Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Smiths W10, British Military Issued Watch, circa 1967
- Maker / attribution
- Smiths (maker)
- Date
- c. 1967
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- England
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Stock no.
- vws3964cs
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws3964cs)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Smiths W10 - British Military Issued Watch - c.1967 (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number vws3964cs), this is a wristwatch by Smiths, made in England, dated c. 1967. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. 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
A Striking Smiths Military Issued W10 in Superb Vintage Condition with Original Military Markings and Attractive Lume, c.1967 Smiths was one of the few British watchmakers to produce timepieces entirely in the UK, earning a proud place in horological history. Their most iconic military contribution came with the Smiths W10, issued to the British Army in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Renowned for its robust build, reliable 60466E calibre, and clear, functional dial, the W10 embodied military precision. Smiths’ legacy continues as a symbol of British craftsmanship and service during a pivotal era. What's on Offer We are delighted to offer this Smiths W10 military watch from 1967, a true piece of British horological history. Housed in a stainless steel case, it features a crisp black dial with bold Arabic numerals, luminous sword hands, and the unmistakable military pheon. The manual-wind calibre 60466E movement inside is robust and reliable, built to MOD specification. With its clean design, pumpkin-toned lume, and excellent condition, this watch is a must-have for collectors of genuine military-issued timepieces.
Historical context
Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.
The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking
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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