
The Dirty Dozen Military Watches
May 31st 2022
There’s always so much to talk about in the news with regards to the antique world from high selling lots to the current ongoing ivory ban but I came across a sale in North Lincolnshire with a watch that was found in a drawer selling for £12’000. On further investigation, I read that it was from the Dirty Dozen collection. While yes, the price dictates a lot in an item, but I thought it was more fitting to talk about the history of the Dirty Dozen, what they are and where they got their name. It’s perhaps not what you would expect. I imagine you have all guessed the easy part, which involves 12. 12 refers to 12 individual brands, and 12 field wristwatches were designed specifically for the military during World War II. Often, when people think of military memorabilia, they probably don’t first think of watches, yet watches were just as important as other pieces of a soldier’s uniform.
During WWII, the British Ministry of Defence commissioned a new type of wristwatch to aid soldiers in their missions. They needed to be reliable, accurate, waterproof, shockproof, and a huge step up from trench watches, which were their predecessor. The Ministry consulted 12 Swiss watch brands in the hope they could succeed. These were Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lemania, Longines, Omega, Record, Timor and Vertex. During the commission, the Ministry specified exactly what they required for the watches as the correct or non-correct function could literally be a matter of life and death. They specified the watches had to have a black dial with Arabic numerals, Luminous hands and hour markers, a railroad minute track, shatterproof crystal, and a stainless-steel case.
Each manufacturer delivered as many watches as their production lines would allow, ending in a mixed release of each watch with an estimated total of 150’000 in circulation originally. Larger manufacturers could deliver up to 25’000 watches while smaller manufacturers only managed to deliver 1000-2000. The watches were classified for “general service” but issued to special units such as radio operators and artillery staff. Across the years of the war and the many years since, many of these watches have been lost, leaving a very scarce amount, especially those that were produced in such low numbers initially. This has created a huge demand for such important pieces of history and is the reason some manufacturers can demand a massive price in the auction with the right provenance. With collectors all over the world, there are only a handful of complete sets known due to the scarcity of certain manufacturers. Interestingly, many of the brands mentioned above are still around today and have reproduced multiple versions of their original watches, which are available at a fraction of the cost of the originals, leaving behind a legacy of the Dirty Dozen. For more information, please contact us at Jacksons Antique.
Cover photo credit – Watches of Knightsbridge London.
Article photo credit – Production numbers based on estimates published by Konrad Knirim’s in his book entitled “British Military Timepieces”

Owner at Jacksons Antique
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Purveyor of beautiful objects to the luxury market through my bespoke internet platform and business Jacksons Antique with a focus on Japanese and European Antiques. I am a new generation of online antique dealer with 10+ years experience within the industry working exclusively online and through select exhibitions. The core of the business consists of trust with all clients giving you the upmost confidence in every piece you purchase. I am extremely lucky to be able to handle some of the most beautiful objects ever made and offer them to a worldwide audience whilst bringing down the average dealer age considerably!