Record WWW Dirty Dozen, British Military Issued WW2, Matching Case and Lug Numbers, circa 1945

Dealer description — Vintage Watch Specialist

Founded in 1903, Record Watch Co. earned an excellent reputation for producing robust, accurate Swiss timepieces. During the Second World War, Record became one of just twelve manufacturers selected by the British Ministry of Defence to produce the legendary WWW ("Watch, Wrist, Waterproof") military wristwatch. Better known today as one of the famed Dirty Dozen, these watches were built to exacting military specifications and issued to British forces during the closing stages of the war. With relatively limited production compared with some of the other manufacturers, the Record WWW remains one of the most sought-after models in the Dirty Dozen series. What's on Offer This original Record WWW Dirty Dozen dates to approximately 1945 and is a genuine British military-issued wristwatch from the Second World War. The 36mm chrome-plated case houses the classic black military dial with luminous Arabic numerals, luminous pencil hands, an outer railway minute track and a recessed subsidiary seconds register at six o'clock, providing the exceptional legibility demanded by the Ministry of Defence. Inside is the reliable Record Calibre 022K manual-wind movement with 15 jewels and approximately 42 hours of power reserve. The caseback carries the correct W.W.W. designation, Broad Arrow property mark and military issue numbers, confirming its British military provenance. One particularly desirable feature of this example is the matching case and lug numbers. The final three digits of the military case serial (813) are repeated inside the lug, confirming that the case and lug remain correctly matched. Details such as these are closely scrutinised by collectors, as they demonstrate the watch has retained its original military-issued components rather than being assembled from replacement parts, making this an especially collectible example of the iconic Dirty Dozen.