Issued Heuer split second timer

Lovely blued steel hands..... a very nice touch.

This is a issued Heuer stopwatch from the 1950's. I thought I had bougth a cool military issued Heuer, but some research of the GPO engravings on the back led me to the British Post service "General Post Office". Not as exciting as a war veteran, but still kind a cool.

The markings on the back says 6 GPO, BAU 53, 60107. 53 stand for 1953, the year it was issued. There is a website about GPO Watches, check out: http://www.britishtelephones.com/clocks/watches.htm

My watch is number 6, described as:

"Watch No. 6 is an 8-hour, high-grade, keyless, lever stop-watch of the permanent-motion type with a continuously operating seconds hand at the bottom of the dial, and two stop-start centre seconds fly-back hands with an associated revolution register at the top of the dial. The centre-seconds hands make one complete revolution in 100 seconds over a scale marked in half-second divisions and the revolution register integrates the revolutions of the upper centre-seconds hand up to a period of 3000 seconds. i.e. 30 revolutions."

This Heuer split stopwatch, was issued for the accurate measurement and timing of the electro-mechanical call timing equipment.

The movement is a lovely finished Valjoux 57. Fully signed, and with a very loud ticking sound. The second hand at six, is constantly running, even if the stopwatch is not engaged.

The bridge and case is signed Ed.Heuer & Co, Switzerland.