WW2 Omega Air Ministry HS8 Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Pilot's Watch 1943

WW2 Omega Air Ministry HS8 Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Pilot Watch 1943

It's manufactured to the same standard specifications as the RAF 6B/159 - white dial with black Arabic numerals, center seconds, and blued steel non-luminous hands - the only differences between the two are the shorter lugs, the lack of a fixed bar on the HS8, and of course the markings on the caseback.

What's interesting about this model is that it appears to have been issued to Air Ministry (RAF) pilots, and the markings have been scratched off, leaving it marked HS.8.

HS8 translates to Hydrographic Survey, and the number "8" stands for wristwatch.

It was issued to Royal Navy pilots in 1943, probably flown from an aircraft carrier.

Only a few thousand of these watches were issued to Royal Navy pilots, making them rare to see and examples with flaws like this even rarer.


spec

Era: circa 1943 Movement: manual winding, non-hacking center second.
Caliber: 30t2 SC.
Timekeeping: Very good Maintenance history: Full maintenance in June 2023 Dial: Original Omega military specification dial Case: Short lugs and chrome-plated brass Size: Without crown/With crown: 33mm/ 34.6mm
End to end: 39.2mm
Bezel: Solid Water Resistance: None Hands: Original Windshield: Authentic acrylic windshield Crown: Authentic unsigned crown Belt/Bracelet: New green NATO belt with steel fixture Lug Width: 18mm


Features

- Issued to Royal Navy pilots
- One of thousands
- Blued steel handset
-Dial has aged well.
-Precise short lugs and spring bars
- A rare collection of case back markings

Minor scratches

-Some marks on the case
- Discoloration of the dial due to aging
- The lugs have been shortened by the War Department and have a couple of small tears in two of the lugs and wear from years of use, but have been made safe by a watchmaker.

situation

Overall, this Omega Pilot is in excellent vintage condition.
The dial is in good condition, but shows some discoloration due to age.
The chrome plated case is in really good condition given its age and nature. There are small cracks on two of the lugs. Tested and completely safe.
The markings on the case back are excellent, although a little worn.
The crown is original and the crystal is in good condition.
The needle is in beautiful condition.

This item is being entrusted to us by a friend overseas, so it will take about 2 weeks to 1 month for it to arrive.