When I first saw this watch, I assumed that it was a Hamilton 4992. I was quite surprised when I opened it up and found a Longines movement and that it was a sterling silver case. Ihav found a reference to a Longines made for the US Army, but it was a different movement and had a wind indicator. Is this a militay or civilian model? Thanks in advance for any response. In any case it is deffinitely a keeper.

Longines GCT movement

Longines GCT case

Wow, first one I've seen, great find.

For military, of course.

You do not show the back of the case where all of the military markings would be. Are they missing? If so this could be recased. The contract specification for all manufacturers of GCTs included the requirement that

"The case shall be engraved or etched as follows:

AN5740
Mfr's. Part No.
Contract No.
Serial No.
Mfr's Name or Trademark"

Also, in reading Whitney, he describes GCTs, or Master Navigational Watches, as having been made by Waltham, Hamilton, and Elgin. He does not mention any contracts being given to Longines. I suppose that Whitney could be wrong, but I would want to see a copy of the official contract first.

Wa-a-a-ay different than the 1938-39 Vintage Longines GCT that passed through my collection

Jim, I expect that in the first hectic days after Pearl there were many, many "expedited" deliveries of war material "without" the proper packing, numbering and detailed codes. In the case of watches I have received a number of military issue watches without imprinted case backs and have commented that in view of the "original" condition of the watch and the dates of manufacture that indicate these were pre-1942 production underscores the hurry that the watchmakers were in to deliver enough time-pieces from existing inventories. The 1940 dated Longines GCT Ken has is certainly an example of this. As Ken's advanced generation Govt. Spec built GCT watch IS in a silver (cased by Longines) case I am sure that it was passed up to Government use in a hurry without the case markings. Certainly the box could have been so marked, but we will never know.

Whitney may not give credit for this but Whitney is a history that lacks the need for that.

In the 1960's I manufactured a large quantity of radar components and during the Viet Nam buildup I was visited regularly by government "expeditors" who would come in and draw my factory inventory right off the shelf without the fancy marked packaging and documentation. The ONLY marking those had were our manufacturer's code (CCZZ) and that was only because I insisted that code be marked before they were wrapped for inventory.

Perhaps old news to everyone here - but there was also an Elgin version that looks nearly identical to this Longines and (the usual) Hamilton.