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Timor W.W.W. - A Dirty Dozen Military Watch - Caseback Markings WWW K10335 40235 - c.1945***NOW SOLD***

This item has now sold
£0.00GBP
vws2220

***NOW SOLD***

A Superb and Very Collectable, Military Issued, Timor WWW Dirty Dozen,  c.1945. With Original, Dial, and Hand Set all in Beautiful Condition with Lovely Patina.

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 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.

Timor and Omega it would seem, from our research, were among the first of the ‘Dozen’ manufacturers to make their watches available to the MoD c.1944, followed by the other brands, and this is believed to have continued well into the 1950s. Timor is known to have only produced 13,000 pieces for the British War Dept!

What’s On Offer 

A superb Timor from the Dirty Dozen (DD) family is offered for sale here. It has been well preserved and is in fantastic shape with all the hallmarks one would expect from a Dirty Dozen watches, from the stark black dial to the crisp Arabic numerals, outer minute track and recessed small seconds dial at 6 o'clock. The lume has survived really well and has aged to beautiful dark caramel colour across both the hands and hour plots. Of course, the dial also boasts the Timor signature and military arrow. The case is in fine fettle with only minor signs of wear - amazing given its age - and the caseback is engraved with its original military markings: W.W.W. K 10335 40235, along with the military pheon. 

Running well and keeping good time, we have inspected the watch since its last fairly recent service by our master military watchmaker, the revered John Senior, it is sold with confidence and our own 12-month warranty. 

 

Additional information

Made from

Case: Stainless Steel

Dial: Black

Crystal: Plexiglas

Bracelet: NATO style adjustable

Technical specifications

Winding: Manual 

Movement Type: Mechanical

Calibre: 6060

Jewels: 15j

Waterproof: When New

Power reserve: 42hrs

Purchase details

Condition: Excellent

Model Reference: WWW

Date of issue: c.1945

Guarantee: 12 Months by VWS

Dimensions

Width (without crown):  36.5mm

Lug width: 18mm

Lug height: (lug to lug) 45mm

Wrist size:  Adjustable