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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Buren WWW, Dirty Dozen WW2 Military Soldiers Watch, circa 1945

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Buren (maker)
Date
c. 1945
Country of origin
Unrecorded in source
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 36.5 mm
Stock no.
vws2552
Credit line
Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws2552)
Catalogue title (original)
Buren WWW - Dirty Dozen WW2 Military Soldiers Watch - c.1945 (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number vws2552), this is a wristwatch by Buren, dated c. 1945. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 36.5 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Vintage Watch Specialist

A Well-Preserved WW2 Buren Dirty Dozen Soldiers Watch in Nice Vintage Condition with Original Military Markings In the closing years of World War II, a basic but carefully specified model wristwatch was commissioned for members of the British armed forces by the Ministry of Defence - manufactured by one of twelve watchmakers who delivered the pieces in 1944 and 1945. These manufacturers (Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, JLC, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor and Vertex) later came to be known as ‘The Dirty Dozen’ in the mid-1960s, after the release of the popular war film of the same name. Out of the circa 150,000 watches delivered, only circa 11,000 Buren branded watches were produced compared with Omega or Record who for example produced around 25,000 examples each of the approximate 150,000 watches. What’s On Offer This is a really nice example of the Buren Dirty Dozen with beautifully aged hour plots and hands with original lume. The Bold Arabic numerals are all intact as is the recessed seconds dial at 6 o'clock. The dial is completed by the Buren signature and the military pheon which denotes the watch as the property of the MoD which is also present on the caseback along with its military engravings which read: WWW P 7256 12256. The watch is in great shape with just a little wear to the case which of course adds to its vintage appeal. It is still very much wearable, running well and keeping good time, an absolute must for any Dirty Dozen collector, but a beautiful piece for any military or vintage enthusiast too. Additional information Made from Case: Chrome Topped Dial: Black Crystal: Plexiglas Bracelet: NATO Technical specifications Winding: Manual Movement Type: Mechanical Calibre: 462 Jewels: 15 Purchase details Condition: Excellent Model Reference: WWW Date of issue: c.1945 Dimensions Width: 36.5mm Lug width : 18mm Lug height: (lug to lug) Wrist size : Adjustable

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Military, pilot and travel watches

The wristwatch owes much of its adoption by men to warfare and aviation. Wristlets — small pocket watches soldered with lugs and worn on a strap — were used in colonial campaigns and became standard equipment in the First World War, with protective grilles over the crystal ('shrapnel guards'). Louis Cartier's Santos (1904), designed for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, is often cited as an early purpose-made pilot's watch.

In the Second World War governments specified watches in detail: the German B-Uhr observation watches, the American A-11, and the British 'W.W.W.' (the 'Dirty Dozen' set of 1945). After the war, jet travel brought GMT and world-time watches, which show two or more time zones at once — Louis Cottier's world-time mechanism and the Rolex GMT-Master (1955) are examples.

What to look for

  • Military markings on the case back: broad arrow, issue numbers, 'W.W.W.', 'A.T.P.'
  • High-legibility black dials with luminous Arabic numerals; oversized crowns for gloved hands.
  • 24-hour hands and rotating 24-hour bezels or city rings on GMT/world-time watches.
  • Wire lugs on early wristlets converted from pocket watches.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug wristlets: c. 1900–1925.
  • Military specifications of the Second World War: 1939–1945.
  • GMT and world-time wristwatches: mainly after 1950.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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