
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Hamilton British Royal Army "W10" Field Watch, 1973
- Maker / attribution
- Hamilton (maker)
- Date
- 1973
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- England
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 36 mm
- Stock no.
- HTNBRAW10
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (HTNBRAW10)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 1973 Hamilton British Royal Army "W10" Field Watch (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number HTNBRAW10), this is a wristwatch by Hamilton, made in England, dated 1973. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 36 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 — Craft & Tailored
Military-issued timepieces have always held a special place among collectors, and few are as iconic, or as wearable, as the Hamilton W10. Produced between 1973 and 1976 for the British Ministry of Defense, the W10 represents Hamilton’s long-standing reputation for precision, durability, and purpose-built design. This 1973 example features a 36mm stainless steel tonneau-shaped case with integrated lugs, a recessed crown, and a matte finish to reduce reflection in active service. The dial follows classic military specification, with a matte black surface, railroad minute track, luminous hands and markers, and a “T” designation indicating the use of tritium. Its military provenance is clearly marked, with the Broad Arrow on the dial and full issue engravings on the caseback: “W10” for Army issue, “6645” as the NATO code for a timepiece, “99” for the United Kingdom, and “523-8290” denoting a general-purpose wristwatch, alongside its serial number and 1973 issue date. A true no-frills tool watch, the W10 embodies the essence of military design; Functional, legible, and built to perform. SPECS Stock # HTNBRAW10 Brand Hamilton Style Military Field Watch "W10" Model 523-8290 Serial 98XX Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial Matte Black Millimeters 36 Strap Vintage Phoenix NATO Strap CASE & BRACELET The exceptional, unpolished case retains its anti-reflective brushed matte finish and factory dimensions throughout, while showing only gentle wear. The case retains its original, unsigned crown. The case back features its "military" markings in crisp and untouched condition. The watch comes supplied on a vintage Phoenix NATO strap. DIAL & HANDS The original matte black dial is flawless, showing no damage or age. The tritium lume on the dial and hands exhibits no degradation and features a matching golden-yellow patina throughout. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is keeping time, but the service history is unknown. A movement service can be purchased upon request.
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
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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