LRF ANTIQUE WATCHES
TRENCH WATCHES for SALE
LISTINGS UPDATED: July 11, 2025
Below is the 1st video I assisted Waltham Watches with for their new
Waltham "Field & Marine" Watch and overall Waltham history.
I'm the narrator and project historical advisor.
Swiss Made 2023 Waltham A-17 Pilot's Watch, 25j Automatic, 40mm, 3 Straps, F-86 Sabre Jet Coin
Up for sale today is an exceptionally beautiful and extremely desirable 2023 Waltham A-17 Pilot's Watch. I served as Waltham's Historical Advisor for this project. I'll include one of the props we used for the marketing campaign, a 25th anniversary coin for North American Aviation, They were the manufacturer of the famous F-86 Sabre Jet that ruled the skies during the Korean War. The original Waltham A-17 Pilot Waltham made it's debut during the Korean War. It was worn by many famous American pilots. On September 27, 1956 Captain Mel Apt flying the Bell X-2 became the fastest man in world history reaching the incredible speed of Mach 3.196 or 2,098mph. He was in fact wearing an original version of the Waltham A-17 Pilot's Watch during this historic flight. In 2023 Waltham made a very good decision to bring this incredible timepiece back to the forefront, with modern updates. It now features a larger 40mm case with a Swiss made Soprod M100 automatic movement. It has a 25 jewel movement with a 42 hour power reserve. The 316L stainless steel case is beautifully decorated with a coin edge bezel and case back. It of course has a screw down crown and is water resistant to 10ATM or 333 feet. The matte black dial is very true to the original Korean War issued versions. It features 24 hour military time indicies. The lume on the dial is fantastic and bright, Grade X1 Superluminova. Included with this purchase will be the unworn 20mm original factory green strap. It will also come with two 20mm canvas straps, khaki tan and green. Sapphire crystal with a triple layer of anti reflective coating. I love the "lollipop" second hand on this watch, same design as the original version! This watch is in beautiful condition and is in perfect working order. Retail price is $1,390.00
1919 Waltham Depollier Waterproof "Field & Marine" Waterproof Watch, Screw Down Crown, Depollier Developed Waterproof Technology, 36mm Threaded Nickel Case, Original Factory Crown, High End 15 Jewel 1919 Movement with a Hand Made Tan KHAKI STRAP and Slider Clasp
Up for sale today is probably the MOST sought after American wrist watch ever made! This is the 1919 Waltham Depollier Waterproof "Field & Marine" Waterproof Watch, featuring a screw down crown. This exact timepiece is featured on pages 35 & 36 of my latest book titled "The Inconvenient Truth about the World's First Waterproof Watch, the Story of Charles Depollier and his Waterproof Trench Watches of the Great War". You'll receive a free signed copy of my Depollier book with this watch purchase. Sorry Rolex, but this watch was in FACT the world's first waterproof watch, it was NOT the 1926 Rolex Oyster! This watch is incredible RARE and very difficult to obtain! The side of the case reads "DEPOLLIER WATERPROOF WATCH". This absolutely remarkable piece of American craftsmanship is in SUPERB condition and has been mechanically restored! Hard to believe that this waterproof watch is 106 years old! All modern dive watches today can be traced back to this model, the technology on this one started it all! Our Grandfather's knew how to make things that would last for generations! The movement was just completely taken apart and serviced in March of 2025, a brand new mainspring has also been installed. It's in superb running condition and keeping excellent time. This watch has been tested on a professional timegraph 5000 Machine for accuracy so rest assured! Take another look at picture number three again, this 15 jewel movement is clean as a whistle and stunning in its beauty! I'm sure that you have noticed by now that this is not your ordinary trench watch case by a long shot! This is a nickel trench watch case that was manufactured by J. Depollier & Son in 1919. The FIVE Depollier patent dates that made this waterproof watch possible are stamped on the inside of the case back, 1916 - 1919. Case number: 5254. Years of R&D by Depollier went into this case design! This is a fully hermetic waterproof case so the bezel and case back are both threaded, the threading is in excellent condition! Nobody over the past 106 years has tried to open the case the wrong way by prying it open. So many of these cases have been destroyed by somebody trying to improperly pry the case open but this one is just superb. This case is highly prized by collectors for its beauty & design features and incredible historical importance. This waterproof technology