CWC 'RAF' Chronograph ref. 0552/924-3306, Matte Black 'Gilt' Dial

Dealer description — Oliver & Clarke

Cabot Watch Company, better known as CWC, was founded in 1972 by Ray Mellor, a former Royal Air Force serviceman who saw an opportunity as British military watch contracts began shifting away from long-established suppliers. Named after the explorer John Cabot, the company was established with a singular purpose: to produce robust, no-nonsense timepieces built to the exacting standards of the Ministry of Defence. Where earlier names like Smiths and Newmark had defined previous generations of British-made issued watches, CWC arrived at precisely the right moment to become the standard bearer for Britain's armed forces. For the next three decades, CWC supplied everything from General Service watches to chronographs and Royal Navy dive watches, earning a reputation through reliability rather than marketing. Its asymmetrical chronographs became a familiar sight on the wrists of military personnel, while the quartz-powered G10, introduced in the early 1980s, would go on to become one of the most widely issued British military watches ever produced. Although official procurement eventually broadened beyond CWC, the company never abandoned the military-first philosophy on which it was founded, and today its watches remain remarkably faithful to the original specifications that earned them their place in British service. The piece that we have here is chronograph issued to the Royal Air Force dating to circa 1975. It features a 39mm asymmetrical case, not dissimilar to that of what you'd find on a Speedmaster, complete with 'pump' pushers, a recessed crown, and a screw-down caseback. It has seemingly been spares of previous polishing, with nice defined finishing and shows normal wear throughout with clear military engravings on the caseback. Inside, the matte black dial features a very unusual 'gilt'-style of displaying the silver indices printing, with the exception of the 'CWC' text which is stamped. The Tritium indices have developed an attractive and uniform patina from age, and the correct white-painted 'sword' handset is a later set replaced under contract service. Powering this piece is a workhorse Valjoux Cal. 7733 manual-winding movement and it comes fitted to a very appropriate 'Admiralty Grey' NATO strap. Not only is this a piece of history, but when compared to other military-issued pieces from other brands, this actually is fantastic value, and they do not grow on trees!