When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
★ Genuine WWI U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Prismatic Marching Compass — Cruchon &
Emons, BERNE — Verner\'s Pattern Style — LOW Serial No. 716 — Dated 1918 — Working ★
This is the real thing: a First World War U.S. Army Corps of Engineers marching
compass, carried by the men who went out ahead of the infantry to bridge the rivers,
cut the roads, and lay the field works. More than a century on, it still does its
job — the dial swings free and settles to a true bearing. It comes complete with its
original leather belt pouch.
A LOW, EARLY SERIAL NUMBER
This compass is stamped No. 716 — a notably LOW three-digit serial. Surviving C&E
Engineer Corps examples typically carry serials in the tens of thousands, so a number
this low points to a small, early production batch. Low and early serials are prized
by serious collectors — a genuine differentiator you won\'t find on most examples.
A PIECE OF HISTORY YOU CAN HOLD
When America entered the Great War in 1917, the U.S. Army turned to Europe\'s finest
instrument houses to supply field compasses by the thousand. This one was built by
CRUCHON & EMONS of BERNE, Switzerland — a name carrying the weight of Swiss precision
instrument-making — and issued to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It\'s the prismatic
Verner\'s-pattern style, with a hinged glazed lid, a floating degree card read through
the glass, and a rotating bezel carrying the engraved compass-point bearing scale.
THE MARKINGS (all genuine)
- Marked: U.S. ARMY / CORPS OF ENGINEERS
- Maker: CRUCHON & EMONS, BERNE
- Serial No. 716 (low / early)
- Dated 1918
IT STILL WORKS
- Tested: the dial swings freely and settles to a true bearing
- Momentary bearing-lock and transit-lock buttons both present and functioning
- Hinged glazed lid, rotating bearing bezel, and suspension ring all intact
- A genuine working instrument — not just a shelf piece
HONEST CONDITION
I describe everything as I see it — offer with confidence:
- Solid construction with honest aged patina and brass tone, exactly as a 100+ year
old field-carried compass should look
- Dial face legible with the orange direction arrow intact
- Glass crystal present with light age spotting (see photos). The orange index mark
on the glass has faded with age — its outline/residue is still visible.
- Edge bearing scale and degree card clear and readable
- Original leather pouch: strong, honest wear — scuffing, darkening and age throughout;
stamped \"MODÈLE DÉPOSÉ\"; closes and fastens
- Completely original and un-restored — shows its life, not abuse
DETAILS
- Solid brass body, period blackened finish
- Comes with original leather belt pouch
- Items may have been exposed to smoke
- Ships promptly, carefully packed and well protected for safe transit
A working, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-marked, Cruchon & Emons prismatic compass with
a low early serial and its original pouch is a genuine and uncommon piece of American
military history. Study every photo (they\'re part of the description) and message me
with any questions. Buy with total confidence.
