![]() The ratchet is a conventional recoil click instead of straight click like used in the later Smiths watches. ![]() Obviously the keyless works layout is reversed as it is a fob watch movement. The movement is nickle plated and has no finishing as such, according to A L Rawlings the finishing is of the austerity class (the prototypes for the domestic market were much more like the military watches than the watches that eventually emerged). Smiths also bought a controlling interest in the British division of Jaegers automotive business and jointly set up a British clock escapement making company with Swiss foreman in the late 20’s/early 30’s so maybe there was some informal technical assistance. The design of both the movement and dial closely resembles certain Jaeger-LeCoultre designs, apparently there was no formal business relationship between them but Smiths did employ a French watchmaker who had worked for Jaeger-LeCoultre named Robert Lenoir, however Smiths did retail Jaeger aviation clocks during WW2. However many of the details are different. This watch is an early Smiths military watch made for the British army during WW2, it has a strong likeness to the later Smiths movements and seems to have been designed to share components with the 12.15 Smiths wrist watch movement (according to A L Rawlings the lever, escape wheel and forth wheel are the same, presumably the pinions are different).
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