Horological Meandering

Bruno.M1
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MY 55mm Lange & Söhne … yup 55mm

If you can handle the size  …. and if you like real vintage with a lot of history, patina and plexi …. you might like it too


This is one which I wanted already a long time but you can’t have everything you wish for I guess. I have a long wishlist with watches I would like to have one day.

Somethimes this list changes. Some watches are replaced by others. I’m sure you all know what I mean.


The watch in this post is one I thought about since 2005 or 2006. Damn time flies. Never on top of my wishlist and that’s why it took so long

Anyway, I remember that somebody I know bought one in 2005 or 2006 and since then I wanted one too
This week it arrived

It has a similar history like Panerai. Made for the same purpose at the same time. Strictly military background and never sold to the public. ….

I’m talking about the original B-Uhren made for the German airforce (Luftwaffe) between +/- 1940 and +/- 1945.

These big (55mm) watches were not given to one specific person but to an entire crew. I was told most pilot watches belonged to one pilot

But with the German B-Uhr it was different. Such a B-Uhr belonged to a squadron and the pilot returned the watch after his flight. The next day
another pilot form the same squadron used the B-Uhr


If my information is correct, the German army wanted to order all these watches from Lange & Söhne. Ofcourse that was impossible.

Lange was unable to make all these watches in such a short period of time and that’s why they contacted other watch makers.
The big 5 were Lange, Laco, Stowa, Wempe and IWC.
Lange, Laco and IWC used inhouse movements , Stowa and Wempe used ébauches.
A. Lange & Söhne : (Lange & Söhne: cal. 48/1) 
Laco (Lacher & Co) : (Durowe cal. D 5) 
Stowa (Walter Storz) : (Unitas cal. 2812) 
Wempe (Chronometerwerke Hamburg) : (Thommen cal. 31) 
IWC : (IWC cal. 52 SC "seconde central")

All 5 made exactly the same watches, all of them 55mm and all of them used pocked watch movements which succeeded the COSC tests.

These watches needed to be very accurate.

- A case diameter of 55 mm - Marked on the back with FL 23883 (FL=flight, 23=navigation) 
- Equipped with large crowns in order to be used with gloves 
- Hacking movement (the second hand stops when pulling out the crown / essential for a precise time setting) 
- Breguet balance spring 
- Regulated and tested as chronometers

They had 2 different dials.

A-type – which were the first series – a simple clean dial …. Yes the IWC Big Pilot Grandfather J
B- type – came a bit later and are more common, still simple but not as simple as the A-type



Now some pics …
















and a wristshot    




last but not least … certificate and documents from the museum!



Since almost a week on my wrist and I absolutely LOVE it. 



This message has been edited by Bruno.M1 on 2014-02-25 10:27:02