1953 British Military RAF Pilots Watch with Very Early Issue Numbers on Caseback 6645/101000/6B/542/189/53 British MoD “Fat Arrow” Tritium Dial Military Crown Fixed Bar Lugs Original Dust Cover and Spacer

This is one of the best examples of this iconic RAF watch we have owned. It is also one of the first and earliest ones issued (issue number just 189).The dial is perfect (with no loss of paint). The watch comes from an RAF family based in Northern England. It was owned by the sellers grandfather who was in the RAF and then passed to his son when he, too, joined the RAF. Bought from the grand-daughter, this “Omega 53 Fat Arrow” RAF pilots watch was worn by the him during his own RAF service and is in absolutely superb original condition. It has been sitting in a drawer for twenty-five years until very recently, when we acquired it and sensitively brought it back to full working condition. The movement is pristine and running perfectly and the case is in superb condition. This watch is cased in soft iron to prevent magnetism from the aircraft instruments affecting the watches crucial performance during military operations . These watches were only commissioned by and made in 1953 when the British Ministry if Defence procured a limited number (5,900) of them in that year for their RAF pilots. They were originally produced with “Thin Arrow” Radium dials but these proved to be dangerously radioactive when stock-piled, so the MOD recalled them and redialled them with the safer Tritium (hence the “T” in the circle) “Fat Arrow” dials. To find a fully serviced one of these with RAF history is a real find.