Kriegsmarine Navy Chronograph, s/n 303
Type: Wristwatch
Case: Brass with nickel plating, screw-in stainless steel caseback
Movement: Swiss lever type Escapement, chronograph function with 30-minute drive register
Country of origin: Germany, official Reich issue
Years of production: 1942 – 1945
Signed: KM Hanhart
Size: Diameter 40mm
This KM watch is incredibly rare. Hanhart chronographs were traditionally the official timepieces of the Luftwaffe pilots, and were produced entirely in Germany from 1939 to 1945, including the movement. According to sources, very few Hanhart watches marked with the ‘KM’ were produced, and were usually distributed among the high ranks of the Kriegsmarine. There is also a possibility that KM chronographs were issued to submariners, but we have not any evidence to support this yet.
The movement, unfortunately, fell into the hands of a terrible watchmaker. In an attempt to repair it, the entire balance assembly, the bridge of the pallet fork along with the fork, was all lost. We will have to look for a similar donor mechanism that can provide us with spare parts, you can’t to put something unoriginal in this watch.
The main this to note here is the dial, which is in excellent condition!
The caseback bearing the emblem of the Reich bird is very well preserved, such condition is not often found.
This watch utterly deserves a careful and high-quality restoration. I will endeavour to do everything as correctly as possible.
