2.1361 RIKA RLM/LUFTWAFFE “PARATROOPER” MILITARY WATCH, GERMANY 1940s

A rare 1940s German military service wristwatch from the RLM/Luftwaffe family, signed Rika and powered by the fully German-made PUW calibre 500. Watches of this type are commonly associated with Luftwaffe personnel and are often referred to by collectors as “paratrooper” or airborne service watches.

The watch is noticeably larger than many contemporary German military wristwatches, it has a 35.6 mm case. The compact subsidiary-seconds register is especially characteristic: because the tonneau-shaped movement places the seconds wheel farther from the centre than a conventional round calibre, the small-seconds display sits unusually close to the lower edge of the dial.

About the RLM/Luftwaffe Service Watches

From approximately 1942-43, reduced access to imported Swiss service watches led the Luftwaffe to encourage domestic production, particularly among manufacturers in Pforzheim. These watches generally combined round cases with rectangular or tonneau-shaped German movements, including the PUW 500. Assembly was carried out by numerous local manufacturers and brands, including Aeschbach, Aristo, Berg, Para, Stowa, Wagner and others.

The same fundamental design appeared under many different names and sometimes without any visible dial branding. The shared construction – fixed bars, double caseback or inner dust cover, highly legible luminous dial and shaped German movement – is therefore more significant than the particular commercial name on the dial.

Comparable watches are documented in Konrad Knirim’s reference work on German military timepieces. Many surviving examples carry serial numbers within the broad 600,000–800,000 range associated with these service watches; this example is numbered 781467.

Specifications

• Brand: Rika
• Model: RLM/Luftwaffe “Paratrooper” military watch
• Year: 1940s
• Origin: Germany
• Movement: PUW calibre 500, mechanical manual-wind, 15 jewels
• Frequency: 18,000 vibrations per hour
• Case: Plated brass case with fixed strap bars
• Caseback: Stainless steel snap-on caseback
• Inner cover: Separate brass movement dust cover
• Case number: 781467
• Crystal: Domed acrylic crystal
• Dial: Black military dial with subsidiary seconds
• Indices: Arabic numerals and luminous hour plots
• Hands: Luminous military-style hands
• Lume: Renewed with safe non-radioactive luminous compound, aged to a vintage appearance
• Strap: Hand-made genuine leather strap for fixed bars

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