Eaglemoss Military Watches Collection.

During WWII the United States Navy set up an elite force, The Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) Their two main objectives were reconnaissance of enemy defences on coastal positions, and demolition of beach obstacles designed to hinder amphibious landing craft.
Aware of the disastrous allied landings at Gallipoli in World War I, the US Navy provided possible solutions for future conflicts, the specialist skills of the UDT were so effective in saving lives of troops in the first invading waves they were deployed in the Korean and Vietnam wars also, particularly after the loss of many lives at the Battle of Tarawa, where aerial reconnaissance failed to pinpoint the defences accurately.
Before the large scale D-Day invasion of Europe on the French Normandy beaches, the UDT undertook many difficult missions mapping the German defences, over several weeks the extent of the 'Atlantic Wall' and detailed descriptions and plans of the obstacles employed, allowed the Allies to practice overcoming replica barriers and experiment with how to bypass or destroy them.
Even during the landings, the UDT were ahead of the main attack carrying out demolitions under cover of heavy bombardment from air and sea to allow as clear a path as possible for the landing craft and troops behind.
A watch was specially designed and produced by Hamilton, A thick Domed glass, sealed with lead to prevent water ingress, a custom screw back, and an oversize Canteen cap over the crown with a loop and two piece chain fixed to the case. Obviously, these are very rare watches and they are rarely found in original condition





Case
Polished case approx 31.5mm across, 34mm at the crown, 8.5mm deep, 39mm Lug to Lug, 18mm lug width
Interior diameter 27mm, 7mm deep, 5mm crown, 26.5mm flat glass
Dial
Black Dial with white printed second scale and Arabic numbers marking ten-second intervals at the outside edge
Hours indicated by orange Arabic numbers and dots
Polished cathedral style hour and minute hands with luminous infill and a slim seconds hand
Strap
Grey Nylon webbing strap 18mm wide, approx. fitting 170/210mm







Looking at pictures of the original Hamilton watches this 'replica' misses the two most important and obvious features of the watch, the high domed glass and the 'canteen' cap over the crown, a disappointing ommision