Original Military Issued Record Dirty Dozen Watch c.1945 with Caseback Engravings W.W.W. L34360 552207

The "Dirty Dozen" refers to twelve military watches produced during World War II for the British Army. These watches were commissioned by the British Ministry of Defence and were meant to meet specific criteria for durability, accuracy, and reliability in the field. The watches were issued to various branches of the British Armed Forces.

Twelve Swiss companies manufactured the Dirty Dozen watches, and each model had similar specifications, including a black dial with white Arabic numerals, luminous hands and indices, a stainless steel case, and a mechanical hand-wound movement. The watches were designed to withstand the harsh conditions of military service.

What’s on Offer

Here is a Historic Record Dirty Dozen issued around 1945 by the Ministry of Defence to the British Military. This watch has seen some wear over the years as shown in the pictures but is still a great example.

The nickel-plated brass case has mostly worn off revealing the colour underneath but there are still remnants of the factory plating. The watch also still has its fixed lug bars from when made to ensure durability in the field. 

The dial is fully original and in very good condition considering the other aspects of this piece all numerals are in good shape and weathered to a lovely cream colour over time. Unfortunately, the radium lume plots have decayed this is only normal with long periods.

The caseback is manufactured from stainless steel and is also in good condition with only light scratches and blemishes showing. Caseback engravings read W.W.W. L34360 552207 with the military arrow also showing. Unfortunately, this watch doesn't have matching lug and case numbers.

The watch is currently running but not keeping time very well so, is offered for sale as seen, as we are selling it on behalf of a watch collector's family who has asked us to help sell an entire collection - this is reflected in the price. It is still a reasonably nice watch with great historical significance. The watch however can be serviced by our watchmaker, once you have made the purchase please add a note when placing it in your basket and we will contact you to discuss this. Once serviced the watch will be given a 12-month warranty.