Hi all. Can someone please tell me something about this watch.

Thanks in advance.

From Wikepedia...doesn't tell you much about the watch, but maybe gives you an idea where they came up with the name.

"Helvetia is the female personification of Switzerland. Sometimes called the mother of the Swiss nation, she is typically pictured in a flowing gown, with a spear and a shield emblazoned with the Swiss flag, and commonly with braided hair, commonly with a wreath as a symbol of Confederation."

"Helvetia is the Roman name for an ancient region of central Europe occupying a plateau between the Alps and the Jura Mountains. Helvetia corresponded roughly to the western part of modern Switzerland, and the name is still used poetically."

Roger

British WW2 issue pocket watch.

Looking around I found where the GP/TP means GENERAL SERVICE/ TEMPORARY PATTERN or perhaps Trade Pattern. Apparently there is disagreement on exactly what the TP stood for.

Tom

The British Army purchased large quanities of ordinary quality pocket watches (not chronometer or railroad or other high grade) between 1939 and 1945. They needed so many that they purchased them from a number of different companies, including Helvitia. The GS/TP is as was mentioned either General Service/Trade Pattern or General Service Temporary Pattern - there seems to be some disagreement on which. My personal thought is Trade Pattern makes more sense. The arrowhead design is the standard British military 'broadhead' emblem that has been applied to most British military equipment for centuries. The dial has radium paint on the hands and numbers which is still full strength radioactive so you do not want to be doing anything to the dial or hands to avoid breaking off tiny particles and breathing them in. The reason you do not see any glow is the zinc sulfide with which the radium was mixed has burned out over the years from the radiation.

These are nice watches and keep good time. They are also perhaps one of the most common military watches and you can find many on Ebay or other places every week. You could make a nice collection of the many makers and variations for a modest amount of money.

Thank you all for your input. I found also that this is a 15 jewel model with a Caliber 32 A From Helvetica.

Hi
I got one with a differnt dial here the post I did on it if you did not see it.
https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/f...0103944/m/8761037033

Thanks Mike for the informative link. As soon as as the watch arrives, I'll post the info. there.

Regards