developed by Charles Depollier was tested by Colonel Mauborgne of the United States Army Signal Corps in 1918 and it passed the tests with flying colors. He was the Chief of the United States Army Signal Corps Engineering & Research Division when he tested this watch design. He would soon thereafter purchase 10,000 of them for the US Army. Colonel Mauborgne would later become a TWO STAR Major General and the Chief Signal Officer of the United States Army. This is the world's first waterproof wrist watch that actually worked and kept the water out! Plus, this case still has the original factory crown! The case has not been polished, just cleaned. This watch is simply incredible! The enamel dial on this trench watch is among the most desirable that Waltham ever produced, the Shadow Box Military Dial! The dial features a white face, shadow box numerals, outer minute markers, the correct blue steel skeleton hands for this dial and is signed "WALTHAM" near the center. The dial and skeleton hands have been re-lumed using safe modern material. Very nice dark brown color for that very desirable vintage look! This historic and iconic American trench watch has been fitted with a hand made 16mm tan KHAKI STRAP and a sterling silver slider clasp that absolutely makes the watch! Take a look at picture number two again, this watch looks stunning on the wrist! The strap will fit a wrist up to eight inches. It will have a bit of wear on it because I seriously could not resist wearing this one for a few days, can you blame me? It's kind of like Ferris Bueller and that Ferrari, if you had access to one would you just leave it in a garage? I think not! Here are the movement details: 1919 Waltham, 15 jewels, size 3/0s, serial number 22232693, grade 366, model 1907. Grade 366 is the high end version of Waltham's grade 365 movement. It features a solid gold center wheel and solid gold balance wheel screws! They just don't make them like this anymore! The case measures a whopping 44mm lug tip to lug tip, 36mm not including the original factory crown with a nice and wide 16mm lug diameter. A new GS PK Lo Dome crystal has been installed on the bezel. This watch winds and sets just as it should and the screw down crown locks into place just as it should! The two shoulders that the crown screws down into are also in excellent condition. This watch is ready to be worn and shown off, it will surely get noticed! I put a lot of time and effort into this Waltham, I'm sure that you will appreciate the quality and quantity of work that has been done. Solid old World craftsmanship at its finest! You would be seriously hard pressed to find a another example of this 1919 Waltham Depollier Waterproof "Field & Marine" Waterproof Watch featuring a high grade 1919 15 jewel movement, re-lumed shadow box military dial & hands, Depollier nickel case with the five Depollier patent dates stamped into the case back with a hand made tan KHAKI STRAP with a slider clasp, this one sets the bar!
_JPG.jpg)
VERY RARE 1918 WW1 Waltham RED 12 "Admiral Evans Trench Watch, Sterling Silver IWCCo Case with Swivel Lugs, Original Factory Crown, High End Grade 365 Movement, 15 Jewels, RED 12 Enamel Military Dial, Correct Thick Blue Steel Hands, Dark Brown Leather Strap.
Up for sale today is an exceptionally beautiful and extremely desirable Sterling Silver 1918 WWI Waltham RED 12 "Admiral Evans" Trench Watch that features a high end 15 jewel movement, SWIVEL LUGS and a BOLD Arabic RED 12 enamel military dial! The Admiral Evans is one of the MOST sought after American made wristwatches from antiquity! This absolutely remarkable piece of American craftsmanship is in SUPERB original condition. Hard to believe that this watch is 106 years old! Our Grandfather's knew how to make things that would last for generations! The 15 jewel movement was just completely taken apart and serviced in November of 2024. It's in superb running condition and keeping excellent time. This watch has been tested on a professional timegraph 5000 Machine for accuracy so rest assured! Take another look at picture number three again, this movement is clean as a whistle and stunning in its beauty! I'm sure that you have noticed by now that this is not your ordinary trench watch case by a long shot! This is a sterling silver OCTAGON shaped trench watch case with SWIVEL LUGS that was manufactured by the Illinois Watch Case Company in 1918. Rectangle swivel lugs were the 1917 model year, flared swivel lugs, like this watch, were the 1918 model year. The Admiral Evans is by far the most coveted by collectors when it comes to the IWCCo's Admiral & General case series. In September of 1917 the Illinois Watch Case Company gave proper names to four of their top of the line