2.1358 ALPINA “K.M.” CAL. 586 KRIEGSMARINE MILITARY ISSUE, SWISS-GERMANY 1940s

An original military-issue Alpina wristwatch produced in Switzerland for the German Kriegsmarine Navy during the 1940s. The cream dial carries the characteristic K.M. designation together with the movement number 586, identifying both its naval service context and the Alpina calibre fitted inside.

This is a particularly interesting early variation with fixed strap bars and a stainless steel snap-on caseback. A watch with the same case construction is documented in Konrad Knirim’s reference work on German military timepieces. Surviving Alpina K.M. watches are recognised by their light-coloured military dials, subsidiary seconds, compact cases and K.M. markings; calibre 586 examples are documented as German naval service watches.

These watches were built as functional instruments rather than decorative objects. Their compact dimensions, clear Arabic numerals, luminous indications and simple hand-wound movements were well suited to service use. Kriegsmarine wristwatches were generally smaller than the better-known D.H. watches issued for the German Army, and this 30 mm example retains the characteristic proportions of the type.

This watch has clearly lived a long and eventful life. The dial shows extensive fine spotting and moisture-related ageing – an understandable fate for a naval service watch – while the plated case displays just a little wear. In contrast, the mechanical heart of the watch remains in excellent technical condition: the movement has been serviced, works correctly and keeps time as it should.

Specifications

• Brand: Alpina
• Model: K.M. Kriegsmarine military issue
• Year: 1940s
• Origin: Swiss-made for German naval service
• Movement: Alpina calibre 586, mechanical manual-wind, 15 jewels
• Case: Plated brass case with fixed strap bars
• Caseback: Stainless steel snap-on caseback
• Case number: 311940
• Crystal: Domed acrylic crystal
• Dial: Original cream military dial with subsidiary seconds
• Indices: Printed Arabic numerals with luminous hour plots
• Hands: Replacement blued-steel hands with luminous infill
• Lume: Safe non-radioactive luminous compound, aged to a vintage appearance
• Functions: Hours, minutes and subsidiary seconds
• Strap: Simple genuine leather strap for fixed bars

About the Alpina K.M.

Alpina was among the Swiss manufacturers that supplied service wristwatches to the German Kriegsmarine during the Second World War. Surviving examples are recognised by the K.M. designation on the dial, accompanied on Alpina watches by the number 592/586, referring directly to the hand-wound calibre inside. Alpina later drew on this historical model when creating its modern KM-710 reinterpretation.

The configuration of this example corresponds closely to documented Alpina K.M. watches and to the models illustrated in Konrad Knirim’s standard reference literature on German military timepieces.

Servicing and Warranty

• Fully serviced with disassembly in our Bristol shop
• Mechanics in full working order
• 12-month movement warranty
• Warranty Terms and Conditions
• No water resistance warranty