RARE WWI SET! OMEGA MARK V RFC COCKPIT WATCH + OFFICERS BOX! (PRE-RAF) MILITARY

RARE WWI SET! OMEGA MARK V RFC COCKPIT WATCH + OFFICERS BOX! (PRE-RAF) MILITARY

This is a rare chance to get your hands on a unique set of a genuine WWI military watch that has seen air combat and a dedicated Flight Sergeants officers trinket box with what most likely is a 9CT gold and enamel sweetheart brooch!

The Watch: WWI OMEGA MARK V RFC COCKPIT WATCH BB187 EARLY 1917 ROYAL FLYING CORPS POCKET BLACK NON-LUMINOUS 30 HOUR

The box: F/SGT B. LOWE STAMP TRINKET BOX RFC WWI

The Watch info!

On April 13, 1912, the British Army’s Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed to develop a military and naval wing. Just prior to the war, given the unique needs of the fleet, the naval wing severed with the RFC to form the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). In 1918, these two separate aviation branches merged again to form the Royal Air Force (RAF) who continued to use the Mark watches. The RFC aviation issue watches had an underscored capital A with a broad arrow pointing upward underneath it.

Great Britain’s characteristic mark was the broad arrow. For the collector, case back markings are key identifiers and an added authenticity safeguard. These markings meant that the watches were official military equipment, procured through contracts and produced for combat pilots.

Once inside the aircraft, these watches became chronometric instruments, which the pilot would fit into the instrument panel.(See photo).

Whilst the suppliers of Mark IVA watches were required to apply a serial number followed by a letter code to each dial, the Swiss manufacturers of Mark V watches applied their assigned (digraphic) letter code to the dial, followed by the item’s serial number. This watch has an ultra-low serial number B.B. 187. Company branding was allowed to appear on Mark V watches only to interior surfaces, eg the movement, cuvette, inner case back, etc. (See photo).

The Mark V

Although the specification for a Mark V watch has not surfaced, all are black dialled watches and most are non-luminous (marked as such to the dial, as this particular Omega watch). Most use 30-hour movements but an 8-day movement is also accommodated. From archive records, we do know that Omega received its first orders for a Mark V watch in May 1917, and this implies that the specification was signed off by the Royal Aircraft Factory (R.A.F.). Whatever the case, the responsibility for issuing Specifications for aircraft and equipment for both the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Navy Air Service passed (temporarily) to the Air Board in the course of 1917 and the case back of the Mark V watch carried a mark (underlined A, surmounting a broad arrow) that is common to all equipment issued under Air Board specifications. (The first Air Board specification was G.1 issued for the Goggle-Mask, Flying, Mk I on 1 October 1917).

The Mark V supply also saw a change in contracting arrangements, these now being made with Swiss manufacturers directly for watches that were supplied as complete items.

The series number system was continued in principle for the Mark V watch but the assigned supplier codes were now uniformly digraphic and the order of two component elements was reversed, ie the letter code now preceded the series number.

The full list of assigned letter codes for the Mark V watch comprises:

B.B. - Omega;

B.D. - Invicta;

B.E. - Doxa;

B.G. - Octava (8-day movement);

B.H. - Record;

B.K. - Electa;

B.L. - Paul Garnier (whose post-WWI agent in the U.K. was Moise Dreyfus);

C.B. - Zenith;

C.C. - Moser.

There were probably three phases of issue, distinguishable by the type of dial that was used:

(i) Type I dials (gilt script on glossy black dial), seen with letter codes B.B., B.D., B.E., B.K.

(ii) Type II dials (white reversed script on matt black dial), seen with letter codes B.K., B.H., and possibly B.D.

(iii) Type III dials (as per Type II but numerals now blocked rather than italic), seen with letter codes B.B., B.E., B.L., C.B., C.C.

It is possible that Types II and III were issued in parallel, given the segregation of manufacturers between them.

Info for the airplane photo:

Royal Flying Corps (RFC) aircraft, 1917

Photograph, World War One, Air Operations (1914-1918), 1917.

The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the air arm of the British Army. During the early part of the war, the RFC's main responsibilities were artillery spotting and photographic reconnaissance. This work gradually led RFC pilots into aerial battles with enemy pilots engaged in similar activities. As the war progressed the RFC strafed enemy trenches and troop concentrations and bombed airfields, transportation networks and industrial facilities. In April 1918, the RFC was amalgamated with the Royal Naval Air Service to form the Royal Air Force (RAF).

The Box info!

A dedicated Flight Sergeants officers trinket box with what most likely is a 9CT gold and enamel sweetheart brooch!

According to my research, this box belonged to F/Sgt Benjamin Lowe. Born 1885 in UK, married to Mary Jane Lowe 1st of April 1907, had a son in 1911, and another son in 1916. He subsequently enlisted in 1917 and served in the RFC/RAF. (See screenshot photos.

Contidion report: Used condition. Running and seems to run well, but this is a WWI watch that has seen action in air combat. I can't attest to the timekeeping and a service is as always with vintage watches recommended. There are chips to the dial at around the 8 o'clock mark and the 12 o'clock mark. There are nibbles around the edge of the glass. The dial is dirty and the inside of the glass is dirty. It would benefit from a clean. The case has some dings and scratches, consistent with age. The officers box has dings and scratches. The sweetheart brooch on the top of the box has missing parts in the enamel.