Sopwith Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Baltic Winter GMT (41mm)

Germany’s ill-fated decision to invade Russia in 1941 was based on a three-pronged attack plan code named “Operation Barbarossa.” The Wehrmacht’s upper invasion force – known as Army Group North – would march along the Baltic coastlines of Latvia and Estonia and then into Russian territory.

It was here, on the scenic coastal corridor south of Leningrad, that the German advance ground to a halt in August 1941. When the first Focke-Wulf Fw 190’s appeared late the following year, they were already fighting a losing battle in sub-freezing conditions against a numerically superior foe. The case of the Sopwith Aero Marquis Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Baltic Winter Limited Edition was crafted from the cockpit armor of an original Fw 190 Luftwaffe fighter that was processed, melted and poured at Sopwith‘s foundry in Houston. The steel used for this watch case was rescued from the unsalvageable seat armor plate that protected the pilot’s head from a rear attack.

The Baltic Winter Limited Edition of the Sopwith Aero Marquis recaptures the coastal palette of cool, icy landscape tones so familiar to the Luftwaffe pilots of long ago. The dial and bezel colors meticulously recreate the hue of the deep blue ice of the Baltic Sea and the charcoal rocks that line its coast.

The hour and minute hands, bleached in snow white, are modeled after the indicator needles on the cockpit instrumentation of an original Fw 190. The lumed twin dots unique to Sopwith timepieces are visible at 12 o’clock.

The numerals on the bronze 24 hour chapter ring resemble the font used on the Focke-Wulf’s original altimeter and speed indicator. The German colors on the tri-bar at six o’clock pay homage to the Teutonic origins of the Focke-Wulf design.