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拍品专文
Accompanied by a Longines Extract from the Archives confirming that the present Longines Weems second-setting wristwatch in stainless steel with caliber 37.9 movement was invoiced on 21 June 1940 to the company Longines-Wittnauer, which was at that time the firm's agent for the USA.
Among Longines military watches, the 47mm Weems models issued to pilots in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service have occupied a mythical place. Only a handful are known to survive, and it can be speculated that most were likely lost in combat. The watches featured a Japanese engraving on the back including the number of the pilot. The present watch was issued to 862. The top line reads “air soldier” or “sky warrior” while the bottom line reads “number 8 6 2 issue.” Other examples have also been found in the 800 range and it is thought that they may have been issued to a specific squadron.
An unsolved mystery is why all of the handful of issued watches were originally sent to New York. It is certainly possible that orders may have been made by the Japanese embassy in Washington, DC, but how they exactly migrated from the United States to Japan before the attack on Pearl Harbor is unclear.
The present watch has remarkable provenance. The watch was given by a Japanese pilot to an American who served as a translator for the U.S. Navy during World War II. During the post-war occupation, the American translator helped to set up a local newspaper in Okinawa. As a sign of appreciation for his service to the community and as a heartfelt token of friendship, the Japanese pilot presented him with his Longines watch. The American translator, who later advised the United States Congress on related issues, proceeded to put the watch in a prominent place on his desk and never wore it. It sat in that place of honor for approximately 70 years to the present day.
The watch is in remarkable condition. The 47mm case appears to be unpolished and the center rotating disc has developed an aged parchment-like patina. The dial has cracked by 9 o’clock, but that is perhaps forgivable given that the watch likely saw combat during World War II.
For collectors of Longines watches and military watches, the present watch is an extraordinary and important discovery.
This model is described and illustrated in Longines Watches by John Goldberger, p. 8.
Among Longines military watches, the 47mm Weems models issued to pilots in the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service have occupied a mythical place. Only a handful are known to survive, and it can be speculated that most were likely lost in combat. The watches featured a Japanese engraving on the back including the number of the pilot. The present watch was issued to 862. The top line reads “air soldier” or “sky warrior” while the bottom line reads “number 8 6 2 issue.” Other examples have also been found in the 800 range and it is thought that they may have been issued to a specific squadron.
An unsolved mystery is why all of the handful of issued watches were originally sent to New York. It is certainly possible that orders may have been made by the Japanese embassy in Washington, DC, but how they exactly migrated from the United States to Japan before the attack on Pearl Harbor is unclear.
The present watch has remarkable provenance. The watch was given by a Japanese pilot to an American who served as a translator for the U.S. Navy during World War II. During the post-war occupation, the American translator helped to set up a local newspaper in Okinawa. As a sign of appreciation for his service to the community and as a heartfelt token of friendship, the Japanese pilot presented him with his Longines watch. The American translator, who later advised the United States Congress on related issues, proceeded to put the watch in a prominent place on his desk and never wore it. It sat in that place of honor for approximately 70 years to the present day.
The watch is in remarkable condition. The 47mm case appears to be unpolished and the center rotating disc has developed an aged parchment-like patina. The dial has cracked by 9 o’clock, but that is perhaps forgivable given that the watch likely saw combat during World War II.
For collectors of Longines watches and military watches, the present watch is an extraordinary and important discovery.
This model is described and illustrated in Longines Watches by John Goldberger, p. 8.