HMT

Created Tuesday 23 July 2024

HMT Jawan

hmt 0231 17Jewel

case = 36mm
Strap = 18mm
movement = HMT 0231 17 Jewel 18000BPH

Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT)
Established in 1953 to home produce anything from aircraft to missiles and from ships to submarines.

Started producing watches in 1963 in Bangalore at 'Watch Factory-I' or WFB-I (Watch Factory Bangalore 1)
with imported movements from Citizen Japan.
The Citizen 0201 is a hand-wind movement with 17 jewels and a large Glucydur balance, which is incorporated with two Citizen Parashock (patented) protections.
The HMT '020' licensed movement was derived from Citizen '0201'. It is constructed in a traditional way with a direct driven center second and a center minute wheel. This movement runs with 18000 bph and has a pallet lever escapement system. The HMT 020 movement was then modified into many variations like:
Caliber HMT 0231 which is the current standard 3 hands hand-winding movement.
Modified hacking movement for Indian Air Force issued Pilot's watch with sterile dial around 1975 Indo-Pak war.

The Indian Military and HMT

In 1975 "Watch Factory-III" was set up in Zainakote, Srinagar in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. This factory was later an independent subsidiary within HMT Ltd. itself as HMT Chinar Watches Ltd.

HMT was tasked with providing supply kit issued watches to the Indian Army and Indian Air force around 1975. One of the watch models HMT Jawan was conceptualized by HMT Chinar factory with unmarked caseback. These watches were meant to be supplied through OFB or Ordnance Factory Board where the caseback markings were done for serialization as per military stock issue code system. The casebacks are usually stamped with the famous 'Pheon' marking or 'Broad Arrow' markings. Since the military coding is similar to the British one, the watch caseback codes started with W10 followed by 6645 which is very similar to the general service watches code supplied by CWC (Cabot Watch Company) to the British Army. "These HMT Jawan were issued to NCOs (Non Commissioned Officers) of Indian Army"

HMT Jawan (Hindu for “warrior”)

In September 2016, the Government of India closed some divisions of HMT: HMT Watches Ltd, HMT Bearings, HMT Tractors, and HMT Chinar Watches Ltd.

HMT Kohinoor

HMT - Pilot

Youtube service.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExVe0BcMzqc

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