Army Watches of the World: Canada

The Rolex Connection

Later, within the Thirties and into the Forties in the course of the Second World Struggle, wristwatches produced by Rolex and retailed by the aforementioned retailers turned common with Canadian servicemen, although they had been by no means issued. These watches, bought beneath varied designations (Oyster Centregraph, Oyster Lipton, Oyster Junior Sport, Oyster Raleigh, Oyster Commander, Oyster Recorda, Oyster Edison, Oyster Grenfell, Oyster Commonplace and Oyster Shipmate — see this informative piece for extra info) utilized an ebauche (motion clean) produced by Fontmelon and modified by Rolex, which they dubbed the cal. 59. Eaton’s-retailed Rolexes, which had been dubbed Photo voltaic Aqua or King of Wings, weren’t signed “Rolex” or “Oyster” on the dials.

These small Rolex fashions (28-29mm, for probably the most half) spanned many alternative fashions, designations and configurations, however many might be discovered with an inside 24-hour observe executed in pink, massive, lumed Arabic indices, an outer minute observe and a sub-seconds dial — clear hallmarks of utilitarian, military-geared wristwatch. These items, regardless of the title on the dial, had been up to date Rolex watches in each sense, and make for a captivating overlap between the historical past of the Crown in Canada and the bigger story of Canadian army wristwatches.