An Arsa Wehrmacht Heer (Army) Service Wrist Watch

A rare functioning example for a wonderfully preserved Arsa Wehrmacht Army wrist watch. This Arsa Dienstuhr wristwatch was manufactured by Swiss watchmaker Auguste Reymond SA during the early 1930s, and although it exhibits obvious signs of wear, it is generally very well preserved. The case of the watch is manufactured out of nickel-plated brass, with an original nickel-plated brass crown. The lugs on this watch are solid and non-drilled, with non-removable lug bars. The screw-bottom case-back is crafted out of steel and is marked as such (“Stahlboden” - steel bottom), and is also engraved “D5144H” standing for “Deutsches Heer”. The inside of the case-back is beautifully decorated and maker marked “G.R”, with barely decipherable etchings, most likely made by the owner. The face of the watch is matte black, with printed arabic numerals from 1 to 12, with white hands and an additional 60 second dial with a silver second-hand at the 6 o’clock position. The Arabic numerals were once luminous (coated with radium) to be visible in the dark, but have long faded. Each minute position is marked with a dot, while each second in the second-dial has a tick, with slightly longer ticks in 5 second intervals, and a numeral associated to every tenth of a minute. The face is marked “Antimagnetisch” (anti-magnetic), and “Arsa”, “Wasserdicht” (watertight), “Stossgesichert” (shock resistant) below the 12 o’clock position, with the face being protected by period-original acrylic domed crystal. This watch features the robust, reliable, and fully functional Unitas 173 caliber, 15-jewel, hand wound movement, with a 38-hour power reserve. It features a winding mechanism, crisp mainspring, and a balanced escapement wheel. The watch case is 34 mm in diameter without crown, 37 mm in diameter with crown, 11 mm thick, 39 mm lug-to-lug, with 18 mm lugs. The watch comes with a non-period NATO-style nylon 18 mm x 238 mm strap. The watch case and crown exhibit wear to the nickel plating, thus revealing some brass, and with the lug bars being slightly bent from use. The acrylic exhibits scratches that could likely buffed out if desired. The case-back shows scratch marks from regular use. Overall extremely fine condition.

Footnote: As the service history of this antique timepiece is unknown, it is recommended that the watch is serviced and tested for water resistance prior to being fully wound, worn, or put in contact with water.