Emsworth firm marks 80th anniversary of Battle of Britain with watch recast from Spitfire shot down defending Britain

Zero West, in Emsworth, said it has been blown away by the worldwide demand for its S4-P9427 Pilot Watch.

The £2,500 watch features some of the aluminium engine casing from a Spitfire that was shot down over Poole Harbour defending Britain’s skies on November 28, 1940.

The pilot was Zygmunt Klein – a Pole who fled his country before flying for the RAF.

‘Ziggy’, as he was affectionately known, rose to prominence after shooting down Major Helmut Wick, who was so famed in Germany he met Adolf Hitler.

Wick was so popular that the German government released a book about him mourning his death.

Zero West, owned by Graham Collins and Andrew Brabyn, crafted the classic watch at the Emsworth Boathouse - appropriately enough, a place where its former owner George Gray won a contract to build Spitfires during the war.

Zero West spokesman Tom Jenkinson said: ‘In the 1980s a fisherman picked up a bit of the Spitfire’s engine casing and propeller blade on his line in Poole Harbour.

‘After research was carried out it transpired this was from a S4-P9427 Spitfire. The watch has, therefore, been named after the plane.

‘The story of Ziggy had been forgotten until the discovery in the 1980s and the watch will serve as a permanent reminder of his efforts.’

The Battle of Britain took place between July and October in 1940 but September 15 became officially known as Battle of Britain Day as it was the day when RAF Fighter Command claimed what proved to be a decisive victory over the German Luftwaffe.

Marking the special anniversary, Zero West decided to make 80 watches - one for every year since the battle.

And with half sold already - with buyers from across the globe - the remainder are expected to sell out before the end of the year.

‘It has been incredible how popular the watches have been,’ Tom said. ‘We had no real expectations but with half sold already we would now expect to sell them all by Christmas.

‘We’ve had buyers from all over the world from Australia to America where we’ve sold a lot. It’s been a crazy last few weeks.

‘As we’re an online business we haven’t been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Our sales have probably gone up because more people have been at home online.’

The watch features a number of elements to showcase its history, pay tribute to Ziggy and mark the Battle of Britain.

The dial references the date of Ziggy’s dogfight in Poole Harbour and the longitude-latitude coordinates of the bay where Spitfire P9427 was discovered.

The rear of the watch showcases a disc of the original metal that was recast and machined from the original Rolls-Royce Merlin engine of the plane.

The precious Merlin disc is protected by a sapphire crystal window and is laser engraved with a detail of the plane and map of Poole Bay, where it last saw enemy combat in 1940.

To find out more go to: zerowest.watch

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