SEIKOSHA Type 89 Camera Gun Mark II Pocket Chronograph / WWII Navy

— Type 89 Camera Gun, Mark II —

During the Second World War, this pocket watch was fitted to a "camera gun" — the Type 89 Camera Gun Mark II — used by the navy for shooting practice without live ammunition, so that firing times could be recorded onto film.

It is a historical document tied directly to wartime aerial gunnery training, and carries a historical value beyond that of a watch.

The serial number is No.6094.

— A mirror that records the moment of firing —

The watch was set into the side of the camera gun, and while the trigger was held the film and the watch were photographed together.

From the recorded position of the hands, firing time and the accuracy of aim could be analysed: important equipment which, though for training, demanded an accuracy close to actual combat.

— A design built for real use —

A black dial with Arabic indexes and blued steel Breguet hands.

A 30-minute counter at twelve and a small seconds at six.

The caseback carries the "Type 89 Camera Gun Mark II" marking and the serial number.

— Imports and domestic production —

Japan at the time was moving toward domestic production of special aviation equipment and precision instruments while also bringing in technology from abroad.

The Type 89 Camera Gun itself was standard Japanese navy equipment, but both domestic (Seikosha) and imported (Berna) versions of the pocket watch existed.

This example is a domestic one.

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