Eaglemoss Military Watches Collection.
MWC 89 - 1960s Swedish Soldier
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, Aug 1, 2017 at 09:22 PM (6637 Views)
Sweden was very aware that during the cold war their position directly on Soviet border meant they were on the very front line should any conflict between NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries start, and with typical Swedish attention to detail they prepared the whole country to be ready for war at very short notice.
The numbers of troops went up from 250,000 to 400,000 in 1950. Young men were conscripted for 14-22 months which was followed by 30 years in the reserves, which included 30 days of service every 18 months to keep up to date with equipment changes, anyone deliberately avoiding conscription would lose rights to state benefits.
Protection of civilian and army personnel was at the core of Swedish military philosophy. Large numbers of bomb shelters were built to house civilians should any conflict begin, fighter/intercept aircraft were dispersed across the country in small units to prevent losses if bombing raids targeted them, even Tanks were redesigned from the ground up.
The unique Stridsvagen 103 "S-Tank" was designed without a turret to make its profile lower and less exposed to enemy fire, the munitions were loaded mechanically, reducing the crew from 5 to 3. It was lighter and therefore more manoeuvrable, and could also be converted to run amphibiously in just 20 minutes, enabling it to dispense with the need to use bridges, a place where tanks are often vunerable.
Swedish army officers used the Swedish built "rugged" watch also did exactly what was required by its description, though they are hard to find on the market today
Case
Slim, Polished cushion style case 35mm at its narrow point, 37.5mm at the crown, 8mm deep, 44mm Lug to Lug, 18mm lug width
Interior diameter 30mm, 6mm deep, 5mm crown, 28mm flat glass
Dial
Black Dial with white printed railtrack second scale and green dots marking five-second intervals at the outside edge
Hours indicated by green Arabic numbers
Polished needle style hour and minute hands with luminous infill and a slim seconds hand
Strap
Black PU leather strap 18mm wide narrows to 16mm buckle, approx. fitting 175/220mm
The original Candino watch was a very simple smooth pared back design, slim with a brushed finish and no adornments unlike the replica