This time I want to show another rare find - a fully original observer navigation watch for the German Kriegsmarine classified by the naval authorities as a second class military timepiece. Only 2.000 pieces of this later KM Stowa version were produced from 1940 on by the German Stowa company founded by Walter Storz in Pforzheim. The watch has a nickel-plated case with the movement production number "636". The movement is the Unitas 2813 calibre with 19 rubies, Guillaume balance, swan neck regulator and an interesting hacking mechanism (in German "Sekundenstopp"). When pulling out the crown to set the time the watch does not stop, runs in "silent mode" and the seconds hand stops at "60". As soon as the correct time has reached the user just need to push the crown back and the movement/seconds hand starts ticking again. On the back of the watch is to find the later Stowa Kriegsmarine eagle, the letter "M" for "Marine" (navy), the navy inventory number "15347", the additional engraving "II. Kl." (second class timepiece) and underneath again the movement number "636". What also makes this pocket watch so special is the "KM Stowa" signed full luminous dial with amazing glow in the dark readibility. Actually it is not a radiactive material, they just used zinc sulfide. Also have a look at the earlier 1939 made KM Stowa observer watch version I show here https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/...0103944/m/9113967597. This one has almost the same movement (no hacking mechanism) but a different case, crown and dial which is not luminous. BTW: After the war the Helmut Sinn company bought all Stowa stock parts (movements, dials and so on) and reassembled and sold them in the 1980s. But at least these watches were never used in WW2 - but mine for sure!

Regards, Florian