military trench watch cases. This one was named the "Admiral Evans" after Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans (aka Fighting Bob). Admiral Evans commanded the very first battleship commissioned by the US Navy, the USS Indiana. During the Spanish-American War he commanded the USS Iowa. Later, he became the commander of the Asiatic Fleet and the North Atlantic Fleet. He honorable retired after commanding the Great White Fleet in 1908. So, it makes complete sense that the IWCCo would name one of their top of the line cases after him. The bezel and case back both snap together very crisply, just as they should. This case is highly prized by collectors for its beauty and design features, especially the eight sided octagon case. Plus, this case still has the factory original sterling silver crown! The case has NOT been polished, just cleaned up a bit, looks fantastic. This watch is simply incredible! The enamel dial on this trench watch is probably the most desirable that Waltham ever produced, the BOLD Arabic RED 12 Military Dial! The dial features a white face, BOLD Arabic numerals, outer minute markers, the correct thick blue steel hands for this dial and is signed WALTHAM near the top. This historic and iconic American trench watch has been fitted with a dark brown leather strap that absolutely makes the watch! Take a look at picture number one again, this watch looks stunning on the wrist! The gently used strap will fit a wrist up to about eight inches and has a matching silver tone buckle. It will have a bit of wear on it because I seriously could not resist wearing this one for a few days, can you blame me? It's kind of like Ferris Bueller and that Ferrari, if you had access to one would you just leave it in a garage? I think not! Here are the movement details: 1918 Waltham, 15 jewels, size 3/0s, grade 365, model 1907, serial number 21462485. They just don't make them like this anymore! The case measures 46mm lug tip to lug tip, 31.5mm not including the original factory sterling silver crown with a 14mm lug diameter. The glass crystal was seated using UV cement and a UV curing machine. A brand new inner sleeve has also been installed in the crown tube, the crown has a nice firm pop, just as it should. This watch is ready to be worn and shown off, it will surely get noticed! I put a lot of time and effort into this Waltham Admiral Evans, I'm sure that you will appreciate the quality and quantity of work that has been done. Solid old World craftsmanship at its finest! You would be seriously hard pressed to find a finer example of this sterling silver 1918 WWI Waltham RED 12 "Admiral Evans" Trench Watch with SWIVEL LUGS, this one sets the bar!
​
American Made Trench Watch Evaluation Service
Considering making a purchase of an American made WWI era trench watch? I'd be happy to evaluate the watch for you. I've written three hardbound books about American made trench watches and I'm the recipient of the NAWCC Museum Research Award in this field. I'll give you extremely detailed information about the trench watch from the crown, dial, hands, case, movement, strap and any possible shrapnel guards attached to the watch. I will identify everything about the watch that is correct and and incorrect. Over the past 100+ years many parts on these watches have been changed, just to get them up and running once again. But, having an incorrect crown or mis-matched set of hands on a trench watch can seriously devalue the timepiece. I will NOT put a dollar amount on the watch as the movement performance will not be able to be ascertained through photographs. What you pay for the watch is between you and the seller. I will also evaluate entire collections, contact for collection pricing. I will need clear pictures of the case, dial, hands, movement and inside of the case back for a full evaluation. It's better to spend $50.00 on my evaluation services before you make a purchase! You certainly don't want to find out down the road that the watch is worth a fraction of what you paid for it due to incorrect parts that are not original to the timepiece.
​
I will evaluate American made trench watches from the following manufacturers.
Elgin, Waltham, Depollier, Illinois, Hamilton, Hampden, Ingersoll
Once you purchase my evaluation services please email me the required pictures.
$50.00 PER WATCH EVALUATION
1919 Waltham Depollier "THERMO" Waterproof Watch, Depollier Developed Waterproof Technology, 36mm Threaded .830 Silver Hermetic Case, Original Factory Screw Down Crown, High End 15 Jewel Movement, Factory Military Grade Yellow Crystal with a Hand Made
Tan KHAKI STRAP and Sterling Silver Slider Clasp
This 1919 Waltham Depollier "THERMO" Waterproof Watch is HEAVILY featured in my latest book.
