Details

Reference

G6B/346

Movement

JLC Manual-Wind Calibre 488/Sbr

Case Material

Stainless Steel

Year

1953

Bracelet

dark brown leather

Crystal

Sapphire crystal

About this watch

For your consideration is this Jaeger-LeCoultre Navigator’s Mark 11 timepiece that was originally issued to Royal Australian Air Force personnel. As far as military timepieces go, the Mark 11 is a true ‘holy grail' and possibly the finest military timepiece ever produced. It was also one of the most expensive watches ever issued by any government in the world, and is an icon that all serious vintage military collectors seek to acquire. The Mark 11 was born in 1948 and first issued by the British Ministry of Defence to Royal Air Force navigators with the reference 6B/346. The RAAF then made three separate purchases of the Mark 11 in 1950, 1953 and 1956. The “/53” extension on the case-back indicates this particular example comes from the second batch. The RAAF examples are referenced G6B/346 and feature a number of differences to their British counterparts, which are detailed on the Mark Eleven website. Some of the upgrades included a new acrylic crystal with a square step around the circumference to help with anti reflection and distortion, and an upgraded crown with o-ring seals in the tube and JLC logo engraving on it. The most ground-breaking aspect of these watches was the…