WW2 BRITISH MILITARY ISSUED LEMANIA STOP WATCH
This Sidereal Lemania stopwatch is of the PATT 3 type, and would possibly have been issued by the Admiralty or the Army.
HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?
Stop watches are difficult to date, as the movements were often in production for decades. However watches towards the end of WW2 started using different store code numbers, such as 6B/***, and watches for WW1 were not designated Patt 3. It is likely that this watch was issued around 1939 as the country built up for and entered war.
CONDITION
Stopwatches had a variety of military uses, and it is no surprise that the army likes conformity in the instruments it orders. That means that any soldier could easily operate any PATT 3 stopwatch without thinking about it. So to start the timing you slide the button on the left hand side of the case towards the crown. To pause the stopwatch you slide it away from the crown, and in case you forget the slider is marked STOP and GO respectively. The crown can be pressed inwards to reset the stopwatch to zero, but it is a flyback chronograph and immediately starts counting again unless you have stopped the watch using the slide. The dial has no damage. The case is in good shape, and still has the inner dust cover in place. Everything, including the bow, has good resistance so is not worn out. The case back is engraved with the Broad Arrow and the serial number 1042. The case clearly normal wear which we have not attempted to clean, and that patina is actually what you want to see on an issued watch. The watch is in good working order.