Milus embarks on historical mission

In the watch industry, brands constantly are on a quest to connect with their history and tradition, leading to the introduction of countless timepieces that “reach back into the archives” to pay homage to a milestone anniversary of one particular model or another.

Recently, Milus, a 93-year-old Swiss watchmaker, became aware of the important role it played in the lives of U.S. Navy pilots flying over the Pacific during World War II, a piece of the brand's history that had slipped into obscurity over the years.

During the war, pilots assigned to this theater were supplied with “life barter kits” (below), wax-sealed packs carried in their backpacks that contained 24-karat gold pieces and a Milus watch. The purpose of the kits, which date back to 1942, was to provide the aviators with bargaining materials should they crash-land in unfriendly territory.

Doron Basha, president and CEO of Milus, said while it is unknown exactly why the Navy chose the Milus “Snow Star Instant Date” for the kits, they probably were looking for a Swiss watch that worked well (more on just how true this proved later) and entered into secret negotiations with a U.S. retailer of Milus to supply the kit timepieces.

In the 1980s, the government made the life barter kits available for sale to the general public, but it wasn’t until last year that the current brand’s owners became aware of the role that Milus watches played in this global conflict, which raged from 1939 to 1945.

Now, the brand is on a mission.

Basha said they have recovered three kits so far, with the watch in each of them still working some 70 years--and one very big war--later, taking the old Timex mantra of “takes a licking and keeps on ticking” to an entirely new level.

The brand would like to collect as many kits as possible and to connect with the pilots who flew with them, or their family members.

In the meantime, Milus has created a limited-edition heritage version of the Snow Star sold with a pair of cufflinks and commemorative dog tags. The 40 mm watch has an original-yet-overhauled mechanical movement from the 1940s, with a sweep second hand and “instant” date that appears in a window with a magnifying lens.

Milus will make 99 of the watch in red gold (above) and 1,940 in steel.