***SOLD***Omega Military Wristwatch - A Dirty Dozen WWW - World War II - Soldiers Issued Watch - circa.1940s

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A Vintage, Military Omega, WWW Also Called a "Dirty Dozen" World War II Issued Soldier’s Wrist Watch c.1940s with Original Dial and Sword Hands, Recently Serviced by John Senior the renowned military watchmaker!

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 made 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 higher 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 to several different positions and temperatures. Each piece also had a large black dial with white Arabic characters, luminous hands, and indices, and a ‘railroad’ minute track with sub-seconds at 6 o’clock.  

What’s on offer

This piece is yet another wonderful find, in simply remarkable condition with a beautifully crisp case with sharp edges, and a handsome, original, rich black radium dial. The original spec sword hands are also in fine fettle with lume still intact and boast a light caramel hue, along with the lume on the hour markers. The original dished sub-dial, synonymous arrowhead, and Omega signature are sharp as are the Arabic numerals and minute markers. This is a fantastic-looking watch from an illustrious brand, steeped in history and in great overall condition. There are minimal signs of wear, though these are arguably much much less significant than would be expected for a watch so old and one that no doubt has seen some action over the years! This is a superb example of the Omega model from the 'Dirty Dozen' family, and is sure to make any military enthusiast's heart sing!

Side Note: The movement is wonderfully clean and has been fully serviced by expert military watchmaker John Senior (a name you may recognise from military watch circles).

Additional Information

Made From

Case: Stainless steel

Case Back: Screw-on

Dial: Original black 

Crystal: Shatter-proof plexiglass

Bracelet: NATO Style

Technical Specifications

Winding: Manually wound

Movement Type: Mechanical

Caliber: Omega 30T2

Jewels: 15j

Waterproof: When new!

Purchase Details

Condition: Excellent 

Model Reference Number: WWW (Dirty Dozen)

Date of issue: c.1945. 

Warranty:  12 months by VWS 

Dimensions

Width: 35mm

Lug width: 18mm

Lug height (lug to lug): 45mm