Longines Wittnauer ‘Weems’ WWII Pilot Watch from 1944

Accurate timekeeping has always been essential for navigation. Throughout history, even the smallest errors in minutes or seconds could mean the difference between reaching land or getting lost at sea. On large ships, precise clocks were critical for survival, making highly accurate timepieces a necessity. As the 20th century began, maritime navigation became less of a challenge, and a new form of travel took center stage—aviation.

One of the pioneers in aviation timekeeping was U.S. Navy Captain Philip Van Horn Weems. A respected navigator who trained Charles A. Lindbergh, Weems understood the risks of imprecise watches, particularly when the seconds hand couldn’t be set accurately. To solve this issue, he developed the Second Setting System, a breakthrough feature for wristwatches. This system allowed pilots to synchronize their watches to the exact second using an inner rotating disk that aligned with the sweeping seconds hand. Unlike traditional hacking or stop-seconds mechanisms, this innovation didn’t require stopping the movement. It was a simple yet brilliant solution, later patented by Longines in 1935 following their famous Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch.

The Longines Wittnauer “Weems” watch also had key design elements tailored for pilots. It featured an oversized 47mm stainless steel case, ensuring easy readability while flying and allowing the watch to be worn over thick, insulated jackets—necessary in unpressurized cockpits. Reference 4356 was equipped with a large onion-shaped crown, making it possible for pilots to wind the watch even while wearing gloves. Inside, it housed the highly reliable Longines Caliber 37.9, a robust pocket watch movement known for its accuracy and ability to withstand the temperature changes and shocks of an aircraft cockpit.