Sure, Analog:Shift is a business built around the love of watches — mostly mechanical watches. But, in essence, it’s our love for timepieces and timekeeping in general that are the common themes throughout the items we procure. And that includes the love of clocks in general: pocket watches, travel clocks, and more. 

After all, in the couple-hundred years before the First World War, personal timekeeping was all about the pocket watch, and before that, it was larger clocks that were front and center, horologically. We still believe a good clock — such as a classic travel model from the 1920s or 1930s — has a place in the watch lover’s collection.

Take this pocket watch, for instance. Often referred to by the acronym on its dial — "G.C.T," for "Greenwich Civil Time," the precursor to G.M.T. — the Hamilton AN-5740/4992B  24-Hour Master Navigational Watch was produced in roughly 120,000 examples for use by Allied armed forces during the Second World War. Housed in a 51mm chromed (or silver) case with a coin-edge bezel, a screw-back case, and an acrylic crystal, it features a black 24-hour dial with an outer 60-minute track and a white 'spade' handset. 

Inside the watch beats the Hamilton cal. 4992B hand-wound movement. Adjusted to temperature and six positions and featuring 22 jewels and ample decoration, this handsome engine was functionally the American version of a Swiss chronometer. By carefully calibrating the time to a master clock, a Second World War-era navigator could use this timepiece on board his aircraft for important navigational computations. 

The example we have here is in tremendous shape, with deep caseback engravings detailing its spec and issue numbers, plus a clean dial and crystal. For fans of both horological as well as military history, this is a tough watch to beat!