- By Isabella Proia
No doubt many GMTs have explored all corners of the globe, but few are likely to have travelled quite as far as this one. Fresh-to-the-market, this reference 6542 was previously owned by Dr, David L. Pratt, an engineer for the Trans-Antarctic Expedition, which lasted from 1955 to 1958.
After his service in WWII and finishing his engineering degree at Trinity College, Dr. Pratt accepted the role of Transport and Engineering Officer. He was given a sole dictum: “WE DON’T WANT TO WALK”. With only a few months to prepare, he rapidly consulted the few experts in the area of transportation under such conditions. One source was the Pentagon, and also Sir Donald Bailey, whose “Bailey bridges” had been used on the European fronts of WWII to move tanks across battlefields.
He arrived in Antarctica as part of the team of Sir Vivian Fuchs, on January 12th, 1957 as part of the main party, to prepare for the summer’s expedition to reach the South Pole by land. It was noted to be quite cold, the lowest temperature that year being -57.3 Celsius (-71.14 degrees Fahrenheit). It was the first vehicle journey ever across the continent from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea, totaling 99 days. As the expeditions transport & engineering officer, Pratt’s task was to choose, maintain, and track the progress of the vehicles they were to use during the overland route – in this case, the Tucker Sno-Cat. Most notably, he was responsible for making sure the vehicles were able to cross crevasses and other rough terrain safely. For his efforts, he was awarded the Polar Medal and a mountain in the Shackleton Range was named for him: Pratt’s Peak. The leader of the expedition, Sir Vivian, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1958, and the next overland crossing of the Antartic was not accomplished until 1981.
Dr. David Pratt CBE was not only a member of this highly successful and historic expedition, he was also a World War II veteran, posted to the 26th Assault Squadron, Royal Engineers and one of the first men ashore on D-Day, landing at Juno Beach on June 6th, 1944. He was an avid pilot, noted to have continued flying into his eighties, and actually met his wife while she was working in the Trans-Antarctic Expedition office.
This watch, lot 123 of our Racing Pulse auction, is accompanied by a letter from the grandson of Dr. Pratt, noting his many achievements in the service of his country, both during the war and then during the Trans-Antarctic Expedition. He spent three decades as the head of the engineering department of the Commonwealth Development Corporation, overseeing commercial projects across the world. Noted in the letter from his grandson, Simon, is Dr. Pratt’s close friendship with Sir Edmund Hillary.