G.S.T.P. Watches Overview

G.S.T.P. stands for General Services Trade Pattern (or General Services Time Piece) and indicates that the watch was purchased by the British Ministry of Defense from different manufacturers for their armed forces during the World War II. These watches were extremely popular among the British military ground forces and available on the market throughout the war and until the 1950s.

When the World War II erupted in 1939, the British military forces turned out to be caught ill-prepared and failed to provide its soldiers with a sufficient number of timepieces. Therefore, the War Office hurriedly purchased pocket watches from Swiss watchmakers and retailers to cover the shortage. Most of those pocket watches were regarded as general service timepieces and played a role of timekeepers for routine duties, similar to those performed by radio operators and drivers.

Although G.S.T.P. watches were made by a variety of manufacturers, they tended to be of a similar standard specified by the British Authorities. An original G.S.T.P. pocket watch was provided with luminous numerals at 3, 9, 12 on a black or white dial, a subsidiary seconds dial at 6, a jeweled movement, and a snap or screw back. The watch caseback was normally adorned with a G.S.T.P. abbreviation, a broad arrow and a serial number. Some of the pocket watches also bore the name of their manufacturer, while others remained unlabeled.

Throughout its relatively short history, G.S.T.P. watches were produced under numerous brands, including Omega, Cortebert, Lemania, Thommen, Recta, Buren, Doxa, Unitas, Damas, Helvetia, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Tissot, Hamilton, Leonidas, Grana, Zenith and more. However, there is no single opinion as to who was the pioneer in manufacturing G.S.T.P. timepieces. According to some sources, Record was the first, while others believe it was Smiths.

Buser Frères & Cie S.A also picked up the trend and released its G.S.T.P. watch model under Frenca brand. The handsome open-faced Vintage Frenca WW2 Pocket Watch G.S.T.P Q10993 GSTP with high-grade Buser hand-wound movement in a 52mm nickel case served as part of the British Army’s field gear during the war. Thus, its historical significance makes it a valuable addition to any militaria collection.