Dirty Dozen watches

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0uatiOW
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Dirty Dozen watches

Post by 0uatiOW »

Inspired by another thread about the resurrected Timor field watch, I found this article about a service watch, commissioned by the British Army in 1945, eventually from 12 suppliers, some still thriving, some now disappeared or bought out. There’s a fascinating historical & horological story behind these “Dirty Dozen” watches.

https://www.acollectedman.com/blogs/jo ... itish-army
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“Exquisitely minging” MissF, 19 July 2022
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Galton321
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Re: Dirty Dozen watches

Post by Galton321 »

Thank you for posting the link to the dirty dozen. I was surprised by the number of makers the government approached to supply the watches. There are some illustrious names there. I guess the least known of the bunch is Timor. I tried to find out more about this company but there is not much out there. The reason for my interest is that many years ago I inherited a Timor watch, sadly not a government field watch. The watch is in a solid gold case and dates from the 1960s. It was a retirement present for a long deceased uncle. The watch seems to have produced for a jeweler in Sheffield, Browns, whose name is also on the face. The size is 36mm. I guess the kickstarter decided to resurrect the Timor because the company is no longet in existence and they won't have issues using the name. For interest I attach a link to a photo my watch.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3421/383 ... b701e3.jpg
0uatiOW
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Re: Dirty Dozen watches

Post by 0uatiOW »

The Dirty Dozen history is an interesting one, and one which IMV makes little sense. Why go to 12 different manufacturers for the same spec watch.... unless you’re planning a challenge for future collectors? Ah, I see now......

The Timor field watch on KS looks quite faithful to the original, though expensive for what you get I think.

Incidentally, from what I’ve seen, collaborations between watch manufacturers and jewellers was quite common in the 1960s (maybe earlier too, I’m speaking from what’s swirling around in my head), even with small “family” jewellers, so while the genre may not be unusual, some of the individual examples may be quite rare. Specimens in good condition like yours, even more so. Unlikely to be hugely valuable in money terms, but a good story and family history is worth more than a few pounds.
My name is 0uatiOW, but before you ask, no I don’t.
“Exquisitely minging” MissF, 19 July 2022
Just call me Diderot
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