The present watch is one of the most intriguing and historically important timepieces to grace a salesroom. Known in the collecting community as a “Prisoner of War” (POW), the present chronograph was one among a number of Rolex models famously sold to allied prisoners in German camps (with payment delayed until the buyer returned home), and the accuracy of these models was instrumental to the famous escape of 76 prisoners from the Stalag Luft III camp in 1944 (which of course inspired the movie “The Great Escape”). The present was is consigned by the son of the original owner Wing Commander Douglas Stewart Dickins, a Royal Air Force pilot. D.S. Dickins was commissioned and qualified as a pilot in 1938 but was shot down over St Quentin-en-Tourment, Somme on 25th May 1940, where he was taken as a POW. In the following 5 years, he moved though camps Stalag 12A/B, Oflag IIA, the infamous Stalag Luft III & Baleria before liberation. An official notice in The London Gazette newspaper of 1st August 1947 notes that Squadron Leader D.S. Dickins was Mentioned in Despatches in recognition of services rendered whilst a prisoner of war. His official Career Brief of 1968 (included with sale) describes his RAF responsibilities as a POW thusly; “Duties included liason with underground resistance, intelligence and security, escape committee, camp entertainment. Flight Lieutenant.”

Given the approximate production date of this watch, and the fact that Dickins’ 3525 (186’124) along with other known, notable POW watches of Williams (186’045) and Imeson (186’052) all fall within a tigserial range, we can surmise this watch was most likely delivered to the Flight Lieutenant Dickins whilst at Stalag Luft III, and almost certainly used in the planning of what we now know as The Great Escape of 1944. It is accompanied by a plethora of military accessories, including Squadron Leader Dickins’ “Top Secret clearance card”, typed & signed CV, a 1950s headphone-equipped leather helmet, two military caps, his dress medals and insignia and, most notably, three pilot’s logbooks. In superb condition and retaining its original luminous material, the present piece is further distinguished by the unusual ageing of the ‘straight signature’ dial.