Record Dirty Dozen, Matching Case Numbers, Caseback ref. WWW L26830, circa 1944

Dealer description — Vintage Watch Specialist

A Well Preserved Record Dirty Dozen with Caseback Engravings W.W.W. L26830 544677 and Matching Case and Lug Numbers Circa 1944 Known as the “Dirty Dozen” these famous watches were the first purpose-built English military watches ever made. Delivered between 1944 & 1945, the “Dozen” comprised 12 manufacturers who produced around 150,000 watches for the war effort. Also known as WWW watches (Watch Wrist Waterproof) these watches were built for action and to stand the vigour of war and the “Dozen” certainly did the job. The 12 companies comprised Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, JLC, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor and Vertex. Of the circa 150,000 pieces made, around 25,000 were made by Record, making them joint top with Omega for the largest quantity made. Featuring sword hands, a 36.5mm chrome-topped case and 022K calibre beating inside, the Record represents a classic military appearance which has been copied ever since. The sub-second dial ensures maximum legibility on the battlefield and the iconic broad arrow marks it as property of the crown. These watches were meant to have been returned at the end of service but like many pieces of equipment used during the war, many soldiers chose to take some pieces home as a memento of a historical event they were a part of. Occasionally the soldiers would paint over the broad arrow on the dial to make the watch appear as though it hadn’t been the crown's property. What’s on Offer Here is a nice example of the military-issued Record watch which was part of the dirty dozen watches produced from 1944-1945. This watch includes matching numbers found on the last 3 digits of the caseback reference and the underside of the top left lug. The original dial is in exceptional condition and has not been tampered with whatsoever including the radium lume. The numerals have weathered to a lovely cream colour this is normal for watches this age. These watches were made from chrome-topped brass. This particular watch does show signs of wear around the case side profile and bezel ring revealing some brass but is still in very good clean condition and the finish still has its original shine. It still has its original fixed lug bars on this piece and it looks exceptional on a NATO-style strap and keeps its military essence.