Slated to the converted into luxury apartments, the Clock Tower Building at 346 Broadway in Lower Manhattan is a late 19th century building with a four-faced mechanical clock at its apex that was built by E. Howard & Co., a now defunct American watchmaker. The developer’s plan was to electrify the mechanical winding mechanism of the clock, allowing it to convert the area in the clock towers into a single penthouse. A State Supreme Court judge has just annulled the permission granted to the developer by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, meaning the clock in the Former New York Life Insurance Company Building will stay mechanical.

The judge noted that the “internal mechanism” of the clock is a “significant portion of the clock itself”, so no modifications to the movement was permissible. The clock is now wound once a week by New York City’s official clock master Marvin Schneider and his colleagues who raise a half-tonne weight 14 floors that drives the clock movement as it drops. That looks set to continue in this small victory for mechanical timekeeping.

Source: The New York Times

Longines has a pretty good track record with its historical remakes, particularly those modelled on vintage military or sports watches. The latest addition to the Heritage line is the Military COSD, a compact watch that’s inspired by a distinctive timepiece made for the British commandos during the Second World War.

Specially made for special forces

The original COSD wristwatch was made for the Combined Operations Supply Depot (COSD), and not the “Company Ordnance Supply Depot” as it has been mistaken for. COSD was the outfit that supplied materiel to the Combined Operations Headquarters, set up by the British War Office during the Second World War to strike German military installations in Occupied Europe with lightning amphibious raids. Notably, the second commander of Combined Operations was Lord Louis Mountbatten, famous for being the last Viceroy of India.

All manner of issued stores marked “COSD” can still be found, ranging from rifles to knives and even vehicles. But rather than being standard items, many of these were made specifically for the unique needs of Combined Operations, explaining why the COSD wristwatch is unlike other military watches of the period, which tended to look more like the Longines Heritage Military 1938. The original COSD was distinguished by its white dial, red 24-hour track, wide and flat bezel, as well as oversized crown – all of which have been reproduced in the modern day Heritage Military COSD.

Like all remakes, the Heritage Military COSD has been enlarged to suit modern tastes. Measuring 40 mm in diameter, it’s much larger than the 35 mm original, but still smallish by modern standards. And because of the wide bezel, the watch seems smaller than it is on the wrist. The steel case is entirely polished, giving it a shiny appearance that’s slightly at odds with the military look. It’s hard to discern what finish was originally applied to the vintage COSD watches, but they likely had a matte finish.

Two dial variants are available, including an off-white with blued steel hands that’s similar to the 1940s original and the more authentic of the pair. The other is black with white hands, giving it a look closer to the typical military watch and one that’s probably most acceptable to someone looking for a military-style watch. Both dials have an identical layout, including the broad arrow logo, used to mark British government property even today. Like nearly all Longines remakes, the COSD has a date window at three o’clock, a modern convenience that is completely incongruous with the historical look but inevitable.

Typical of a Longines, the COSD feels well put together despite the accessible price. The Heritage Military COSD is priced at US$1700 on a canvas NATO-style strap and US$1900 on a black alligator band. In Singapore the retail price starts at S$2540.

The model references are L2.832.4.53.5 and L2.832.4.53.0 for black dial model on NATO and alligator respectively, while the silver dial references are L2.832.4.73.5 and L2.832.4.73.0 with NATO and alligator respectively.