Newmark, 6BB, Royal Air Force, The Rarest of the "Fab Four", Chronograph, circa 1980

Dealer description — Vintage Watch Specialist

A Rare Newmark 6BB RAF Two Pusher "FAB FOUR" Chronograph in Superb Condition with Original Military Engravings, 1980 British military watches have always been considered some of the most notable and have remained very collectable throughout the decades. At the height of the expansion of the British Empire and wars, some of the most distinguished timepieces were issued to the RAF. In the early 70s, the Ministry of Defence’s DEF-STAN (Defence Standardization) was altered to produce more commercially viable pieces for the military. The result of this was the creation of watches over a decade by four brands –Hamilton, CWC, Newmark and Precista - They have become known as "The Fab Four". These watches followed the specifications of its predecessor, the Lemania Mono-pusher (but now with two pushers), and remained housed in the 39mm asymmetric stainless-steel case and consisted of a black dial with luminous hands and markers. The movement was changed to the Valjoux 7733. What's on Offer This is a particularly rare piece as the Newmark watch was only produced for one year, so the chance of finding one for sale, especially in this condition, is dwindling. The dial is still a deep and rich black with Arabic numerals, two sub-counters and lumed hour plots. The hands also boast their original lume - a circled T denotes the luminous material as Tritium. To the case back you will note the original military engravings, 6BB - meaning the watch was issued to the British Royal Air Force. The 9243306 marking throughout all the watches indicated the military spec as denoted by the MoD and the bottom markings show the issue number followed by the year it was produced. The 'Fab Four' collection, just like the Dirty Dozen watches, is very collectable and it is rare to see the full collection given the rarity of this piece in particular, so if you need that missing piece, don't hesitate! If you are looking for one of the others then again reach out to us and we can source one for you! A real treat for military collectors, blink and you will miss this one!