Story of 1918 WW1 Trench Watch

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When World War I began in 1914, soldiers faced a novel problem. In the chaos on and off the battlefield where precise timing was integral to routines, communications, and synchronizing attacks, reliable and accurate timepieces were vital. Many officers had pocket watches, but these had many shortcomings on the battlefield. They were cumbersome to pull out and to open the protective lid with gloved hands, requiring officers to pause their duties. The dials were impossible to read at night and the glass crystals broke easily. In a setting where a second could be the difference between life and death, it was clear that an alternative was needed. Thus, in the muddy trenches of the First World War, the wrist-watch was born.

vario 1918 trench field watch

1918 trench watch

vario 1918 trench watches

vario 1918 trench watch

Until that point, wristwatches were feminine accessories called “wristlets”. Militaries took the design and upsized it, adding more durable materials and useful features to create the modern design. The shift from Roman to Arabic numerals made it easier to read the time at a glance, and the shatterproof crystal was introduced to protect the watch. Radium-lumed hands and dials were also used to make them easier to read them at night. By 1917, most officers owned one, and they would eventually become accessible to infantrymen.

ww1 trench watch

British Troops in WW1, One Soldier is seen wearing a pocket watch convert and two soldiers wearing wristlets. Image from Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Towards the end of the war in 1918, trench watches had become a symbol of courage and bravery, which signaled their push towards the mainstream and opened up a mass market in the post-war era. The VARIO 1918 Trench Watch pays homage to this period and the innovations that followed.

vario 1918 trench field watch

1st row left to right - White Dial with White Lume, Grey Dial with White Lume, Black Dial with White Lume
2nd row left to right - White Dial with Orange Lume, Cream Dial with Orange Lume, Black Dial with Orange Lume

vario 1918 trench field watch

Today, we have upgraded the classic concept to what no-one could have dreamed of a century ago:

• Scratch and shatter-proof double domed sapphire, AR-coated underside for clarity, instead of the original fragile glass;

• 10ATM water resistant case of marine grade stainless steel (316L) while beefing up the wired lugs for added security, when 1910’s soft silver couldn’t bear any water, and little shock;

• Latest generation, non-radioactive lume, instead of old radium paste which slowly poisoned the dial painters, and needed re-coating after ten years;

• State of the art modern enamel, when last century brittle vitreous glaze chipped off or aged with hairline cracks;

• A modern, robust Japanese automatic movement with hand-winding and hacking seconds, a “complication” envied as a rare luxury in the early 20th century!

vario ttrench watch caseback design

vario trench watch default caseback

Default soldier caseback design (Photo by @switzknight)

empty case back for engraving

Empty casebacks with be available at extra cost for customers who wants an empty or custom engraving caseback. We will provide laser engraving service on empty casebacks for customers as a chargeable service as well. This is the best time to engrave the casebacks as we're doing it in 1 lot which means more cost savings than doing it individually. They make good gifts and help you bond with your watch. Only text will be allowed with a limit of 40 characters and 4 lines.

Signed screw-down crown (10ATM Water Resistance). Real wire lugs to capture the spirit of WW1 Trench watches

We did keep an iconic signature of the classic design, though: the true curved wire lugs. You won't see them often on other modern trench watch revivals. They look charmingly retro, but still make sense today as more secure than springbars. This is why modern “mil-specs” issue watches keep fixed bars, thus imposing single-piece a.k.a. straps.

vario trench watch lume c3

vario trench watch 1918 lume C3 Lume in action (Faux lume takes a longer time to charge and is weaker than White Lume)

So, the Vario 1918 Trench may be a modern interpretation, but far from a novelty. It remains truthful to the spirit of the original classics: a tough, functional, state of the art tool watch. Versatile too, as it will suit both your fatigues or cocktail attire.

vario trench watch bund strap vario trench 1918 watch single pass leather strap

From Left - Coal Black, Ash Grey, Indigo Blue, Forest Green, Mahoghany Brown, Cinnamon Brown ,Camel Brown

Crazy horse leather gathers scratch marks and patina easily and contrast the classy 1918 Trench well. Crazy horse leather with bund pad (80mm/120mm) or single pass (270mm) width for Trench 18mm / width for Medic 20mm

Please note bund is suitable for up to a 7.2 inch wrist (fits 7.5 inch for those who wear it tight) and up to 7.5 inch wrist without the bund. Folks with bigger wrist should choose the single pass leather straps which pairs well with the bund.

vario 1918 medic pulsometer watch

medic ww1

The 130th (St John) Field Ambulance set up during WWI Photo by www.walesonline.co.uk

The medics in WW1 would have loved this pulsometer function that only seems to be introduced in the 1920s. Imagine the number of life they are able to save with this complication. Medical professionals might be wondering why Rod of Asclepius was not used on the dial.

Caduceus as a symbol of medicine became established in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century by the Medical Corps of United States Army which is well suited for our 1918 Medic watch.

vario 1918 medic doctor pulsometer watch

vario medic doctor watch ww1

vario ww1 doctor medic watch

vario medic doctor pulsometer watch

Model wrist size 7 inches / 18cm

Pulsometer Explained by Watch Complications

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ww1 trench reenactment with vario watch

David Brady at Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park, Tennessee USA

vario 1918 trench field watch

1918 Trench
Case diameter: 37mm or 40mm
Case thickness: 10mm
Dial: Enamel
Crystal: 2mm double domed sapphire with inner AR applied
Lug width: 18mm(37mm) or 20mm(40mm)
Lug to lug: 45mm(37mm) or 48mm(40mm)
Lume: C3 Lume
Case Material: 316L stainless steel or Brass
Caseback: 316L stainless steel with option for empty caseback and laser engraving at additional cost
Crown: Screw-down crown
Movement: Miyota 82s5 automatic gilt movement (Côtes de Genève) with hand-winding and hacking seconds. 21 jewels 21.6kpbh more than 40 hours power reserve
Water resistance: 10 atm
Strap: Crazy horse leather with bund pad (80mm/120mm) or single pass (270mm)
Warranty: 1 year global warranty

1918 Medic
Case diameter: 40mm
Case thickness: 10mm
Dial: Enamel
Crystal: 2mm double domed sapphire with inner AR applied
Lug width: 20mm
Lug to lug: 48mm
Lume: C3 Lume
Case Material: 316L stainless steel
Caseback: 316L stainless steel with option for empty caseback and laser engraving at additional cost
Crown: Screw-down crown
Movement: Seiko NH38A automatic movement with hand-winding and hacking seconds. 24 jewels 21.6kpbh more than 40 hours power reserve
Water resistance: 10 atm
Strap: Crazy horse leather with bund pad (80mm/120mm) or single pass (270mm)
Warranty: 1 year global warranty