Lange & Söhne. Very Well Preserved and Historically Important, Aviator’s Navigation Wristwatch in Steel, reference 127-560A-1, Made for German Military Pilot Air Force, the Luftwaffe Model: Pilot Watch Reference: 127-560-A-1 Case Material: Stainless Steel Bracelet Material: NATO Year: 1940s Movement: Manual Caliber: 48.1 Case N°: 4319009, N° 4555 Movement N°: 215254 Dimensions: 55 mm Signed: Dial, Case and Movement A. Lange & Söhne was originally founded by Ferdinand Adolph Lange in Glashütte, Kingdom of Saxony in 1845. Before establishing his namesake brand, Lange worked as an apprentice under experienced watchmaker J.C. Friedrich Gutkaes. They primarily made timepieces on commission for elite clients and during the World War II made watches for the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe. The present timepiece is an extremely rare and historically important piece of archives from World War II. Preserved in exceptional condition and still fully intact, this rare and important watch was intended for military purpose: accurate, robust, easy-to-read wristwatch for the pilots used in the “Battle of Britain” and operation “Sea Lion” (August 1940-May 1941). The inside case back is engraved:— B-Uhr: (Beobachtungs-Uhr: Navigation Watch)— Bauart, (Manufacture): Lange & Söhne— Werk Nr, (Movement No.): Anforderz, (Classification Number): FL 23883: The latter number indicates the watch’s assignation. The letters “FL” stand for “flight qualified” and the first two numbers indicate the department the watch was assigned to: 22 was the flight control department, 25 was radio surveillance, and 23 was the code number for the navigation department. The present example is in very impressive condition considering the history and purpose of this military timepiece with a gorgeous mat black dial, hacking-seconds function to maximize the time-setting precision. The highly legible radium dial bears the typical 5 minute increment indexes with an hour indication to the center, allowing pilots to accurately time their military operations. Estimate € 3000 - 6000