1941 Longines A-11 Non-Weems Military Watch

Some interesting details the second version of the Longines A-11 . It is more rare than the 1940 A-11 with the Weems bezel. Bellow is 100% correct USAAC issued military specifications flown watch.

1) Larger size
2) Crystal is mineral glass
3) Bridge is not marked
4) Movement serial number is archived as military
5) Dial has no manufacturer identification
6) Issue numbers start with 41- not 40-
7) Case is a screw on caseback. Civilian do not have screw on caseback. Also the top screws on like the caseback.
8) No Weems bezel.
9) Midcase is alloy. Saves on steel. Originally chrome plated base metal.



Another very fine example

https://curious-curio.jp/watch/38351

It often takes years to find one that is correct. So many are just regular retail versions just like the Weems A-11 consumer retail versions.

It's much bigger too. While the grandmother size 1940 has a built in segue into conversation about "no not a woman's watch...military watch history that helped navigation in WW2". The 1941 is so plain looking no one will ask any questions about what's that on your wrist 🤨

In my opinion the baby size Weems is the better collectable. More interesting.

congrats as it is a nice example. I remember it wss the first Longines I really started hunting, alongside the Weems, when I first got interested in watches.’But this one is so rare I got tired of the hunt for a good example and moved onto other pursuits.

Thank you! It certainly isn't easy to come across if you are looking for it.

I happened across your post. I also have a 1941 A-11 Longines Wittnauer, which you may find interesting. The dial on mine is marked Longines. The serial number and A-11 number is a little earlier than yours. Longines Heritage said they invoiced this watch to Longines-Wittnauer in March 1941. I believe L-W assembled the watch in the U.S., which is how they got around the "Buy America" law in order to sell to the U.S. Army Air Corps. Here are several photos. According to some correspondence I came across online, the U.S. Army was frustrated with the L-W Weems version, because the rotating bezel would corrode in a marine climate.

Was there any indication of how many were made?

Per an "AI" search, the Army Air Corps massively increased the pilot training in 1941 - in anticipation of the US entering WW2. I saw one estimate of "roughly 27,000" pilots enrolled in navigation schools. Of course, many of these students may not have graduated and many of the A-11's could have been supplied by Elgin, Waltham and Bulova. For this particular A-11 from Longines-Wittnauer, the highest number I've seen engraved on a caseback (as found on photos on the internet) is approximately 1,000, and most are numbered under 1,000. The Army Air Corp correspondence I mentioned (dated Jan 1941) discusses ordering 75 of the sweep second hand L-W watches for the Pan-American Navigation School, which produced 1,300 cadets in 1941-42. My guess is there could have been upwards of 1,500 of the L-W's produced before the Air Corp went on to mass production of A-11's with the American big three watchmakers. That said, I have only come across a small handful of 1941 L-W A-11s presented on the internet. I think it is a very rare watch.