"The Inconvenient Truth about the World's First Waterproof Watch,
The Story of Charles Depollier and his Waterproof Trench Watches of the Great War"
341 pages, hardbound, ISBN: 978-0-578-29133-8
Up for sale today is a watch that has been missing from the historical record for decades. This is the HIGH END version of the Waltham Depollier "Field & Marine" Waterproof Watch. The Field & Marine" was made of nickel. This highly elusive model was named the 1919 Waltham Depollier 'THERMO" Waterproof Watch. The Waltham Depollier "THERMO" Waterproof Watches were only made in .830 silver and 14k solid gold. This is the SILVER version! The side of the case reads "DEPOLLIER WATERPROOF WATCH TRADEMARK". This absolutely remarkable piece of American craftsmanship is in SUPERB condition and has been mechanically restored! Hard to believe that this waterproof watch is 103 years old! All modern dive watches and waterproof watches today can be traced back to this model, the technology developed by Depollier started it all! Our Grandfather's knew how to make things that would last for generations! The movement was just completely taken apart and serviced on 1-18-2022, a brand new mainspring has also been installed. It's in superb running condition and keeping excellent time. This watch has been tested on a professional timegraph 5000 Machine for accuracy so rest assured! Take another look at picture number three again, this 15 jewel movement is clean as a whistle and stunning in its beauty! I'm sure that you have noticed by now that this is not your ordinary trench watch case by a long shot! This is a .830 SILVER waterproof trench watch case that was manufactured by J. Depollier & Son in 1919. The FIVE Depollier patent dates that made this waterproof watch possible are stamped on the inside of the case back, 1916 - 1919. Case number: 289. Years of R&D by Depollier went into this case design! This is a fully hermetic waterproof case so the bezel and case back are both threaded, the threading is in excellent condition! Nobody over the past 103 years has tried to open the case the wrong way by prying it open. So many of these cases have been destroyed by somebody trying to improperly pry the case open but this one is just superb. This case is highly prized by collectors for its beauty & design features and incredible historical importance. This waterproof technology developed by Charles Depollier was tested by Lieutenant Colonel Mauborgne of the United States Army Signal Corps in 1918 and it passed the tests with flying colors. He was the Chief of the United States Army Signal Corps Engineering & Research Division when he tested this watch design. He would soon thereafter purchase 10,000 of them for the US Army. Lieutenant Colonel Mauborgne would later become a TWO STAR Major General and the Chief Signal Officer of the United States Army. Depollier developed the world's first waterproof wrist watch that actually worked and kept the water out! Plus, this case still has the original factory silver crown! The case has not been polished, just cleaned. This watch is simply incredible! The enamel dial on this trench watch is among the most desirable that Waltham ever produced, the Shadow Box Military Dial! The dial features a white face, shadow box numerals, outer minute markers, the correct blue steel skeleton hands for this dial and is signed "WALTHAM" near the center. The dial and skeleton hands have been re-lumed using safe modern material. Very nice dark brown color for that very desirable vintage look! This historic and iconic American trench watch has been fitted with a hand made 16mm tan KHAKI STRAP and a sterling silver slider clasp that absolutely makes the watch! Take a look at picture number two again, this watch looks stunning on the wrist! The strap will fit a wrist up to 8.5 inches. It will have a bit of wear on it because I seriously could not resist wearing this one for a few days, can you blame me? It's kind of like Ferris Bueller and that Ferrari, if you had access to one would you just leave it in a garage? I think not! Here are the movement details: 1919 Waltham, 15 jewels, size 3/0s, serial number 21413784, grade 365, model 1907. The high end movement features a solid gold center wheel, solid gold raised jewel chatons and solid gold balance wheel screws! They just don't make them like this anymore! The case measures a whopping 44mm lug tip to lug tip, 36mm not including the original factory crown with a nice and wide 16mm lug diameter. The case weighs an incredible 39.6 grams of .830 silver without the movement or 1.39 ounces. That is a lot of silver considering your run of the mill WWI sterling silver trench watch case only weighs about 12 grams. This EXTREMELY RARE "THERMO" model still has a yellow military crystal. Charles Depollier wrote a booklet back in 1917 titled "The Watch in the Trenches", on pages 13-14 he discusses the need for a dark colored crystal. This was intended to lessen the brightness of the radium lume. You certainly didn't want an enemy sniper taking you out from across "no-man's land". The original dark yellow crystal has some scratches, but nothing that I would consider major. This watch winds and sets exactly as it should and the screw down crown locks into place just as it should! It has no issues. The two shoulders that the crown screws down into are also in excellent condition. This watch is ready to be worn and shown off, it will surely get noticed! I put a lot of time and effort into this Waltham Depollier, I'm sure that you will appreciate the quality and quantity of work that has been done. Solid old World craftsmanship at its finest! You would be seriously hard pressed to find a ANOTHER example of this 1919 Waltham Depollier "THERMO" Waterproof Watch featuring a high end 15 jewel movement, re-lumed shadow box military dial & hands, factory original yellow military grade crystal, screw down crown, Depollier .830 silver case with the five Depollier patent dates stamped into the case back with a hand made tan KHAKI STRAP with a slider clasp. All sales are final, no returns.
This Waltham Depollier "THERMO" Waterproof Watch has been SOLD!
.jpg)