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Syrte
··MWR Tech Support DeptReposting an edited version of first publication on the Military Watch Ressource Forum.
Among the various Weems watches we know there is a smaller 28mm version which has many civilian variants, often misrepresented as “military”.
This smaller model has one notable military variant, the US Army Air Corps A11, easily recognizable by its sterile, unsigned dial and characteristic US issue case back markings.
While I have to suppose the A11 was a man’s watch (others might know better, who knows what research might turn up!), the small civilian Weems was marketed for broadcasters, engineers, air and sea navigators, and YES, women.
That knowledge comes with certainty from Ms. Stephanie Lachat, at the time International Brand Heritage Manager at Longines, in an email exchange I had with her in the summer of 2016.
I was asking her about information on small sports watches marketed to women. This is a bit quick and dirty but I wanted to get it out there otherwise I never will.
She replied she had no marketing information with regards to the screw backs (six notched “sei tacches”), but she replied the following, in an email to me dated July 8, 2016, originally written in French (attached below):
My translation: “I can give you some information relating intents towards feminine wrists which were set out during the production of the new second setting watch in 1936:
The Longines second setting watch, also called more simply Weems, had a second version in 1936, the New Second Setting Watch. It is smaller than the standard version.
« To meet the demand for a second-setting watch for general use as well as for general purposes, the new wrist model second-setting watch has been developed by Weems System of Navigation in collaboration with Longines-Wittnauer Company. Size 1.1 in. diameter”[1]. [ORIGINAL ARCHIVEcQUOTE IN ENGLISH]
In February 1937, the Weems System of Navigation made its intents more explicit, and its target female audience, in the creation of this new model : « to the tiny wrists of girls aviators and yachting enthusiasts. (…) Every girl in the United States will boast of one on her wrist » (Archives Weems, Nashville, Weems Box 30 Folder 11 Part A).”[ORIGINAL ARCHIVE QUOTE IN ENGLISH]
I have long meant to publish this along with more in depth research but guess I got a bit busy.
The next question would be why the US chose those small watches for the rare A11 model- given that I have to suspect the US Army Air Corps at the time used male navigators.
And I have to suspect, as Ilya wrote in another thread about the Le Coultre A11 (or perhaps it was Zaf?), those 1940s A11s predated the US entry into WWIi. Roosevelt didn’t think he could get Congressional support, and I’ll have to suppose they took whatever supply was already available in the US because they could not not get new supply contracts approved.
Best regards,
S
Among the various Weems watches we know there is a smaller 28mm version which has many civilian variants, often misrepresented as “military”.
This smaller model has one notable military variant, the US Army Air Corps A11, easily recognizable by its sterile, unsigned dial and characteristic US issue case back markings.
While I have to suppose the A11 was a man’s watch (others might know better, who knows what research might turn up!), the small civilian Weems was marketed for broadcasters, engineers, air and sea navigators, and YES, women.
That knowledge comes with certainty from Ms. Stephanie Lachat, at the time International Brand Heritage Manager at Longines, in an email exchange I had with her in the summer of 2016.
I was asking her about information on small sports watches marketed to women. This is a bit quick and dirty but I wanted to get it out there otherwise I never will.
She replied she had no marketing information with regards to the screw backs (six notched “sei tacches”), but she replied the following, in an email to me dated July 8, 2016, originally written in French (attached below):
My translation: “I can give you some information relating intents towards feminine wrists which were set out during the production of the new second setting watch in 1936:
The Longines second setting watch, also called more simply Weems, had a second version in 1936, the New Second Setting Watch. It is smaller than the standard version.
« To meet the demand for a second-setting watch for general use as well as for general purposes, the new wrist model second-setting watch has been developed by Weems System of Navigation in collaboration with Longines-Wittnauer Company. Size 1.1 in. diameter”[1]. [ORIGINAL ARCHIVEcQUOTE IN ENGLISH]
In February 1937, the Weems System of Navigation made its intents more explicit, and its target female audience, in the creation of this new model : « to the tiny wrists of girls aviators and yachting enthusiasts. (…) Every girl in the United States will boast of one on her wrist » (Archives Weems, Nashville, Weems Box 30 Folder 11 Part A).”[ORIGINAL ARCHIVE QUOTE IN ENGLISH]
I have long meant to publish this along with more in depth research but guess I got a bit busy.
The next question would be why the US chose those small watches for the rare A11 model- given that I have to suspect the US Army Air Corps at the time used male navigators.
And I have to suspect, as Ilya wrote in another thread about the Le Coultre A11 (or perhaps it was Zaf?), those 1940s A11s predated the US entry into WWIi. Roosevelt didn’t think he could get Congressional support, and I’ll have to suppose they took whatever supply was already available in the US because they could not not get new supply contracts approved.
Best regards,
S
Edited:
