Early aviation(?) style watches

[rodia77]

All with cathedral hands, similar font, etc.

My initial question was about whether a common ancestor would be traceable, but I found the answer here:

Pilot’s watches of this style were not exclusive to Zenith, in fact, this style of watch was generic for the period from the early 1900s to the thirties. Similar watches were made by Longines, Omega and Helvetia. Aviator’s chronographs were also made in this generic style, but curiously none had military markings unlike later such watches.

(If you know anything to the contrary, shout -- I haven't done a proper research).

(Also, not sure about the aviation part, because when I look for example at the Sowar, I see more of a field watch in it).

Any other modern iterations of these that you know of? Pics welcome!

[rodia77]

[Seriously]

[ro63rto]

Arent those known as Poire squelette (skeleton pear) not cathedral?

[rodia77]

I'm no expert, but I see them called 'cathedral' all the time.
I remember seeing them called just 'squelette', too. The 'poire' part is either something I've maybe seen once-twice and forgotten or completely new to me.
A brief Google-fu shows 673 hits for 'poire squelette', which isn't a lot. 'Poire hands' has 2660 hits and shows what is most commonly known as 'spade hands'?
The Zenith's pointy hand is defo no poire, though.

[tribe125]

(Also, not sure about the aviation part, because when I look for example at the Sowar, I see more of a field watch in it).

Having just done a picture search, it looks as though ‘Sowar’ is applied to just about anything. It’s not a designation for an aviator watch.

[rodia77]

Having just done a picture search, it looks as though ‘Sowar’ is applied to just about anything. It’s not a designation for an aviator watch.

I meant the particular Sowar I posted, 1916 off the top of my head.

[is that my watch]

Having just done a picture search, it looks as though ‘Sowar’ is applied to just about anything. It’s not a designation for an aviator watch.

funnily enough they are field watches of a sort as sowar means the one who rides punjabi (siwar) or rider in persian (sawar) was also a rank in mugha / maratha period similar to cavalry which appears on some of the later ones

[OhDark30]

West End watches were popular with the British Army in India in the Raj years: Sowar does indeed refer to cavalry, as Is notes

So an early waterproof watch, popular with soldiers
Exhaustive company history here:
https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/westend.php

You see a lot of vintage ones on expansion bracelets (and many with Mumbai dials)

As a mil watch fan I fancied one at one point, but hard to find originalish ones in good nick

[OhDark30]

Longines had a contract with the Czech Air Force in the 30s


Longines Czech Air Force watch

If this looks/sounds familiar, they did a re-issue a few years ago


(re-issue)
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/in...h-pilots-watch

Post war, the Czech Air Force went for a home grown issue pilot watch based on the Prim Sport 2
Mainly on the basis of cost: the Longines was up there with annual pilot salaries!


vintage Prim Letecké

There are re-issues of these too, from Prim and from Elton, the original suppliers