This will the watch that I will looking at very very closely. It was launched in Basel 2009. It is the Longines reissue of the Longines 'Greenlander' watch. The model number is L2.731.4.53.1. The new RAF Military W.W.W. watch will be 38.5 mm in diameter. Movement unknown. Got to love the 'Broad Arrow' on the dial.
The case back.
Photographs: http://watchfreaks.wordpress.com
A bit of history. In the 1940s, the British Ministry of Defense put out specifications for watches to be issued to the British forces. Longines was one of the manufactures that met the specification. These watches had the W.W.W. marking on the case back which stood for Watches Wristlet Waterproof or WristWatch, Waterproof. These watches were also known as the Mark X watch.
The Longines, lovingly called the 'Greenlander' was developed to be used by the British armed forces involved in the British North Greenland Expedition between 1952 to 1954. However, there are doubts as to whether the watch was issued for use in the expedition. The moniker still stuck. The actual model number is 23088.
The original watch was 37 mm in diameter and had a 15 jewels hand wound Longines (cal. 12.68z) signed movement. Based on the photographs, the new watch is a exact replica of the original.
The Original
The case back.
Photographs: www.sfu.ca/~mmh/BritishX.htm
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