A well-preserved World War 2, Army Trade Pattern, (A.T.P), wristwatch

Eugene Blum and Alice Levy, husband and wife, joined their initials to form the brand name Ebel (Eugène Blum Et Lévy) in 1911. Based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, the company was taken over by their son, Charles, in 1932. Under Charles's leadership, Ebel began to expand its business internationally. During this period, Ebel also started creating wristwatches for Cartier. Eventually, Ebel became part of the LVMH Group and later, by the end of 2003, it was acquired by the Movado Group.

What's on Offer

Here we have a circa 1940s Ebel military watch. Ebel was one of 15 manufacturers commissioned to produce a "Specification" watch for the British Army during World War II. ATP, standing for Army Trade Pattern, denotes wristwatches from 1939 to 1945. The specification for ATP watches included a 15-jewel, non-shock absorbing movement ranging from 10 1/2 to 12 ligne, a silver or white dial with a double minute track, luminous hands and 12 luminous markers.

The 32mm stainless steel case gently curves at the fixed lugs, offering a lug-to-lug length of 41mm and a thickness of 10mm for a comfortable fit. The stepped bezel secures a domed crystal, while the even patina on the dial suggests the watch has many stories to tell.

A marked double-minute track with Radium lume pips and Arabic numerals adorn the dial. In situ at 6 o'clock, a sub-seconds register. The elegant Cathedral hands are filled with the original luminous paint. The ATP engraved caseback is a split stem system where the movement is encapsulated inside the caseback, which then pushes into the mid-case. Inside the case, a manually wound Ebel Cal. 99 with 15 jewels beats at 18,000 beats per hour. The watch is fitted with a black leather buckle and pin strap.

The condition of this piece is nothing out of the ordinary, showing only very minor blemishes to the case and deterioration to the lume pips which is a completely normal process for radium lume. We think it only adds more character.