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Grana W.W.W. Dirty Dozen, WWII British Army-Issued Military Watch, circa 1944 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Grana W.W.W. Dirty Dozen, WWII British Army-Issued Military Watch, circa 1944

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Grana (maker)
Date
c. 1944
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 35 mm
Stock no.
vws2225
Credit line
Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws2225)
Catalogue title (original)
Grana - W.W.W. Dirty Dozen - WWII British Army-Issued Military Watch - c.1944 (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number vws2225), this is a wristwatch by Grana, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1944. The Atlas places it in the Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking period (1900 – 1945) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 35 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

An Extremely Rare and Incredibly Collectable Grana Dirty Dozen WWII British Army-Issued Military Watch Issued c.1944. We Are Sorry But This Watch Is Now Sold - If However You Are Looking To Buy Or Sell Something Similar Then Please Email Sales@Vintagewatchspecialist.Com Or Whatsapp/Call +44 7831 454658. Thanks We have been lucky over the years in sourcing the finest examples of surviving Granas' and this watch is no exception. That is the rarity and collectibility of these watches, we do not offer them for sale directly through our website, instead, we encourage you to get in touch so we can discuss a potential purchase and have helped a number of our existing clients to complete their sets over the years! To speak with us directly, the best way to contact us is to call +44 7831 454658 or +44 7496 863685 or send a Whatsapp/Text message requesting a call back from us. What's on offer We are very pleased to offer this incredibly rare Grana Dirty Dozen military-issued watch for sale. In superb original condition and boasts the synonymous stark black dial with bold white Arabic indices, an outer minute track and a counter sunk seconds dial at 6 o'clock. The hour plots still have their original lume which has aged to an exquisite caramel colour which corresponds with the lume on the pencil hands - the watch has aged particularly beautifully and will continue to do so over the coming years. The dial is completed with the military pheon denoting it as the property of the crown and of course the Grana signature at 12 o'clock. The stunning dial is encapsulated under shatterproof plexiglass and encased in stainless steel, you will find the watch has its original military engravings on the caseback which read WWW M18534. The case is still in great shape and the watch is running very well having been serviced by renowned military watchmaker John Senior. This gem of a find (we originally sold this to an existing client), would bring utter joy to any Dirty Dozen collector or military enthusiast, please contact us directly if you are interested in purchasing a Grana for your collection. Additional information Made from Case: Steel Case back: Screw on Dial: B lack Crystal: Shatter-proof plexi Bracelet : NATO military-style Technical specifications Winding: Manual Movement Type : Mechanical Calibre : KF320 ( Kurth Frères) Jewels: 15j Waterproof : when new! Purchase details Condition: Excellent Model Reference Number: WWW Date of issue : c.1944 Dimensions Width: 35mm Lug width : 18mm Lug height (lug to lug) : 45mm Wrist size : Adjustable See our collection of military watches for sale

Historical context

Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)

The wristwatch displaces the pocket watch; waterproof cases, self-winding and grand complications.

The wristwatch overtook the pocket watch. Military use in the First World War, aviation, water-resistant cases (1926), automatic winding (1923–31), rectangular Art Deco designs and early chronographs and calendars defined the period.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Industrial Revolution

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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