Being devoid of any trade marks, the manufacturer of the 1976 MoD issued sterile 6BB watch has been a mystery to military watch collectors. The first mention of the sterile 6BB monobloc tonneau shaped W10 on The Military Watch Resource (MWR) was in January 2007, although it was suggested in 2004 that the sterile 6BB case was ‘different’ from the 1973-1980 Hamilton/CWC W10 class of watches.
A post on TZ-UK in 2003 sought information on the mysterious watch but no clues in identifying the manufacturer emerged from the discussion. For those not familiar with the watch, the following article attempts to unravel the mystery of The ‘Lost’ Navigator.
Read the full article: here
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Today's example is an incredibly rare find and one that has solved a mystery that is almost half a century old. Please read the article above for the full story on this rare Precista that was discovered by myself and good friend John Senior.
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The Specs
Age: c.1976.
Reference: "Found Nav"
Movement: Manual wind with Hacking Central Seconds.
Calibre: A.S. 2160
Dial: Original Mil Spec Dial signed Precista.
Crystal: Correct Crystal.
Getting Acquainted
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Bits that stand out:
- The Watch that solved a mystery.
- The only example known to have ever surfaced.
- Fully serviced Movement.
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Nitty Gritty:
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Overall the Found Navigator is in good condition.