There are numerous anecdotes related to military timepieces that today we consider “historical”. Among these, we at IWS have chosen one to tell you about. We will deal with a collection of watches, whose history has made them particularly sought after and desired today: we are talking about the Dirty Dozen Watches.
If you are interested in other military watchmaking stories I recommend these article:
Rolex Milsub: The Most famous military submariner ever.
The military environment has always had a great influence on the world of watches: some of the most important innovations in the field of watchmaking have been developed precisely to make common timepieces suitable for use on the battlefield.
An example is the flyback function, which allowed aviators to reduce course errors due to the time it took to stop, reset and restart the chronograph.
A reliable, resistant and legible timepiece was necessary during military operations: in this regard, the best manufacturers were required to produce watches worthy of serving and being lived in the most difficult conditions, which only battles and wars they know how to carry.
The birth of Dirty Dozen Watches
We are in the middle of the Second World War: in those years, wristwatches were extremely popular accessories, much more than in the previous world war.
Watchmaking has undergone an important evolution, both in technology and aesthetics, leading to shapes and characteristics that are more familiar to us thanks to the birth of numerous watchmaking houses, each with its own quality standards and aesthetics.
The military world, however, needed numerous watches characterized by criteria common to all, in order to be able to supply quality timepieces, standardized according to precise specifications, and therefore easily replaceable and replaceable by others, in case they break.
The British Ministry of Defense declared the “civilian” clocks of the time unsuitable for use in battle. In this regard, a list of characteristics was drawn up by the same MoD (Ministry of Defense), the real “canons” that the watches of the English army had to respect in order to be considered suitable.
British military watches had to have:
- A black dial, with luminescent indexes with railway-style Arabic numerals, with seconds at 6 o’clock;
- Luminescent hour and minute hands;
- A movement of 15 rubies, with a diameter between 11.75 and 13 lines (from 26.5 to 29.33 millimeters);
- The movements had to be adjusted to the degree of chronometer in different conditions and positions;
- A steel case, shock-resistant, non-polished, water-resistant thanks to a good-sized, reliable and easily operated crown;
- An unbreakable and shockproof Perspex glass;
The UK sent official examiners to Switzerland in order to identify manufacturers that could meet the required quality standards.
Twelve maison were chosen as qualified to produce the military watches of the British army: Buren , Cyma , Eterna , Grain , Jaeger – LeCoultre , Lemania , Longines , IWC , Omega , Record , Timor and Vertex ; hence the name “ Dirty Dozen Watches ”.
In addition to the features mentioned above, Dirty Dozen Watches are also recognizable thanks to a series of engravings and symbols: one of these is the British Broad Arrow (recently seen on the Omega Seamaster 300m James Bond), a symbol in use for more than four hundred years, applied on any weapon, accessory or equipment of the English army, assigning the property to the United Kingdom. This symbol is placed on the dial, on the caseback and inside the case.
In addition, both the acronym W.W.W. (no, not World Wide Web but Watch Wristlet Waterproof), that the two serial codes of the watch: the military one is preceded by a capital letter, while the civil one is placed below the previous one or inside the caseback.
Each of the twelve factories supplied the British army with different quantities of watches, based on their production power: it is estimated that around 150,000 watches were delivered to the United Kingdom.
Maisons like Cyma, Omega and Record managed to produce between 20,000 and 25,000 units each; Buren, Lemania, Timor and Vertex produced a quantity of watches ranging between 10,000 and 15,000 pieces.
Eterna, JLC, Longines and IWC only managed to satisfy a production of around 5,000-8,000 watches. These production differences between the various houses now define the “rarity”, as well as desirability, of individual watches. In fact, the most difficult of all to find is Grana, with a production of only a few thousand units (<5,000).
Collecting the Dirty Dozen Watches
Dirty Dozen Watches are in effect a collection of considerable importance, very difficult to complete. In addition to the intrinsic historical value of these watches, it is necessary to take into account the originality of the timepieces in every part.
In fact, it is not difficult to find in these watches replaced and inauthentic parts, even inside the movement: in case of need, at the time everything that was available was used to put the watch back in order, including the use of components. and compatible but not original gears.
Finding all twelve watches, in excellent condition, completely original is therefore a difficult task: it is estimated that about twenty collectors in the world have managed to complete the series.
In conclusion
Dirty Dozen Watches are an important milestone in the history of watchmaking, a series of great historical value, which deserves to be researched and handed down. Each of the watches has its own personality and character, despite being dictated by canons common to all twelve timepieces.
It is interesting how each maison has tried to personalize their watch in a unique way: from the design of the case, to the shape of the hands, each Dirty Dozen Watch is inimitable, therefore deserving to be part of of the history of watchmaking.
To understand how and in what way the hands and the case can vary:
The importance of the case a watch: from Borgel to Hagermann and Vichet
The Most Important Types Of Hands: The Complete Guide
We at IWS can only be pleased to have told you the story of this important family of watches, an authentic demonstration – like many others – of how watchmaking has successfully served and supported man even in the most difficult conditions.
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