79 Longines Special and Gorgeous Military Wristwatch in Steel, Ref. 5707, Made for the British Military

Estimate: € 3.000 –⁠ 6.000

Sold (Premium) € 5.460

Model Military
Year 1945
Reference 5707
Case Material Stainless Steel
Case Number 6972776
Bracelet Material Strap
Movement Manual, cal. 12 68Z
Movement Number 6972776
Dimension 38 mm
Signed Case, dial, movement
Accessories Extract from the Archives
Movement Manual, cal. 12 68Z

The watch you’re looking at is a military Longines wristwatch reference 5707 and is best known among (military) watch collectors as being part of the so-called Dirty Dozen collection. From research, in roughly seven months’ time about 8000 watches left the Longines factory in Saint-Imier during 1944 and 1945 specifically for the British Military. The present lot has a stainless steel stepped case with 38 mm in diameter, making it very wearable to today’s standards and has been conserved in excellent condition, with no over-polishing or major scratches. The watch is fitted with a beautiful Longines manually wound mechanical movement (caliber 12.68Z). By the way, Longines was the only one out of the other manufacturers that fitted their 12.68Z movement with a shock protection. The black dial has radium coated Arabic numerals and indexes with subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock and skeleton radium-coated pear-shaped hands all in really good and charm conditions. With the Longines Extract from the Archives confirming case, movement, production and subsequent sale on 30 October 1945 to Goldsmith & Silversmiths, via the company Baume & Co, which was at that time our agent for the UK.