SKU: ORD1/AU

In WWII Ordnance watches were made for the US military by Waltham, Hamilton, Bulova and Elgin. The original watches were made of nickel-plated brass because wartime conditions precluded the use of stainless steel as a consequence the original watches were not very durable hence finding one in good and sound condition is very challenging. The original watches were very small and measured 33/34mm but we increased the size slightly to 36.5 mm excluding the crown and 39 mm including the crown.  

The US Army Ordnance Department watches were intended for use by non-aviation personnel; the A-11 which is similar but with a black dial was the USAAF equivalent.

During the second world war Army personnel were issued with watches by the "ORD DEPT" In 1940, the Ordnance Department published the specific requirements and specifications for military watches hence all the various watches were very similar in basic specification and design.

The original watches were handwound, this particular watch is a self winding automatic although we also make a hand winding manual version for buyers who prefer this feature which makes it closer to the WWII originals.

For comparison the last two images were sent to us by a watch enthusiast and show original WWII watches.

* For details of water resistance ratings etc go to