In 1927, Charles Lindbergh became the first person to fly non-stop between New York and Paris. A skilled aviator, Lindbergh was not proficient in navigation by the sun and stars, and made his historic voyage using dead reckoning, the process of calculating the current position of a moving object using a previously fixed position and incorporating speed, heading, and elapsed time. As the aeronautics field grew so too did the demand for accurate methods of navigation and naval Captain Philip van Horne Weems was instrumental in early 20th century celestial navigation. His Weems Second Setting watch with a rotating center dial allows the seconds hand to be synchronized with a reference clock to enable navigators to determine longitude.

The present example was retailed on March 28, 1941 to Longines-Wittnauer, the Longines USA agent at the time, in accordance with the ‘LXW’ import code found on the movement. The 47mm case is in excellent condition, and the white enamel chapter ring is free from any visible defects, as is the rotating center dial. The watch is accompanied by the original numbered hang tag and Longines extract. Early 20th century tool watches are highly collectible both for their mechanical innovations, and for insight into the history of horology. The Weems Second Setting watch is a wonderful reminder of this period