Wednesday 8 June 2011

Military Watch Photo






Military Watch History

Military timepieces
We are surrounded by time displays everywhere, from mobile phones, car dashboards, wristwatches and of course clocks.
The clock is the oldest independently working mechanical device. Man has always been fascinated by time, from the earliest sundial to the modern day military watch.
Something as vague as time it self and the ability to be able to measure it gives use continued fascination.

The first wristwatches where worn by ladies only and were considered just extensions of there jewellery. Gentlemen considered the wristwatch to small and prone to damage, compared to their larger solid pocket watches. Men would possibly have continued to use the pocket watch if it wasn’t for the introduction of the men’s military wristwatch.

The first military timepieces were chronometers, which were 22 - 30 hour brass instruments in a wood case. These where used to aid navigation at sea by warships.

In 1879 the German emperor ordered more than 1000 military watches from the watch makers Girad Perrgaux of Switzerland. These military watches were possibly the first military watches to be commissioned in bulk by any army in the world. They were commissioned for the use of the German imperial navvy.

By the turn of the century the British army where at war with the Bores. The Bores where very well entrenched into their positions along the front line and outnumbered the British army. The British army's officers where dressed in theirpith helmets and brightly coloured uniforms, they also wore military wristwatches. These early military wristwatches had been adapted from men’s pocket watches by means of two soldered lugs/pins either side of the pocket watch. Two leather straps where fitted to the lugs to enable the military watch to be worn on ones wrist.
These adapted pocket watches allowed the British army to use precision timing along with planned and co-ordinated simultaneous attacks against the Bores, giving the British a distinct advantage.
Civilian gentlemen were still slow two embraces the idea of wearing a wristwatch and still preferred the pocket watch.

By the end of the first world war more soldiers started to wear military watches. Whilst  soldiers were on leave they continued to wear there military watches. It became more acceptable and even fashionable for men to be seen with  a wrist watch. The watch manufactures were quick to respond to this changing trend. The first men's wristwatches were made up from new watch cases but with ladies watch movements making the early men’s wristwatch very small.

The military continued to commission military watches.
The key feature to the military watch came with the introduction of the hack feature, this allowed military personnel to synchronise their military watches with each other.

Aviation soon realised the importance of an accurate military timepiece.
The first pilots military watch was introduced by IWC (International WatchCompany) around 1936. It was a large faced military watch, which had a turning glass bezel and 52 S.C. calibre pocket watch movement.

By 1941 the new army air force commissioned military watches from Elgin and Bulova.
Army’s around the word commissioned there own versions of the Military watch.
The Japanese imperial army commissioned thousands of Seiko military watches for the Japanese imperial army.

After the second would war the jet age in aviation grew rapidly. By the 1950s the Lockheed F-104G was capable of speeds of 1460 mph. With these high speeds the Chronographs timepieces where vital.
A chronograph military watch is a watch that not only tells the time of day but has the ability to record chosen intervals of time. 

Monday 6 June 2011

LANCO FON Photos






TISSOT AIRMASTER Photos






Omega Photos








LANCO FON


Langendorf Watch Company

Brand name: Langendorf Watch Company
Owned by: Langendorf Watch Company
Country: Switzerland
Founded: 1873
Founder: Jean Kottmann
Website: -

