So I bought this off eBay, cheap. Doesn't work (stem winds, gears move, spring tightens, but just recoils when you stop winding, so I am guessing the thingie that keeps it wound is broke...sorry, not a watchmaker...)...

Story is that it was taken from a German POW who surrendered at the end of the war...I wanted one to put with my German collection as an example, liked the looks and the band, so I took a chance...

Once I got it, I checked it carefully....seems like it is a German WWII watch....

The band, which is really cool, is marked on the clasp "Edelstahl" (Stainless steel), D.R.G.M. (which proves it is pre 1945), VZA- or V2A-, and a tiny hallmark of "HW"....

Nothing on watch face but two stars...nice fire blued hands...

Nothing on movement inside...

Inside of caseback is a tiny engraved 4/40 (manufacture date?), "Krupp Edelstahl", and 51033 (s/n?)....

Just out of curiosity anyone know who the maker might be?

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looks like a Krupp watch. Dial is probably not original.

Looks like the same movement used in their trench watches.

Some Krupp watches bring big dollars to collectors, especially as German army trench watches.

If the serial number follows normal conventions it was made in 1933, the 4/40 is probably the last time it was serviced.

I don't know anything about the watch except it would be cool as hell to own and wear a almost 100 year old military watch.

if you searched elsewhere maybe you saw this related thread on WUS. Pretty good info; maybe helpful.

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f11/krupp-vintage-watch-any-info-306928.html

Good information, thanks guys! It gives me something to go on...

I will post it on the Watchuseek Forum when I get a chance....

Well, the movement was identified...

"I think that it's more likely to be a Durowe calibre:

bidfun-db Archiv: Uhrwerke: Durowe 410

...i.e.: still German.

Hartmut Richter"

Consensus is, 1930's art deco German watch, no one knows who the two stars may be, likely a private label jeweler or watchmaker....

So it is entirely plausible that it was taken from a POW....but who knows. It is what it is.

It was also postulated that it is a problem with the click, either its broken, or its spring is broken or slipped underneath...