During the Second World War, the British War Office required a timepiece that could meet the extreme demands of the modern combat they faced.

Perhaps in a bid to increase production, rather than showing allegiance to one particular brand, they invited any Swiss manufacturer who could build a watch to their specific requirements, to tender. In the end, there were 12 manufacturers that produced the W.W.W. (Wrist, Watch, Waterproof) watches for the British Army. The manufacturers were Record, Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Lemania, Grana, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Longines, IWC, Omega, Vertex, and Timor. Over the ensuing decades, the 12 watches became collectively known as the ‘Dirty Dozen' earning this nickname from the 1964 war film.

A lot of these watches were destroyed in the 1970s due to the presence of radioactive Radium-226, in the luminescent material, hence the number of surviving watches dwindled. This teamed with the obvious historical significance of the watches, has made them increasingly more collectable.

What's on Offer

This is a great example from the Dirty Dozen family of military watches. The black dial is in great condition with sharp Arabic numerals and Radium lumed hour plots which have aged to a green pastel colour. The Arabic numerals are still sharp as is the minute rail track and Timor signature along with the Pheon which of course, denotes the watch as property of the MoD. The case and lugs are in superb condition and the ergonomic proportions of these military watches make them really comfortable on the wrist as well as being really quite stylish with their stark black dials.

A collector's item indeed and becoming rarer by the year as numbers dwindle, this is an incredibly well-preserved piece of horological and British military history, a joy to any vintage or military enthusiast.