Logo of Langendorf Watch Company


History

of the Uhrenfabrik Langendorf SA, located in Langendorf, Switzerland, right in the middle of the Solothurn Canton. A certain family Kottmann from Solothurn (Langendorf isn't far) set up industrial production in 1842 there, and in 1873 a chicory (=plant) factory was rebuilt to make ebauche (=movement-blank, referring to the basic parts of a watch movement) for other companies, using between 70 and 80 workers. However, the company did not do well and almost collapsed in 1880. The number of workers had been drastically reduced and there were severe problems with alcoholism and absenteeism, such that the Kottmann family started putting up housing and training of their workers. In the middle of 1880, just before the company would have been liquidated, Kottmann was able to import specialists from western Switzerland, who were able to turn the company around. Orders flowed in, and production was expanded strongly. The company was considered to be a very socially oriented company, building schools, a hydrant system and financing the installation of electric lights in Langendorf, as well as putting up significant amounts of low-cost housing. He also founded the local "Verein" or club, which is still operating today. From 1887 onwards production was deepened and the company became largely independent of suppliers. Towards the end of the 1880s it was considered to be the largest clock factory in the world. Karl Kottmann died in 1890 and the technical director, Lucien Tieche, took over the company. From this point on the company sold its products also under its own name (not Lanco, but Langendorf). In 1902 one of the Kottmann family took over the company once again.
The company remained in family hands until 1964. A group of employees took over the company under the guidance of Guido Kottmann, and the company joined a conglomerate of watch makers (Schweizerischen Gesellschaft für Uhrenindustrie AG) in the face of weakening business in 1965. In 1971 Lanco was merged into the Omega-Tissot Group, and production ended in 1973

Brand names used

Brand names: Lanco, Lanco-Fon (alarm watch), Lanco-matic, Lancyl, Larex, Larex - Fon (Alarm watch), Lonville.


TISSOT AIRMASTER


Tissot SA
Member of the Swatch group
Industry
Watch manufacturing
Founded
1853 by Charles-Félicien Tissot and Charles-Emile Tissot
Headquarters
Le Locle, Switzerland
Number of locations
16,000[1]
Area served
150 countries
Key people
François Thiébaud, (President)
Georges Nicolas Hayek jun. (Chairmain of the Board)
Products
Wristwatches, pocket watches, timing devices/systems
Services
Timing systems
Employees
250
Website

Tissot is a Swiss watchmaker company founded in 1853 by Charles-Félicien Tissot and his sonCharles-Émile Tissot who established the Tissot factory in the Swiss city of Le Locle, in the Neuchâtel area of the Jura Mountains.[2]
Tissot should not be confused with Mathey-Tissot, a separate Swiss watchmaking firm established by Edmond Mathey-Tissot in 1886.

Watch models


Tissot Le Locle

Tissot T-Touch
§  Sailing T-Touch
§  SeaTouch
§  T-Touch Expert
§  T-Touch
§  T-Touch II
§  T-Race MotoGP
§  T-Race
§  T-Navigator 3000
§  T-Sport
§  TXL & TXS
§  PRS 516
§  PRS 200
§  PRC 200 Chronograph
§  PRC 200
§  PRC 100
§  PR 50
§  Bascule
§  Six-T
§  T-Wave
§  Ice-T
§  Equi-T
§  Diver Seastar Automatic 1000
§  Seastar 660
§  Seastar 7
§  Seastar 2
§  Bellflhour
§  Flower Power
§  V8
§  Cocktail
§  Le Locle
§  Heritage
§  T-Lord
§  LOVE T-TOUCH
§  Stylist BB
§  High-T
§  Visodate

Omega SA


Omega SA
Industry
Watch manufacturing
Founded
1848
Founder(s)
Louis Brandt
Headquarters
Key people
Nicolas G. Hayek, Chairman
Stephen Urquhart,
 President
Products
Website
Omega SA (UK: /ˈəʊm.ɪg.ə/, US: /oʊˈmeɪ.gə/) is a Swiss luxury watchmaker based inBiel/Bienne, Switzerland. Omega is one of the most known and recognized watches in the world. Omega watch was the choice of NASA and the first watch on the Moon in 1969. Omega was the official timekeeping device of the Olympic Games. James Bond has worn it in films since 1995; other famous Omega wearers are John F. Kennedy , Prince William, Buzz Aldrin,Joe Biden, George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Michael Phelps, Zhang Ziyi and Cindy Crawford.Omega estimates that seven out of every ten people have heard of Omega watches. Omega is owned by the Swatch Group.

Watch models

Rare Seamaster chronometer in stainless steel case w/ rose gold markers, Ca. 1949

The Seamaster Planet Ocean 600 M diving watch is currently Omega's newest version of the Seamaster Series.
For men

For women