Eterna Dirty Dozen, WW2 Military Soldiers Watch, circa 1944

Dealer description — Vintage Watch Specialist

A Superb and Rare Eterna Dirty Dozen Military Issued Soldiers Watch Issued During WW2 in Original Condition with Military Engravings and Original Lume, c.1944 An outstanding opportunity to acquire a real honest and collectible example of a Dirty Dozen WWW Eterna wristwatch. The present Eterna is one of around only 5000 pieces of the 150,000 watches delivered around 1945. The 12 companies tasked with the job of producing the 150,000 watches comprised of Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, JLC, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor and Vertex with rumours there were in fact 13 and the 13 th company being Enicar but due to apparently Enicar was also supplying the enemy, they were quickly dropped from the job. The watches were designed to withstand the rigours of the demands of the field. The MoD specs were exactly what you would require a military watch to be - waterproof, luminous, regulated to chronometer level, and composed of a case that was rugged. Two serial numbers were required, one being the manufacturer’s number, and the other being the military store number. The dial needed to be black, with Arabic numerals and sub-seconds in order to maximise legibility. What's on Offer This Eterna member of the DIrty Dozen family of watches is in great shape given its age and intended use - it may well have seen live military action during the Second World War. The dial has remained rich black and boasts bold Arabic numerals, an outer minute track and a recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o'clock. The original lume remains intact on the hour plots and on the original sword hands and has aged evenly across the dial to a pal green hue. The military pheon is present, an arrow on the dial which denotes the watch as property of the MoD, this arrow is also present on the case back along with other original military engravings. We have paired the watch with a military-style fabric strap in green which brings out the colour on the dial perfectly. A Fantastic survivor of WW2 and a joy to both vintage and military enthusiasts alike.