***NOW SOLD***

A Rare and Sought After Cyma "Dirty Dozen" Military Issued Watch in Superb Original Condition with Radium Dial and Attractive Lume. A Real Original Collectors WWW Watch. 

In the closing years of World War II, a basic but carefully specified model wristwatch was commissioned for 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.

Each watch was commissioned and manufactured with similar specifications and, as military issues, were 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 

A fantastic and original example of the much sought-after Cyma 'Dirty Dozen' watch in super condition and beautifully preserved. The Cyma is the largest of the DD watches and as such wears very well on the wrist, this example is in great shape considering its age, with sharp Arabic numerals, the synonymous recessed subdial, lume-filled pencil hands and the arrow which denotes it as military property. The lume on both the hands and hour plots has aged to a really nice oyster colour which is fairly even across the dial. The outer minute track is also very sharp. The case looks well and is engraved on the back with the military arrow once more, and WWW P19965 24965. There are some small signs of wear however this is only to be expected with a watch of this age and one which may well have been in the trenches. A wonderfully preserved piece of British military history that would make a valuable addition to any collection. 

Additional Information

Case: Stainless steel

Case back: Screw-on

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

Warranty

12 months by VWS

Dimensions

Width: 38mm

Lug width: 18mm

Lug height (lug to lug): 45mm

Wrist size: Adjustable