The Smiths W10 occupies a particularly interesting place in British military and watchmaking history. Produced for the British Armed Forces for a relatively short period from the late 1960s, it was manufactured in England at a time when the country's once-significant mechanical watch industry was approaching its final years.

The W10 was primarily supplied to the British Army as a General Service wristwatch, with its design dictated almost entirely by function. A matt black dial, contrasting Arabic numerals, luminous hands and markers and a clearly defined minute track made it exceptionally easy to read, while fixed strap bars provided additional security during active use.

At its heart is the manually wound Smiths Calibre 60466E, a 17-jewel movement made in England. Importantly for a military watch, it incorporates a hacking seconds mechanism. Pulling the crown into the setting position stops the seconds hand, allowing watches to be accurately synchronised – an invaluable feature in military service.

Its relatively brief production period, genuine military purpose and distinctly British manufacture have helped turn the W10 into one of the most recognisable British military watches of the post-war era.

What’s on Offer

Here we have a particularly attractive Smiths W10 British Army military-issued wristwatch from 1968, powered by the correct 17-jewel Smiths Calibre 60466E.

The matt black dial is wonderfully purposeful and remains highly legible, with crisp white Arabic numerals surrounded by the distinctive segmented minute track. Tritium luminous plots mark the hours, complemented by luminous-filled hour and minute hands and a contrasting white centre seconds hand.

Beneath the Smiths signature is the circled T, denoting the use of tritium luminous material. The lume has developed a lovely aged tone over the intervening decades, particularly across the hands and hour markers. Prominently displayed above 6 o'clock is the Broad Arrow, identifying the watch as British government property, while MADE IN ENGLAND curves around the bottom of the dial.

The stainless-steel case features the fixed strap bars characteristic of a military watch intended to be worn on a one-piece strap. The case shows sympathetic marks of wear consistent with its age and original purpose, while the Plexiglass presents very well with only light age-related signs of use.

Its caseback provides the provenance that makes these watches so appealing. It is engraved W10/6645-99-961-4045, together with the Broad Arrow and 1258/68. The W10 designation identifies its British Army issue, while the final /68 records its year of issue as 1968.

Inside is the manually wound Calibre 60466E, with 17 jewels and the military-specification hacking facility. Pulling the crown stops the centre seconds hand, allowing the watch to be set precisely against another time source.

The watch is fitted to a black and grey NATO-style strap, which works particularly well with the monochrome military dial and can easily be adjusted to suit the wearer.

A wonderfully honest example of an increasingly collectable British military watch, with the added appeal of being genuinely Made in England.