A campaign, in the history of mankind, is forever but a fleeting moment. But what the battles leave us with are one after another segments of eternity. Instant and eternity - these two individuals standing on the opposing sides of the lexicon began a back-to-back collision under the pen of Argentine writer Borges. "Apart from the world of spirit, everything else does not exist." — Franz Kafka. Jaeger-LeCoultre collaborated with the American Special Underwater Unit, the Navy SEALs. Any form of existence required by the military is established upon its spirit, and military watches are no exception. And this spirit, seen from the perspective of rolling wheels, is undoubtedly a derivative of history. In fact, historically speaking, military watches were not specifically produced by any military brand, but rather batches of watches made by watch brands at the request of the military for use by the army. The earliest military watches can be traced back to the period of the First World War. At that time, some watches were equipped with thin metal nets to protect the glass watch crystal, aiming to prevent the crystal from being accidentally shattered and causing damage to the watch. The armies at that time did not widely equip themselves with military watches; it was merely the first appearance of military watches on the global historical stage. By the time of the Second World War, people began mass-producing military watches. When the historical process developed to the later stages of WWII, the British War Department (British War Department) formulated the first complete written requirements for military watches in human history:
- Need luminous hands
- Need accurate timing down to the second hand (both large and small second hands are acceptable)
- Need a black, non-reflective matte dial
- Need an acrylic watch crystal that will not shatter entirely
- Need a "three-proof" watch case: waterproof, dustproof, shockproof
- Need a robust and precise movement
Such a seemingly simple list represents the most detailed and earliest military watch quality requirements in human history. Of course, from our modern perspective, these do not seem particularly remarkable, as contemporary carbon fiber and other advanced materials have already surpassed stainless steel in hardness and weight, quartz movements have far exceeded the accuracy of ordinary mechanical movements, and even a tiny quartz circuit board can integrate perpetual calendars, altitudes, precise timing, water temperature, and air temperature. But just as we still pick up film cameras today despite digital cameras being nearly "ubiquitous," and still use vacuum tubes for sound signal amplification despite transistor amplifiers being widespread, many things are not necessarily more attractive the newer they are. In the eyes of many collectors, the inherent playability of a well-preserved WWI mechanical military watch has already far exceeded the value inherent in its rust-stained case.
In addition to satisfying the six "needs" mentioned above, the military also hoped that the watch case could be maintained simply, that parts would be as universal as possible, that there would be no extra decorative polishing on the movement, and that costs should be reduced as much as possible. The design aimed to maximize the diameter of the dial; at the time, military watches mostly had dial diameters ranging from 33mm to 38mm, which, in an era where men's watches typically measured between 32mm and 34mm, was considered "large enough."
If war is a great calamity, then it seems to have taken away everything it could amidst the devastation. But as Borges said, even if all wars were taken away, there would remain parts left behind as eternal traces. And as the synonym for "eternity" and a hope within the human brain, wristwatches have quietly become the eternal product left behind by the fleeting moments of war.