Historical Avia Military Timepeice Presented to SEGT. J. Jose by the 39th Garhwal Rifles of the British India Army 1917-1919

In January 1891, the 39th (The Garhwali) Regiment of Bengal Infantry was formed from the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Gurkhas, consisting entirely of Garhwalis following an 1887 order. They were designated as 'Rifles' in 1892. In 1901, another Garhwali regiment, the 49th, was raised but soon became the 2nd Battalion of the 39th, making them the only two-battalion regiment in the Indian Army besides the Gurkhas.

During World War I, the 39th was part of the Meerut Division, serving in the 20th Brigade alongside the 2nd Leicesters and 2/3 Gurkha Rifles. They faced heavy casualties in Flanders and were recalled to their base at Lansdowne before being deployed to Mesopotamia. Two additional battalions were raised during the war, and in 1921, they were titled the 39th Royal Garhwal Rifles. In 1922, they were renumbered as the 18th, with the 4th Battalion becoming the training battalion (10th). Notably, they were the only Indian Infantry regiment to remain intact without amalgamation.

What's on Offer

Although we've been unable to find any documentation of him; engravings on the caseback of this watch suggest that it was originally presented to Sergeant J. Jose of the 39th Garhwal Rifles at some point during the First World War. Most likely presented to this individual to mark a specific achievement or longevity of service. These types of watches were typically gifted to officers or people of higher rank in this period of the military. Presentation watches of this type — awarded at the end of service or for acts of merit — are exceptionally scarce today.

The watch is a classic trench watch design with a 34mm 0.935 sterling silver hinged double-back (inner dust cover + outer caseback) case and a hinged shock protection case-back mechanism. Attached are 12mm wide wire lugs. The case has become tarnished with time, as you can see the silver has become much darker and displays light scratching and blemishes.

The enamel dial is wonderfully preserved, showcasing bold Arabic numerals with beautifully aged radium lume, now soft and textured in that attractive “fluffy” patina only true century-old pieces develop. Elegant cathedral hands, still holding traces of their original lume, sweep above a neatly recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock.

This watch is currently not running but sold as seen, this is reflected in the price. If you do wish for it to be serviced before purchasing we'd be happy to do that for you for an additional cost. Please leave a note when placing it in your basket and we will get back to you as soon as possible regarding the service.

Images include (Officers of the 39th Garhwalis) Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/39th_Garhwal_Rifles