Found: A Magnificent World War II Rolex 3525 And The Story Of The RAF Officer Who Wore It
One big reason to love vintage watches is because they tell us stories – they seem to represent the soul of their former owners, who trusted and loved their timepieces and wore them through thick and thin. In this regard, this chronograph from Rolex not only embodies an amazing life of both tragedy and heroism – it’s a symbol of bravery and dedication to freedom as well.
The Rolex depicted here is a reference 3525 chronograph from the 1940s, with antimagnetic properties. The reference 3525 was also famous as a Prisoner Of War watch, made available to captured Allied officers during the Second World War, as we covered here. Watches were made available to Allied POWs by many brands but Rolex is one of the best known for this service, and the 3525 chronograph was a solidly made, high visibility wrist-instrument with a Valjoux 23 column wheel chronograph movement and radium dial that would have been a both a welcome little luxury and a useful tool. This very watch goes beyond benefiting from an historically interesting provenance; it belonged to a British RAF officer, who participated in the “Great Escape” from the Stalag Luft III POW camp.
John Francis Williams – Jack to all who knew him – ordered this ‘monoblocco’ (one-block, referring to the one-piece case and bezel) chronograph, while he was held in captivity in the German camp Stalag Luft III, back in 1942, shortly after his plane was shot down during a daylight raid over France. At that time, Rolex indeed offered its watches for free to Allied prisoners of war, on the honor system – men who ordered watches could receive them and not need to return or pay for them until the war’s end. This stance shows the confidence that Hans Wildorf – German by birth, but British then Swiss through Rolex – had in a victory from the Allied Forces, and his willingness to be involved. Obviously, filling those orders proved complex; Jack only received the third watch sent to him, more than 15 months after his initial order. Rolex demonstrated a remarkable dedication to these customers, following up the progress of the consecutive deliveries with letters, which were eventually signed by Hans Wildorf himself.
Flight Lieutenant Williams eventually was to become deeply involved in a daring escape plan that …read more
