Pinset Trench Watch with Telephone Dial Shrapnel Guard
Like the watch assembly of the previous post, the strap, guard and watch are a marriage of items acquired separately. The watch itself is notable on several fronts: (1) it is a pinset; (2) its case is steel; and (3) dial comprises roman numerals including a red XII instead of outlined Arabic numbers configured to received illuminating paint. I will discuss each feature briefly herein. I have no idea as to the date of manufacture of the watch: the pinset mechanism tends to point to an earlier date; whereas, the roman numerals point to either a post or pre-war date since they are not configured to accept lume. In the end dating this watch would be no more than pure speculation. The strap is likely a bit newer than the watch. My guess would be that it is closer to a WWII vintage than WWI. It is made of cotton and is fraying in places. The self-tightening buckle includes an indication that patent protection has been applied for but because there is no da...