British military watches in World War II: Omega, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC, Cyma, Buren, Longines, Eterna, Vertex, Record, Timor and Grana

British military watches in World War II

During World War II, a large number of wristwatches were commissioned, particularly by Great Britain. Perhaps one of the most ubiquitous was the so-called ATP (Army Trade Pattern) watch, which was manufactured by numerous Swiss companies. The exact number of manufacturers is difficult to determine, but is likely between 17 and 22.

In 1940, Rotary was appointed the official watch supplier to the British Army. The mass distribution of Rotary watches to soldiers meant that after the war, at least one model could be found in almost every household. While the Swiss watch brand's business subsequently declined in its country of origin, its high reputation in Great Britain led to Rotary eventually closing its doors in Switzerland, and today it is a British watch brand.

British WWW watches and the “Dirty Dozen”

Perhaps the most famous British wristwatches of the Second World War, however, were the WWW (Wrist Watch Waterproof) watches, commonly known as the "Dirty Dozen" after the famous 1960s war film. "Dirty Dozen" refers to the fact that a total of 12 Swiss watch manufacturers produced WWW watches on behalf of the MOD. However, all of these watches had to share some common features so that soldiers could wear them as uniformly as possible. This included a simple design with white numerals on a black dial and an off-center second hand. This made the time even more accurate.

Producers of these Swiss military watches for the British armed forces included Omega, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC, Lemania, Cyma, Buren, Longines, Eterna, Vertex, Record, Timor, and Grana. Although the watches were intended for "general service," in practice they were issued more to radio operators and artillery officers than to the typical infantryman.

For many watch collectors, owning all 12 pieces is a particularly desirable goal. Historical military watches from the Second World War are generally highly sought-after collectibles today. These watches are also attractive to investors, as they are expected to steadily increase in value.

Source: uhrenratgeber.com