During the Second World War, the German Wehrmacht issued and privately procured a wide variety of wristwatches that combined precision engineering with rugged military utility. These timepieces, produced by renowned German manufacturers such as A. Lange & Söhne, Wempe, IWC, Junghans, and Stowa, were essential tools for coordinating infantry movements, artillery barrages, and Luftwaffe operations. Most featured high-grade movements with hacking seconds for exact synchronization, luminous radium or early luminous paint on hands and markers for low-light readability, oversized cases for gloved use, and water-resistant designs built to survive the harsh conditions of the Eastern Front and North African deserts. Many bore official military engravings on the case back, including the "B" for Beobachtung (observation) on Luftwaffe B-Uhren or property marks of the Heer and Kriegsmarine. Today, original Wehrmacht wristwatches are highly prized by collectors not only for their historical significance but also for their exceptional build quality and timeless functional design that influenced modern military watchmaking.
Oberleutnant Karl Hausmann (1912-1997), born on 10 January 1912 in Neuweistritz-Habelschwerdt, Silesia, rose to prominence during the intense fighting on the Eastern Front. Serving initially with Infanterie-Regiment 28 of the 8. Infanterie-Division and later with Jäger-Regiment 28 of the 8. leichte-Division (redesignated as 8. Jäger-Division), he participated in campaigns in Poland, the West, and Operation Barbarossa before distinguishing himself in the brutal winter battles of 1942. As Oberfeldwebel and Führer of 3.Kompanie / I.Bataillon / Jäger-Regiment 28, Hausmann earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 15 May 1942 for his outstanding bravery and decisive leadership during Operation Bruckenschlag, the relief effort to break through to the encircled German forces in the Demyansk Pocket. In extreme winter conditions with temperatures below -30 degrees Celsius, deep snow, and fierce Soviet resistance, he personally led his Jäger troops in repeated assaults on fortified enemy positions near the Lovat River and Ramushewo, overcoming machine-gun fire and counterattacks through hand-to-hand combat and determined advances that helped secure the vital corridor, turning a stalled attack into a successful link-up with the trapped troops.
Source :
https://lorologiese.com/german-military-watch/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjClnKbtcqo
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