A Fantastic and Original Example of a Timor "Dirty Dozen" Military Issued Watch from c.1945. In Remarkable Condition, This Watch Boasts Beautifully Even Pale Pumpkin Lume. 

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 do so. 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.

 A lot of these watches were destroyed in the 1970s due to the presence of radioactive Radium-226, in the luminescent material, hence the numbers of surviving watches dwindled. This, teamed with the obvious historical significance of the watches, has made them increasingly more collectible.

Timor and Omega it would seem, from our research, were among the first of the ‘Dozen’ manufacturers to make their watches available to the Ministry of Defence c.1944, followed by the other brands, and this is believed to have continued well into the 1950s.

What’s On Offer 

What a beautiful and all-important, original example of the Timor "Dirty Dozen". In such fantastic condition, this is a real gem! The lume is particularly pleasing with its evenly aged pale pumpkin hue on both the hour plots and the pencils hands. The black dial is blemish-free and the outer rail track and sub-seconds dial are both completely intact and sharp. The case and lugs are also in fine fettle with no notable signs of wear. Strap this to your wrist with a stylish NATO strap and you have yourself a cracking everyday wearer with bags of charisma. A joy for any military collector. 

Additional information

Made from

Case: Stainless Steel

Dial: Black

Crystal: Plexiglass

Bracelet: NATO Style Strap

Technical specifications

Winding: Manual

Movement Type: Mechanical

Caliber: 6060

Jewels: 15

Waterproof: When New

Power reserve: 42hrs

Purchase details

Condition: Superb

Model Reference: WWW

Date of issue: c.1945

Guarantee: 12 Months by VWS

Dimensions

Width (without crown): 36.5

Lug width: 18mm

Lug height: (lug to lug) 45mm

Wrist size: Adjustable