Jaeger LeCoultre WWW2 Dirty Dozen Military Soldiers Watch, circa 1944

Dealer description — Vintage Watch Specialist

An Honest Example of the Jaeger LeCoultre Dirty Dozen Military Watch in Original Condition with Original Military Engravings During 1944 and 1945, twelve watchmakers (Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, JLC, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor and Vertex) produced a total of approximately 150,000 of these almost identical timepieces. Though there are subtle differences, they were produced to tight specifications- designed to be waterproof, have fixed lug bars, numbers and indices, a matte black dial with luminescent hands (originally made of radium) and a small, functional and reliable movement. As these watches became highly sought after by collectors over the ensuing decades, they became known as ‘The Dirty Dozen’ - earning this nickname from the 1964 war film of the same moniker. Out of the 150,000 of these watches produced in total, only around 10,000 were produced by JLC. What’s On Offer A very honest example of the JLC Dirty Dozen in its original condition with chrome-topped case, cathedral hands and sub seconds counter at 6 o'clock. You can see the remains of lume on the hour plots but it has seen a fair amount of deterioration over the years. The military pheon and JLC signature are still very visible along with the Arabic numerals. The dial has some battle scars and looks a little patchy, however, these nuances set each watch apart and offer individuality - you will never find another with the same story to tell or the war wounds to show it! The caseback bears the original military markings which read: 282450 WWW F11733 and the military arrow pheon is present again. This watch is running well and keeping good time.