Hi from australia... WW1 hunter case trench watch issued by NZRA

[trenchwatchww1]

Hi all

I have always had an interest in old watch's and used to live in New Zealand but from the age of 9 lived in australia.

One day when i was about 17 (now 60) my dad gave me his fathers watch that he wore in the trenchs in WW1.

It had suffered being in that environment and had a broken glass and didnt work but i noticed it was a rolex.

when i was about 20 i took it in to the agent for rolex in melbourne to have it repaired and was told it had a broken mainspring but that they wouldnt repair it/or couldnt?

So in the mid 80's i took it to my local watchmaker/jeweler McMasters in errol st north melbourne Victoria for repair.

The owner said it could be done....some weeks later i received a phone call to come in to collect the watch and that there was good news and bad news.

On entering i was told that the movement and dial had been lost but the good news is that they had put in a new dial with a movado movement !!!!

I was a kid of 21 and didnt know what i could do...they still charged me for the repair and i left dumbfounded and dejected...

Some years later i was told by a more knowledgable man that my watch/movement was rare and he believed it was simply taken...

I have thought about this for many years and now with the internet...and me with more money...have decided to try and find the right movement and dial for the case..

Is it possible to find and buy what i need? im hoping so as id like to pass on the watch to my sisters son who now serves in the airforce (RAAF)

The watch is stored away safely but i will get it out and photograph it so that it helps identify what i need....hope someone can help

Regards

Andy Murray PS my grandfather started off with the artillery and then was transferred to grantham and trained in machine guns...i have his service record,discharge cert and machine gun badge as well as photos etc

[RichardHarris123]

Hello and welcome from Leeds, England. We will need measurements if the case to try and find a suitable movement/ dial. 

I'm sorry to say that you were almost definitely ripped off. 

[trenchwatchww1]

3 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Hello and welcome from Leeds, England. We will need measurements if the case to try and find a suitable movement/ dial. 

I'm sorry to say that you were almost definitely ripped off. 

Thanks...ill get to the watch soon and measure/take photos....its very sad a business would do this to a kid but i guess they figured that i wouldnt know what to do...they were right...i only hope i can get it back to what it should be

[trenchwatchww1]

have measured up and movement looks to be 28mm diameter...a number of silver case reads 237516 there is a nother mark i cant make out

[RichardHarris123]

Photos of the case, can you remember what the dial looked like?  A few variations for the time period. 

[trenchwatchww1]

 

On 6/15/2024 at 6:05 PM, RichardHarris123 said:

Photos of the case, can you remember what the dial looked like?  A few variations for the time period. 

 

[trenchwatchww1]

The last photo is the dial it had

On 6/15/2024 at 6:05 PM, RichardHarris123 said:

Photos of the case, can you remember what the dial looked like?  A few variations for the time period. 

 

[Neverenoughwatches]

On 6/10/2024 at 9:56 AM, trenchwatchww1 said:

Hi all

I have always had an interest in old watch's and used to live in New Zealand but from the age of 9 lived in australia.

One day when i was about 17 (now 60) my dad gave me his fathers watch that he wore in the trenchs in WW1.

It had suffered being in that environment and had a broken glass and didnt work but i noticed it was a rolex.

when i was about 20 i took it in to the agent for rolex in melbourne to have it repaired and was told it had a broken mainspring but that they wouldnt repair it/or couldnt?

So in the mid 80's i took it to my local watchmaker/jeweler McMasters in errol st north melbourne Victoria for repair.

The owner said it could be done....some weeks later i received a phone call to come in to collect the watch and that there was good news and bad news.

On entering i was told that the movement and dial had been lost but the good news is that they had put in a new dial with a movado movement !!!!

I was a kid of 21 and didnt know what i could do...they still charged me for the repair and i left dumbfounded and dejected...

Some years later i was told by a more knowledgable man that my watch/movement was rare and he believed it was simply taken...

I have thought about this for many years and now with the internet...and me with more money...have decided to try and find the right movement and dial for the case..

Is it possible to find and buy what i need? im hoping so as id like to pass on the watch to my sisters son who now serves in the airforce (RAAF)

The watch is stored away safely but i will get it out and photograph it so that it helps identify what i need....hope someone can help

Regards

Andy Murray PS my grandfather started off with the artillery and then was transferred to grantham and trained in machine guns...i have his service record,discharge cert and machine gun badge as well as photos etc

What a disgusting act they did, i would have been furious.