Longines W.W.W. British Military Dirty Dozen, F 8226, Steel

W.W.W. was a designation by the British Ministry of Defence to classify the group of watches commissioned in 1944. The acronym stood for 'Watch, Wrist, Waterproof'. They were intended to be issued to ground personnel in the British Army, and as such had to follow strict specifications, notably the need for it to be waterproofed, luminous with a black dial and Arabic numerals, and the movement regulated to a chronometer level.

The Longines is the second rarest of these watches after the Grana, with an estimated production of 5,000 pieces.

This particular example is a fantastic original, with all of the parts correct to the watch. The 37.5mm sizing of the watch contributes to the desirability of this Longines, as it was one of the biggest of the dozen. This, coupled with the characteristically stepped case, makes a fantastic watch, that wears well in a modern context.

This Longines retains its original dial, with its luminous material aged to a very nice orange patina, matching the lumes of the cathedral hands perfectly. Additionally, the screw down case back of this watch is engraved with its associated numbers, broad arrow, and the W.W.W. designation. Furthermore, this rare example exhibits matching serial numbers on the reverse of the right lug and case back (ref. 45XX); frequently separated during routine maintenance and servicing.

Inside this Longines W.W.W. is the famous calibre 12.68Z, an incredibly high-quality movement that - as mentioned above - is also chronometer graded. Having recently been serviced, it is performing at its best.

As with almost every example, the radium on the dial and hands has been removed at some time in the past. This has subsequently been replaced with tritium, sensitively colour-corrected to match age. 

You may wish to read more about The Dirty Dozen watches here.

Viewings can be arranged in Central London by appointment.

Closer look

Brand:	Longines
Model:	W.W.W. 'Dirty Dozen' British military - Ref. F 8226
Movement:	mechanical manual-winding
Functions:	time-only: hours, minutes, sub-seconds
Features:	original dial, Cathedral hands
Case:	37.5 mm stainless steel
Crystal:	plexiglass
Bracelet:	NATO strap
Year:	1944-45
Box & papers:	Archive Extracts