Flying - navigational wristwatch builded for the Royal Air Force during WWII




Brass chromed body case with spec. fixed bars (maybe the JLC "semi-fixed" bars, guessing by an Ilja's post about the WWW)
blued steel hands, plastic crystal
stainless plain crown
stainless snap on fit case back
unsigned case back inner side ("Acier Inoxidable Fab Suisse")
17 jewels hand winding cal. JLC 470 .













The Ministry of Def. dial variant

The brass chromed JLC 6B/159 cal. 470 has been delivered during Sept. '43 (info from Zaf).
Nobody knows why it had a *Le Coultre* dial. Maybe a deliberate miss match ; maybe they just had that old dials in stock and decided to use them.
At any rate later some of these dials has been reprinted by a Min. of Def. contractor and appeared the variant with a more modern design and the JLC name.





(original)


(MoD)


(stainless blue hands)



Others Min. of Defence's dials variant found on the JLC 6B/159 :

white with LC name

(Courtesy of Bonhams Auction) .




black with JLC name

(Pic by James D from TZ-UK)




The British Government property markings :
"Broadarrow"
"6B/159"
"A xxxxx" (5 numbers after the A ; from A11232 to A26448 in those I tracked so far. The number after the "A" is the serial number assigned by the RAF)



Interesting, a few of these 1943 JLC 6B/159 were engraved with :
"A.M." (instead the Broadarrow)
"6B/159"
"xxx / 43"



The cal. 470 (manual winding, 12 1/2 ligne, 17 jewels, indirect center sec.) was already in production, not a "dedicated" movement therefore ; terrific that during war years they sent to the RAF a movement with three different type of engravings...
On these 6B/159 I've found it with nrs. from 252624 to 265515.






Rechroming an original 6B/159 ?
(Pre and after restore pics)







The excellent book by Zaf Basha, 'Jaeger Le Coultre A Guide for the Collector' estimate the production number of these JLC 6B/159 in nearly 4.000, that make it a quiete rare watch.



The '42 Air Ministry LE COULTRE 6B/159




During WWII another conventionally cased (not Weems) Le Coultre 6B/159 was issued.
It should be correct to rank it as Le Coultre as I've seen the same watch, civil version, no mil. markings, triple signed LC.
The Le Coultre 6B/159 had exactly the same dial and hands as the JLC, they were therefore VERY similar.
The main difference between the two : the Le Coultre had an entirely stainless and slighlty "fatter" body case.

It's hard to take the difference in pic, but here
left the Le Coultre, right the JLC




All these LC 6B/159 I've observed had the "A.M." military markings and the date 42
(left the Le Coultre, right the JLC)




Here is a movements comparision, left the Le Coultre (cal. JLC 450), right again the JLC.




Note, a minor difference in the case back inner side factory engravings :

The Le Coultre Air Ministry '42


The JLC




6B/159 alligned, from left : LC (orig. dial),JLC (orig. dial),JLC (MoD dial)




That's all.
If you have any correction, additional info ......
feel absolutely welcome
ciesse_1961@libero.it

All the Best !
Claudio