SAAF Issue
Mark XI 6B/346 — SAAF Issue
South African Air Force issue. A 1961 SAAF watch is discussed against SAAF movement records; SAAF watchmakers fitted later dials (one from 1967 or after) and repaired inner backs in their own way. Many were destroyed in the 1990s, so survivors are rare.
At least 7,400 IWC watches for the RAF; IWC records identify more than 8,000 military movement numbers, with about 600 more thought to await confirmation (Horological Journal 2004).
Identifying details
- Military caseback engraving
Issue markings on the caseback, e.g. stock number, broad arrow, issue number and year.
- Military issue
Issued to armed forces.
- Soft-iron inner case
Soft-iron inner case and dial forming a cage that shields the movement from magnetic fields.
Variants of 6B/346
Reference overview →| Variant | Production |
|---|---|
| RAF, White 12 Dial | 1949–1952 |
| RAF, Triangle Dial Without T | 1952–1963 |
| RAF, Encircled T Dial | 1963–? |
| RAF, Encircled T Dial · Encircled T, Hooked 7 | Undated |
Case & movement
- Reference
- 6B/346
- Production
- Undated
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case diameter
- 36 mm
- Crystal
- Acrylic, held by a screwed retaining ring
- Movement
- Manual winding
- Date
- No
- Caliber
- IWC 89
Dial, bezel & hands
Unknown attributes are left out rather than guessed.
Movement
IWC 89
Albert Pellaton’s hand-wound centre-seconds calibre with indirect seconds drive and a Breguet hairspring. The Mark XI version stops the seconds for synchronisation. Early batches had no shock protection; later ones were fitted with Incabloc.
Manual winding · Introduced 1946 · 18,000 vph · 17 jewels