
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Timor WWW, Dirty Dozen, British WW2 Military Issued, Serviced April 2026, circa 1945
- Maker / attribution
- Timor (maker)
- Date
- c. 1945
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 36 mm
- Stock no.
- vws4169
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws4169)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Timor WWW - Dirty Dozen - British WW2 Military Issued - c.1945 - Serviced April 2026 (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number vws4169), this is a wristwatch by Timor, dated c. 1945. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) 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 — Vintage Watch Specialist
Founded in Switzerland in the early 20th century, Timor earned an excellent reputation for producing dependable, high-quality wristwatches. The brand became one of only twelve manufacturers selected to supply the British Ministry of Defence with the legendary WWW ("Watch, Wristlet, Waterproof") military watches during the Second World War. Today, original Timor Dirty Dozen watches remain among the most sought-after military timepieces, prized for their robust engineering, historical significance and timeless field watch design. What's on Offer This Timor WWW Dirty Dozen is an honest and attractive example of one of the most collectible British military watches produced during the Second World War. Issued around 1945, it features the original black military dial with aged lume, broad-arrow marking and subsidiary seconds, all housed within the correct stainless steel WWW case. This watch retains its original wartime dial, complete with beautifully aged luminous plots and hands that have developed a rich vintage patina over the past eight decades. The military engravings remain clearly visible on the caseback, including the correct WWW designation, broad arrow and issue number, reinforcing its authentic service history. Powering the watch is Timor's reliable Calibre 6060 manual-wind movement with 15 jewels and approximately 40 hours of power reserve. The movement is renowned for its durability and straightforward servicing, making it an ideal choice for collectors who appreciate watches designed for practical military use. Measuring 36mm across, the classic Dirty Dozen proportions remain as wearable today as they were during wartime service. Fitted to a sand NATO strap, this Timor captures the utilitarian character that has made the Dirty Dozen series one of the cornerstones of military watch collecting.
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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