Hi All

Picked this from the bay with a make an offer option. A Waltham 16s 17j Grade 1617 military marked WALTHAM 16s #31935624 in a keystone base metal case. The back is marked ORD. DEPT. U.S.A. OB- 37579. What does OB- 37579 mean? Any help on year made or other information would be helpful.

Thanks
Keith

Waltham listed it as 1944 production. I hope someone else knows more about the case markings.

Thanks Dave

Some pictures

case back

Hi All

Nobody has any information on this watch?

Tha hacking device is not working, but the wire is there. Any hints on how to fit it. Tha hands are very rusty any way to clean them up, or would someone have a set for sale?

Regards
Keith

This info given to me for posting here:

In the US Army, there was a need for general service timepieces which had to be accurate within the usual tolerances for a watch that would have been used by the general population, and it used 2 primary producers. Waltham provided watches built on their basic 1908 movement, which could be jeweled in a number of configurations to suit whatever purpose the Army required. The movement was designated as the 1600 series, 16 being the size of the watch, and the last 2 digits being the jewelling. In your case, you have a 1617; 16 size, 17 jewels, as you have properly identified. 15J and 17J pocket watches carried the Ordnance Department identifier OB, with the OA designation assigned to the 1609 Waltham model. The other producer was Elgin, which used a G291 for their OA watch and a G387 for their OB watch. Both OA and OB watches were extensively used by personnel assigned in artillery, engineer, and transportation units, and in other assignments where close but not necessarily precise time was required. Specialty watches such as Navigation Master Watches, Deck Watches, Comparing Watches, etc. did not fall within this regulation, and therefore are not subject to this 2 letter model designation. I have included this listing of the letter designations for the watches that were used by the US Army. The source document is Marvin Whitney’s excellent book, ‘Military Timepieces’.
ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT MARKINGS
The Ordnance Department numbered each watch with letters to signify the grade of the watch and the service to which it is issued, followed by the serial number. Watches were identified by the following ordnance codes.
For new watches manufactured after 12 November 1940:
OA – 7J & 9J pocket watches OB – 15J & 17J pocket watches
OC – 7J & 9J wrist watches OD – 15J & 17J wrist watches
OE – 21J Railroad Grade pocket watch OF – 15J to 17J waterproof wrist watches
OFA – 15J & 16J waterproof wrist watch, navigation type A11, substitute standard
OG- 7J & 9J waterproof wrist watch OS – for stopwatch
For old watches manufactured before 12 November 1940:

OW – 7J & 9J pocket watches OX – 15J & 17J pocket watches
OY – 7J & 9J wrist watches OZ – 15J & 17J wrist watches
New watch meaning a watch specifically manufactured to fill a military contract. Old watch meaning a watch from existing inventory used to fill a military contract.

I'd also like to add that without taking the watch apart there is no way to know what is causing the hack feature to not function.

Roger