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Gallet Desert Storm Military Prototype "One of Six", 1990 — view 1 of 6
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Gallet Desert Storm Military Prototype "One of Six", 1990

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Gallet (maker)
Date
1990
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Stock no.
GLTDS
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (GLTDS)
Catalogue title (original)
1990 Gallet Desert Storm Military Prototype "One of Six" W/ Papers (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number GLTDS), this is a wristwatch by Gallet, made in Switzerland, dated 1990. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

There are many popular and important wristwatches that have earned their stripes as collectibles via their place in military history, but every once in a while, a true rarity of militaria infiltrates the scene. This 1990 Gallet “Desert Storm” is just such a piece — a watch that never went to war, but helped 30,000 Gallet watches find their way into the kits and onto the wrists of American GIs during the Gulf War. This rugged Gallet is the last of the six prototypes the brand supplied the US Government within its bid for the contract to manufacture those 30k watches (which were Marathon models). Not only is this Gallet all business in its visual, but it also’s a well-documented and important part of modern military history — and while it may not have been a Gallet that saw active duty, this is the very watch that won the Gulf War contract for Gallet. Remaining in pristine and unworn condition, this one of six ever produced Gallet Desert Storm is truly a museum collectible. Complete with its original black single pass perlon strap, and documentation from Gallet to the National Watch and Clock Museum where the watch was held from 2009 until now. SPECS Stock # GLTDS Brand Gallet Style Military Prototype Model Desert Storm Serial N/A Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial Matte Black Millimeters 42 Bracelet Original black Single Pass Perlon Strap CASE & BRACELET The unpolished asymmetrical case retains its anti-reflective bead-blasted finish and is in unworn condition. The bidirectional ratcheting bezel is in flawless condition. The case retains its original bead-blasted unsigned screw-down crown. The fixed spring bars are in flawless condition. The case back retains all of its original factory and military markings. The watch comes supplied on its original black single-pass perlon strap. DIAL & HANDS The original prototype "DESERT STORM" matte black dial is in flawless condition, showing no damage whatsoever. The tritium lume plots have aged to a lovely golden coloration and exhibit no degradation. The original tritium hands are in flawless condition and have aged to a light green coloration, which is common. ACCESSORIES The watch comes complete with a letter from Gallet to the National Watch and Clock Museum, and the acceptance documentation of Gallet donating the watch to the museum. The watch is keeping time.

Historical context

Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)

Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.

Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution

Atlas type guide

Military, pilot and travel watches

The wristwatch owes much of its adoption by men to warfare and aviation. Wristlets — small pocket watches soldered with lugs and worn on a strap — were used in colonial campaigns and became standard equipment in the First World War, with protective grilles over the crystal ('shrapnel guards'). Louis Cartier's Santos (1904), designed for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, is often cited as an early purpose-made pilot's watch.

In the Second World War governments specified watches in detail: the German B-Uhr observation watches, the American A-11, and the British 'W.W.W.' (the 'Dirty Dozen' set of 1945). After the war, jet travel brought GMT and world-time watches, which show two or more time zones at once — Louis Cottier's world-time mechanism and the Rolex GMT-Master (1955) are examples.

What to look for

  • Military markings on the case back: broad arrow, issue numbers, 'W.W.W.', 'A.T.P.'
  • High-legibility black dials with luminous Arabic numerals; oversized crowns for gloved hands.
  • 24-hour hands and rotating 24-hour bezels or city rings on GMT/world-time watches.
  • Wire lugs on early wristlets converted from pocket watches.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug wristlets: c. 1900–1925.
  • Military specifications of the Second World War: 1939–1945.
  • GMT and world-time wristwatches: mainly after 1950.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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