A Rare and Sought After Cyma "Dirty Dozen" Military Issued Wrist Watch in Wonderful Condition with Radium Dial and Original Lume.

In the closing years of World War II, a basic but carefully specified model wristwatch was commissioned to members of the British armed forces by the Ministry of Defence - manufactured by one of twelve watchmakers who delivered 20,000 of these Cymas to the MoD in 1944 and 1945. Nobody knows how many survived and are still available to the collectors market and we find it more and more difficult to find GOOD honest examples like the ones we have for sale currently!

Each watch was commissioned and manufactured with similar specifications and, as military issues, they were and still are hard-wearing, highly legible, and water-resistant with stainless steel or nickel-plated cases, shatterproof crystal, and fixed lug bars.

These manufacturers (Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, JLC, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor, and Vertex) later came to be known as ‘The Dirty Dozen’ in the mid-1960s, after the release of the popular war film of the same name. 

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 

The Cyma is the largest of the Dirty Dozen watches and its substantial proportions mean it wears fantastically on the wrist.

This particular example is in nice shape with a stark black dial, Arabic numerals, recessed small seconds dial and lumed hour plots which have aged to a nice creamy colour. The original hands are also in good shape with the original lume still visible, also a creamy colour.

The attractive dial is preserved underneath plexi and encapsulated in a stainless steel case which is also in fine shape, with only very minor signs of wear, nothing of any concern for a watch of this age. The watch is running well and keeping good time after having been serviced by the revered military watchmaker, John Senior. 

This is a really nice and honest example that would be a great addition to any collection and would certainly be a joy for any military collector to wear! 

Additional Information

Case: Stainless steel

Dial: Black 

Crystal: Shatter-proof plexi

Bracelet: NATO-style strap

Technical specifications

Winding: Manual

Movement Type: Mechanical

Calibre:  234

Jewels: 15j

Waterproof: when new!

Purchase details

Condition: Excellent 

Model Reference: WWW

Date of issue: c.1945

Guarantee

12 months by VWS

Dimensions

Width: 38mm

Lug width: 18mm

Lug height (lug to lug): 45mm

Wrist size: Adjustable