WWII British Military Omega "DIRTY DOZEN" - Collector's Watch

Specifications

Year: 1944 
Box/Papers: No/No
Reference: Military Serial number: Y11931

Serial: 10676130
Case size: 36.5mm with crown/ 34.5 without 
Movement: Omega 30T2 Manual wind 
Crystal: Acrylic 
Strap Size: Full length 

This is a magnificent piece of history - a British military Omega wristwatch, more famously known as the "Dirty Dozen" collector's piece.

History

The serial numbers and markings confirm that this particular piece was manufactured in 1944 which was a pivotal year that marked a decisive turning point in World War II. This period witnessed critical developments, most notably the D-Day Landings on 6 June 1944, which helped shift the balance of the war in favour of the Allies.

Under the leadership of Winston Churchill, Britain’s watch industry had by this stage been fully mobilised for the war effort, prioritising the production of precision instruments for military use. At the same time, the demand for reliable wristwatches among service personnel grew increasingly urgent.

To meet this need, the British Ministry of Defence turned to neutral Switzerland, sourcing high-quality wristwatches for officers and military personnel, ensuring both accuracy and durability in the field.

They commissioned 12 manufacturers - Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor, and Vertex. Collectively, these brands produced around 145,000 to 150,000 wristwatches mainly intended for specialised units, including radio operators and artillery staff members. Given their critical function, strict specifications were essential.

The watches had to withstand tough combat conditions. They also had to be practical, reliable, shock resistant and waterproof.

Specification requirements:

All watches were to have a robust stainless steel case with a luminescent dial and clear Arabic numerals for enhanced visibility, useful sub-second's dial at 6 o'clock, a durable and shatterproof crystal and a crown that was large enough to be operated with gloves on. 

Markings

All watches were marked with initials W.W.W. (Wrist. Watch. Waterproof.) and also stamped with the Broad Arrow British military stamp to indicate that these watches were the property of the British Crown. The use of this symbol by the government and military dates all the way back to 1585. You can see this stamp both on back and front of this watch. Alongside the standard Omega serial number these watches were issued an extra Military Serial Number which consisted of a capital letter followed by up to five digits. The capital letter was a unique code assigned to the specific manufacturer. Omega used the letter “Y”.

After the War

The deliveries of these watches presumably started in the latter part of 1944 with most of them arriving in 1945 as the war was coming to an end. It is believed that a significant number of the "Dirty Dozen" watches were ordered to be destroyed during the 1970s when the watches were officially retired from service. The primary reason was the hazardous, radioactive Radium-226 used in the luminous material. Many surviving watches had their radium-painted dials and hands removed or replaced by the Ministry of Defence. Many have also been reissued to other armed forces, including the Dutch, Indonesian, and Pakistani militaries who added their own markings on them. 

Collectability

A much smaller number of these watches remain today and are very sought-after by collectors. In recent years, there were known only 12 to 19 complete Dirty Dozen collections of the full set of 12 watches from each brand in existence in the world!

Condition

This particular piece is one of the nicest and very well preserved, making it an ideal piece of a collection or just an incredible piece of history for any watch enthusiast.

Dial - The dial is in stunning vintage condition and shows desirable signs of age only, adding to its historical charm, character and value. There is original Radium luminescence present in hands and markers. We have conducted radioactivity check; the watch is safe. The British government mark - Broad Arrow is clearly visible together with all its original markings.

Case - The stainless steel case is in very nice vintage condition, deservedly displaying wear. 

Crown - This piece is wound and adjusted by its original crown which works perfectly and is in great condition. 

Movement - This Omega came with a hand-wound mechanical movement - 15 jewels – regulated to chronometer standards - Calibre 30T2, which is still working perfectly, keeping excellent time.

Case back - The case back is in brilliant condition, proudly showing some wear and displaying all its military, government and civilian markings sharply and clearly. 

Strap - The strap is original; it is not known to which time in its story and time in history. We felt it is right to keep it rather than replace it with a new piece. The strap remains in remarkable condition, showing some wear and oxidation.

Crystal - The crystal is also showing some wear but this is mostly visible only under magnification. Otherwise, it looks nice and clean and still displays the fantastic dial beautifully. There is also a small section of the inner tension ring encircling the dial chipped off. This is only visible if you look for it and at a certain angle.

If you have any further questions about this piece please don’t hesitate to contact us via email or Instagram. 

@thewristwatcher1

thewristwatcher1@gmail.com

Terms of sale

Please note these are vintage timepieces and their timekeeping abilities will never be the same as modern equivalents. We ensure that all of our watches are keeping time within vintage specification.  

We are a registered limited company and can be found on companies house and therefore are legally required to accept returns within 14 days and provide our customers with fully authentic timepieces.  

We guarantee the full authenticity of all out of timepieces. Each piece is fully tested and inspected by our watchmaker to ensure both full functionality and authenticity.

International customers are responsible for customs charges when receiving a purchase.

We cannot guarantee any water resistance due to the age of these watches.

Returns

Customers may return their purchased item within 14 days of delivery date as long as the item(s) are returned in the same condition as received.

International buyers are responsible for customs charges that apply when returning an item.

T2296