Elgin A-11 Navigation wrist watch,Hack,16 jewels,grade 539,serial no T786238 year movement made 1944 case marks say 1945 that should of been when it was issued.It was used by the US Army Air Corps and looks mint.

There is no way to tell, but it is also possible that the case could be a replacement. Usually these old A-11s have cases that are anywhere from somewhat worn to really beat up. NOS replacement cases complete with markings on the back are not that hard to find. Some people replace the old cases with such NOS cases. The super condition of this case combined with the difference in dates suggests that this is a possibility on this wristwatch.

Why do the hands look NOS most other hands have been repainted through the year on other's that I own but you might be right.

I agree that the hands on this example look a little too perfect to be original, but it is hard to tell with certainty. You can find NOS hands for these without much difficulty. Perhaps someone replaced both the case and the hands to spruce it up.

For a nice looking and useable watch I don't see any problem with such improvements, but some collectors such as myself prefer to have a military watch be all original including the wear and tear. To me, collecting old military timepieces includes the history that is imbued in the timepiece itself rather than just the mechanical aspects. I like to think of what the timepiece may have gone through in its days of actual use. Of course there are other collectors who place a higher value on having timepieces that are as close to mint as possible and who welcome replacement parts to make it so. I think it is great for a person to have a choice when deciding what kind way to collect military timepieces.