Universal Genève Wilhelmina 31250

1941 Universal Genève 'Wilhelmina' Black 30mm 31250

Here we have a rare 1941 Universal Genève 'Wilhelmina' Black 31250, issued to the Dutch Army during World War II. Although the Netherlands declared neutrality at the start of World War II in September 1939, the country was invaded by Germany on May 10, 1940. The Dutch fought bravely, but they were overwhelmed by the German forces. After just a few days of fighting—and after the Germans completely destroyed the city of Rotterdam with bombs—the Dutch Army surrendered on May 15, 1940. Featuring a 30mm chrome round case with fixed spring bars, perfect for NATO straps. Its curved flanks lead to a comfortable lug-to-lug length of 36.5mm and a case thickness of 9.5mm. On the right side, a coin-edged crown. A smooth bezel holds a domed crystal above a black military-style dial. An outer minute railtrack features Radium pips at the hour, with white-painted Arabic numerals marking the hours. Elegant steel hands are filled with lume, sitting above a sub seconds complete with a steel stick hand. At noon, the Universal Genève motif appears above the ‘W’, and the crown represents Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands' initial, signifying the royal warrant granted to Universal Genève in 1939 to produce military watches. On the reverse, a solid snap-on case back, inside a manually wound UG Cal. 262, 17 jewels, beating at a leisurely 18,000 beats per hour. The watch comes paired with a well-suited 16mm aftermarket NATO strap. Reference : 31250 Movement : Manually Wound UG Cal. 262 Age : Circa. 1941 Year : 1941 Case Size : 30mm Case Thickness : 9.5mm Lug to Lug : 36.5mm Lugs : 16mm Condition : Pre-Owned Box and Papers : None Case Material : Chrome Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty The wrist model's wrist size is 7inch