dirty-dozen armored forces
british army

Mechanical military watch with manual winding dirty-dozen cyma from 1941, a British military watch commissioned by the British Ministry of War at the instigation of Churchill at the dawn of the entry into the war against Germany and produced at twenty thousand specimens to equip the forces of the Commonwealth.This watch is the most resistant to shocks and vibrations in the series of twelve dirty-dozens, mainly intended for expeditionary forces far from England. Its legendary solidity and resistance to magnetic influences will allow it to shine in all armoured units and during fights in North Africa, where it successfully faced Rommel's Afrika-Korps. Its excellent reliability and its notoriety will enable it to continue its career in the Commonwealth army for many years after the war (on this occasion, it will take the nato code 99-4459855)

This watch, which has kept traces of its tumultuous past, is in excellent mechanical condition. Aesthetically, it is one of the most readable dirty-dozen with a very luminous and well-proportioned dial. The dial has taken on a patina over time, lightening the original black background, and its 37 mm case made of steel is slightly dotted with micro scratches. The round shape of the case hugs the wrist and protects it from shocks. The 18 mm wide lugs allow a wide range of straps for fixed pumps, such as the NATOs that accompany it after the war. Nevertheless, during his career, it was common to see it worn in the archive photos with a pilot-type bracelet where a piece of leather additionally dampened the vibrations generated by driving vehicles.

A calibre 234 mechanical movement powers the Cyma Dirty-Dozen. The movement is protected by a non-magnetic bell which avoids any disruption of operation due to the proximity of radios/sources of magnetic radiation. The nomenclature reserves the inventory code VB10035 and the manufacturer code P, equipped with sword hands, Cyma military watches were produced at the start of the war, and their excellent resistance for the time to splashing water earned them the right to accompany specific naval units in the Indian ocean.

In terms of collection, although produced in large quantities, the units generally used these watches until their end of mechanical potential. With a robust design, they were not spared by their holders, and many of them joined the maintenance workshops to be cannibalized to put the remaining copies back into service. The military highly appreciates watching. Its fame has led to its rarefaction in watch collection and militaria worldwide, so much so that its rating has dramatically increased over the last ten years, particularly since Brexit, which saw England leave the European common market.