Smiths - W10/6645-99-961-4045 - British Army Issued Wristwatch - Issued 1968

A Rare and Collectable Smiths W10 Army Issued Watch - Ref. W10-6645, c.1968 in Superb Condition with Beautifully Aged Lume. 

Perfectly proportioned and ideal for daily wear, at 35mm, this Smiths W10 wristwatch was manufactured for the British army and issued in 1968.

A fine example of British watchmaking, the piece was well suited for military action; in fact, rigorous testing was carried out on the model at laboratories of the Chronometer branch of the Hydrographer of the Navy at Herstmonceux, East Sussex, along with extensive field tests in both the Tropics and the Arctic! The watch has a robust stainless steel case and powerful, shockproof calibre 60466E manual movement with 17 jewels and hacking seconds, operated via the crown. 

The matte black dial is designed for easy reading, featuring elegant white Arabic numerals, a white outer minutes//seconds track, with luminous rectangles about the quarter markers and luminous tritium dots above the intervening hours, luminescent hands, also in tritium, white centre sweep seconds and the military broad arrow or ‘Pheon’ denoted above 6 o’clock.

The screw-down case back is crisply marked with the military number W10/6645-99-961-4045 alongside a repeat of the ‘Pheon’ symbol and the production number of the piece, 1202/68. 

Military watches are some of the most practical timepieces in existence, built to be robust, functional, and immediately legible, even in some of the world’s harshest conditions, however, they are also undeniably stylish and offer a charm only a watch with this type of historical pedigree can offer. 

The Smiths W10 wristwatch is a classic example of both British military history and watchmaking, as such the manual wind movement is signed 'Made in England' as is the dial!

What’s On Offer 

Being legible in the field is of course crucial and the Smiths W10 doesn’t disappoint. Built to specs given to them by the MoD, the dial is a stark black affair with Arabic indices and a broad arrow above 6 o’clock, which, as with any other military watch, denotes it as the property of the crown.  Beating inside the 'English Made' watch is the in-house 60466E 17-jewel movement. 

This example has survived particularly well with an incredibly well-preserved case back and case edges. It is in beautiful condition, with lume intact on the hour plots that have aged to a nice buttery colour and is set off perfectly by the rich black dial. The Arabic numerals, Smiths' signature with Tritium marking and synonymous arrow dial details, have been preserved wonderfully and complete a fantastic watch. 

The caseback bears the expected military markings that read: W10/6645-99-961-40-45.

A really enjoyable piece on the wrist with great proportions, a must-have piece for any military enthusiast or vintage collector. 

Additional Information

Made from

Case: Stainless steel

Dial: Black

Crystal: Plexiglass

Bracelet: NATO military-style strap

Technical Specifications

Winding: Manual 

Movement Type: Mechanical 

Calibre: 60466E

Jewels: 17j

Waterproof: n/a

Purchase Details

Condition: Superb

Model Reference Number: W10/6645-99-961-4045

Date of issue: 1968

Warranty: 12 Months by VWS

Dimensions

Width: 35mm

Lug width: 17mm

Lug height (lug to lug): 47mm

Wrist size: Adjustable