1940s Rare Vintage Cyma ATP WW2 British Military issue trench watch, Broad arrow.
Leading into WWII the ATP watch was issued to soldiers and was supplied to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) by 17 Swiss suppliers. This was in 1939. The catalogue number was VA/VC. 7471.
Most had the following characteristics:
15 jewelled movement with a round waterproof case about 31mm diameter in stainless steel or nickel chrome, white dial with railroad track chapter ring marked in minutes, luminous index spots, and broad lumed baton hands and a silvered subsidiary seconds register, with an accuracy +/- 30 seconds per day. They all were to have fixed bars between lugs.
133,600 ATP watches were manufactured at an average price of £3. After WWll they were meant to be destroyed but many were decommissioned, and some continued in service.The ATP watch was deleted from the stores list by an amendment dated February 3, 1957, when the W10 watch designation was introduced. Many ATP watches are engraved Bravingtons, indicating they were decomissioned stock. A few have replacement dials, either sterile or signed.
Out of the ATP sales in the past 4 years, only 28 Cyma examples have hit the market, making them in the top 5 pieces for rarity.
The Cyma ATP watch:
The watch is the smallest ATP watch at 29 mm diameter, and the case is stainless steel numbered 8983-xxxx on a 4 notch case back. Serial numbers are 48xxx to 51xxx. The dial has bold font numbers, and the sub dial has concentric circles and a tadpole shaped hand. The 15, 30, 45 and 60 are placed radially on the sub dial.
This example:
The 29mm Stainless Steel case was the smallest in the ATP collection, however it makes up for this by having survived the war and the test of time much between than its plated counterparts. This means that the case is still in excellent condition today, with the original factory machining visible.
Featuring concentric, radial brushing around the sub-seconds dial, an ornate chapter ring around the dial hour batons, blue tempered steel hands and a stepped smooth steel bezel, the face is beautifully preserved and full of vintage character. As with many Cyma ATPs, the lume has fallen from the hour and minute hands, though this now looks to be intentional. The blue tempered steel stands out quite clearly against the creamy, tropical patina of the dial.
Time keeping:
The watch has not been serviced and the service history is unknown, however the watch is keeping time to within 2 and a half minutes a day.
Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
Dial:
The dial maintains it's original radium lume markers. Many have been re-lumed or had lume removed. The dial is in very good condition with a light patina.
Hands:
The hands are steel, thermally blued, in Tadpole design. They are original. They show some signs of corrosion with age.
Glass:
The crystal is a newer replacement but this is in very good condition.
Crown:
The crown is original to the watch and is in excellent condition. Case: A case that is good original condition, having not been polished.
Caseback:
Maintains original graining still, light surface scratching. It is in very good condition. Clearly marked ATP with broad arrow and a serial number in the correct range. The case serial is also within the correct range.
Strap:
The original strap would have been a canvas strap. However the strap that is on it, seems to be from the WW2 era and would have been suitable to wear in the field in less tropical conditions. The strap may well have seen wear during WW2 or shortly after.
Movement:
The movement is a manual wind Cyma 162. The watch has not been serviced and the service history is unknown, however the watch is keeping time to within 2 and a half minutes a day, with an amplitude of 210 degrees and a beat error of 3.8 m/s.
Case dimensions
Case width: 29mm
Case width with crown: 31mm
Case length: 39mm
Lug to lug length: 35mm
Case depth: 11mm
Lug width: 16mm