Omega Dirty Dozen - WWW - World War II Military Soldiers Wrist Watch - circa.1940s

Vintage Omega WWW ‘Dirty Dozen’ World War II Issued Military Soldier’s Wrist Watch c. 1940s. 

At the end of the Second World War, many members of the British armed forces were issued with a basic but carefully specified watch, commissioned from 12 Swiss manufacturers by the British Ministry of Defence. These were ultimately to replace the issued "ATP" watches from earlier in the war, but have gone on to become far more collectible and sought after due to their high-quality form and function.

During 1944 and 1945, twelve watchmakers (Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, JLC, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor, and Vertex) produced a total of approximately 150,000 of these almost identical timepieces. As these watches became highly sought after by collectors over the ensuing decades, they became known as ‘The Dirty Dozen’ - earning this nickname from the 1964 war film of the same moniker. Members of this exclusive club are now in constant demand as few remain in good and original condition, and as production volumes differed widely across the 12 wartime manufacturers. Apparently, only around 30 complete sets were known to exist, worldwide.

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. Watches were, as standard, capable of chronometer accuracy and their movements precision-adjusted. Each piece also had a large black dial with white Arabic characters, luminous hands, indices, and a ‘railroad’ minute track with sub-seconds at 6 o’clock. 

What’s on offer:

This super original piece is in excellent condition with crisp edges and a stunning radium lumed dial and handset. The Arabic numerals are in good condition as are the hands and stepped subdial. The lume has discoloured somewhat over time however, it is in keeping with the hour plots on the dial and makes for a handsome aesthetic. The case and lugs are in nice condition and the substantial crown adds to the proportions giving this watch a nice size for comfortable everyday wearing with the added bonus of being a historical military piece from an illustrious brand with a long bloodline. There are some signs of wear, though these are arguably less significant than would be expected for a watch so old and having likely seen active military service.

Additional information

Made from

Case: Stainless steel

Case back: Screw-on

Dial: Original black 

Crystal: Shatter-proof plexiglass

Bracelet: Black leather pin buckle

Technical specifications

Winding: Manual

Movement Type: Mechanical

Caliber: Omega 30T2

Jewels: 15

Waterproof: When new

Purchase details

Condition: Excellent condition 

Model Reference Number: WWW (Dirty Dozen)

Date of issue: 1944/45

Guarantee

Supplied with a 12-month Vintage Watch Specialist guarantee. 

Dimensions

Width: 35mm

Lug width: 18mm

Lug height (lug to lug): 45mm