My early '80s Speedy and my mid-50s Seamaster (s/n 1655xxxx) both have numbers scratched on them.

Speedy has "6298" on the back of the 11 o'clock lug (serviced in 1998?) and Seamaster has 50120K on the side of the 7 o'clock lug (it's a cal. 501 so might say "501 2 OK"?)

Any of you got anything similar?

 

Sorry, nothing similar on any of mine,, thankfully. Just to say I'd be a little put out if a watch of mine came back from a watchmaker like that. I wonder though, if it is something else, as I can't imagine any watchmaker marking a case in that way??

 

I have no idea if these are WM marks on my ‘53 6B

I always thought it was the issued persons ID

 

That would be odd as I think the watches were signed out of stores using their unique s/n (here, 10653) against the airman's name. Pay was docked if the watch was not returned!

Anyway, the big question -- is that '53 a FA or TA, and if the latter original or Bienne spa?!

 

FA
pix in WRUW today

 

I don't believe these were done by watchmakers. I don't recall ever hearing that marking the outside of the watch was a thing that watchmakers ever did. The marks made in the past were always on the inside of the case back.

 

This looks like 87L on my grandfather's Avia. No idea why it’s there and I guess I just assumed it might be a watchmaker's mark of some kind:



(Please note: these are my mother's fingers, not mine…)

 

I believe this was added as a reference number by the reseller. I have noted this be quite common in Sweden.

 

Apologies to @Archer for unfairly maligning his noble profession.

As a Norwegian I can well believe that Swedes are responsible for such vandalism! (Mind you they do make the best snus.)