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

Estimate: € 3,000 –⁠ 6,000

Sold € 5,460

Model: Military
Reference: 5707
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Bracelet Material: Strap
Year: 1945
Movement: Manual
Caliber: 12 68Z
Case N°: 6972776
Movement N°: 6972776
Dimensions: 38 mm
Signed: Case, dial, movement
Accessories: Extract from the Archives

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.