The Dirty Dozen
On 24th August a full set of extremely rare Dirty Dozen watches sold for £27,000 (£34,452 including fees). These historic timepieces, all designed by different watch manufacturers, were commissioned by the British Ministry of Supply for the Military. They requested watches which were suitable for the Army, Air Force and the Royal Navy, with manufacturers able to produce enough quantities within their capabilities. The watches were designed and delivered in 1944 and 1945.
The Dirty Dozen watches were created in extremely limited supply, with there believed to be only 1,000 – 5,000 of the Grana watches ever designed. It is also alleged that there are only around 20 full sets of the Dirty Dozen watches in existence.
The Dirty Dozen watches were sold with with a stylish box perfectly fitting all 12 vintage timepieces. The watches are all in a good condition, and they were acquired one-by-one by their owner over the period of a few years. All watches are currently working despite their age. The Dirty Dozen watch collection is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after watch sets by timepiece collectors.
The name for this set is derived from the multi-million-pound grossing film “The Dirty Dozen”. Starring acclaimed Hollywood actors Charles Bronson and Donald Sutherland, the film depicts twelve soldiers during the Second World War.
- Buren - 11,000
- Cyma - 20,000
- Eterna - 5,000
- Grana - Between 1,000 & 5,000
- IWC - 5,000
- JLC - 6,000
- Lemania - 10,000
- Longines - 8,000
- Omega - 25,000
- Record - 25,000
- Timor - 13,000
- Vertex - 15,000
*Figures taken from Konrad Knirim’s book British Military Timepieces
A complete collection of military "Dirty Dozen" watches.
Price Realised:
£22,727
LONGINES - a stainless steel 'Dirty Dozen' military issue wrist watch, 37mm.
Price Realised:
£3,800
TIMOR - a stainless steel 'Dirty Dozen' military issue wrist watch, 31mm.
Price Realised:
£800
RECORD - a nickel plated military issue 'Dirty Dozen' wrist watch, 35.5mm.
Price Realised:
£550
Watches For War
We invited watch aficionado, author and journalist Simon de Burton to share his knowledge and passion for rare watches with you. He explored the history of watches used in military settings from as far back as the 19th Century to the modern day.
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