{"product_id":"frenca-german-military-issued-watch-1940s","title":"Frenca German Military-Issued Watch - c.1940s","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrenca German Military-Issued Watch - Case Back Reference \"1960 D.U\" - \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003ec.1940s\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrenca\u003c\/strong\u003e was a subsidiary brand of Swiss watch company, \u003cstrong\u003eBuser Frères \u0026amp; Cie S.A, \u003c\/strong\u003efounded in 1892 in Niederdorf, Switzerland. Buser was a true manufacture d'horlogerie, meaning they designed, engineered, and built their own raw movements (ébauches) and complete timepieces entirely in-house.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe quartz crisis brought production to a halt in 1978, and the name lay dormant for 45 years. German brand DEKLA then acquired and relaunched Buser Frères, honouring their roots with vintage and military-inspired watches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat’s On Offer\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eHere we have a fantastically rugged example of a \u003cstrong\u003ec.1940s Frenca German military-issued\u003c\/strong\u003e watch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe caseback is engraved, “Wasserdicht (Waterproof) Stahlboden (Steel Back)”, “1960” (a serial number, not date) and “D.U.” (Dienstuhr, meaning service watch). The “D.U.” stamp is a broad specification, but is often associated with the \u003cb\u003eVerwaltung (Administrative \u0026amp; Civil Services), \u003c\/b\u003ecomprising government administrators, logistics staff, and military railway (Reichsbahn) personnel. \u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe\u003cb\u003e original radium dial \u003c\/b\u003ehas developed a faded black finish with a \u003cb\u003egrainy speckling of patina. \u003c\/b\u003eLarge Arabic numerals circle the dial, surrounded by an elaborate railroad-style chapter ring. A seconds sub-dial sits at 6 o’clock, also with a chapter ring. The Arabic numerals retain their \u003cstrong\u003eoriginal lume, \u003c\/strong\u003ewhich has aged to a faded sand colour. The dial is completed by contrasting gold syringe hands. Unfortunately, the hands and crown are not original this example, but they suit the watch nevertheless.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003e34mm chrome-plated case \u003c\/strong\u003eshows signs of military service, bearing the rust and wear you’d expect from a watch that was worn on the wrist of an active WWII serviceman.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eInside is the original 15-jewel \u003cb\u003eBuser Calibre 25\/115 manual-wind movement, \u003c\/b\u003ewhich remains in \u003cb\u003eexcellent condition. \u003c\/b\u003eThe number engraved inside the caseback matches the one between the lugs at 6 o'clock. That’s a detail you can't take for granted on a watch that passed through German military servicing, where efficiency tended to win out over consistency.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eOverall, this is a great example of an authentic, historical timepiece that evidently saw action throughout WWII.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eNB: \u003c\/b\u003eWe have tested this watch on our timegraph, and it reads that it is running reasonably well. However, its service history is unknown, and as we are selling it on behalf of a consignor who has asked us to help sell an entire collection, it is offered for sale as seen. Our consignors do not service each watch before they’re sold, so we have priced them to reflect this, and they come without a warranty. However, servicing can be arranged with our watchmaker at an additional cost if you wish. If so, please contact us to discuss this. Once serviced, the watch will be given a 12-month warranty.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vintage Watch Specialist","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57373741908343,"sku":"vws4288cs","price":695.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0139\/8092\/6009\/files\/frenca-vintage-watch-specialist-236.jpg?v=1787735413","url":"https:\/\/vintagewatchspecialist.com\/products\/frenca-german-military-issued-watch-1940s","provider":"Vintage Watch Specialist","version":"1.0","type":"link"}