
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Leonidas German Airforces Military Issued, Military Engravings, circa 1960s
- Maker / attribution
- Leonidas (maker)
- Date
- c. 1960s
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Germany
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Stock no.
- vws4298cs
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws4298cs)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Leonidas - German Airforces Military Issued - Military Engravings - c.1960s (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number vws4298cs), this is a wristwatch by Leonidas, made in Germany, dated c. 1960s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) 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 — Vintage Watch Specialist
Leonidas earned an enviable reputation for producing robust chronographs for military and professional use throughout the mid-20th century. Among its most recognisable creations is the CP-2, developed for military aviation and later adopted by the German Bundeswehr. Following the merger with Heuer in 1964, Leonidas designs would go on to influence some of the most celebrated pilot's chronographs ever produced, cementing the CP-2 as an icon in its own right. What's on Offer Presented in stainless steel, this Leonidas CP-2 is powered by the dependable manual-wind Valjoux 222 movement and features the distinctive oversized rotating bezel that defines the model. The matte black dial is paired with aged Arabic numerals, twin chronograph registers and broad luminous hands, while the caseback carries Bundeswehr military issue markings. Fitted to a black textile strap, this is an outstanding opportunity to own one of the most sought-after military chronographs of the 1960s. The Leonidas CP-2 is one of the great military chronographs of the twentieth century. Originally developed for military aviation, it was officially issued to the Italian Air Force and the German Bundeswehr. Built around the reliable Valjoux 222 movement, its oversized rotating bezel, highly legible dial and robust construction were designed for operational use, making it one of the most capable military chronographs of its era. The caseback retains its original Bundeswehr military issue markings, confirming its service provenance. Overall condition is excellent - the stainless steel case retains crisp lines with honest signs of wear consistent with military service, while the rotating bezel displays attractive age-related character and the hands and Arabic numerals have beautifully aged lume. The dial remains clean and highly legible.
Historical context
Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.
The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking
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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