to regulate it, or suck it up and pay out money to somebody I know can get it running right. Plus have it gone for a while. Any input on what may be wrong would be appreciated.

I know this isn't a very MWR specific type question, but I was hoping somebody might offer some insight on issue. Thanks. ]]> Main Forum Turtle http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59103 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59101&goto=newpost Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:49:11 GMT Hi all,

Have recently acquired a very nice "original" Elgin A-11.

It's in great shape. The dial reads "ELGIN" with their symbol, and I noticed that above the numeral 6 is "USN BUSHIPS" (quotation marks included). The rear of the watch says the following:

A.F. U.S. ARMY
TYPE A-11
SPEC. NO. 94-27834-B
SER. NO. AF-44-36982
MFR'S PART NO. 2114
ORD. NO. W30-055ac-1321
ELGIN

The movement reads:

ELGIN 539
T427791
USA 16 JEWELS

The inside of the caseback reads:

CASED AND TIMED BY ELGIN NATIONAL WATCH CO.
KEYSTONE
BASE METAL
81350

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on what I have. I have read that "USN BUSHIPS" A-11s were made by Elgin, but I am just not clear enough on the history.

Thanks!
Ian ]]> Main Forum Colosseum http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59101 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59100&goto=newpost Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:48:36 GMT Guys maybe you can help me out here I'm torn between a marathon jsar vs a Nixon 51-30 or other recommendations you may have. I have a large 8 inch wrist was looking for a large diver style watch. Thank you any input would be greatly appreciated. :thumbsup: looking to spend no more than 600 bucks ]]> Main Forum bmike http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59100 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59087&goto=newpost Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:31:57 GMT Had my eye on this for a few weeks, ummed and aaahed a bit, then got offered one in far worse shape for double the price. So went and bought it. I... Had my eye on this for a few weeks, ummed and aaahed a bit, then got offered one in far worse shape for double the price. So went and bought it. I find these 6B / 159 watches in the steel 56 (re)cases a mystery for lots of reason already discussed on this forum, but not sure if anyone has ever established what the purpose (if any) of the white dial is. This example is in quite stunning condition, seems like it hasn't really been worn at all. Also, in the week I have been wearing it, it has kept time like a chronometer. It's incredibly accurate. And I'm sure others will note, this white dial has the curved four, instead of the square four. Not opened the back yet so not sure of movement. No prizes for guessing which LP (yes, an old vinyl LP) the watch was sitting on for the photos...






]]> Main Forum Trunkman http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59087 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59085&goto=newpost Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:07:00 GMT Image: https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s403x403/1017104_614599401885746_1243259147_n.jpg MSRP...

MSRP $19.99

http://store.magpul.com/product/MAG233

F*** you Feinstein. :cheers2: ]]> The Ninja Mall Cheshire-Cat http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59085 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59080&goto=newpost Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:02:53 GMT Hi you all! This is to ask you owners of the 1967 model Breitling 806 navitimer if the colour of the rotating rule is white or its silver as the... Hi you all!

This is to ask you owners of the 1967 model Breitling 806 navitimer if the colour of the rotating rule is white or its silver as the minute and second counters as in any picture is possible to say if its white or silver....

Thank u all!!!! ]]> Main Forum heavenway http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59080 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59078&goto=newpost Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:38:09 GMT perhaps a Fake Omega WWW kit... perhaps a Fake Omega WWW kit?....certainly the dial is not original ]]> Main Forum foilguy http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59078 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59070&goto=newpost Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:00:53 GMT http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2909318859...84.m1423.l2649

Made a few brief enquiries about this and even put a bid on it (outbid fairly quickly though) - apparently number 100/93 though no pics. Difficult to tell much from the pics - crown a strange gold/bronze colour. Seller has told me he had to stop the sale for "unseen reasons" and will re-list in a few weeks, also that he is selling for his son in law.

Cracked me up with the question "what does the FS stand for" and his response! ]]> Main Forum philjopa http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59070 http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59068&goto=newpost Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:05:58 GMT Hi,
I'm new in the Forum and an enthusiast about military watches. I bought a Benrus GG-W-113 reissue on the flea market. Unfortunately, the Hour-Hand ist wrong. Now I'm searching for this or a komplete set of Hands for that watch. Do anyone know, from where i could get some?


Regards

Axel ]]> TECHNICAL HELP FORUM awi http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=59068