1944/45 WW2 Eterna WWW 'Dirty Dozen' mechanical hand winding wristwatch
One of the rarest 'Dirty Dozen' - only 5000 issued
£3150.00
Out of stock
This is a lovely example of a rare Eterna WWW (Watch, Wristlet, Waterproof) supplied to the British War Department towards the end of the Second World War. Contracts to the same specification were let to 12 manufacturers, of which Longines was one, of what became known as the 'Dirty Dozen'. Much has been written about these watches and there are many sources of information on the internet. Only 5000 Eterna WWWs were supplied, making it (along with the Longines of which 5000 were also supplied) the second rarest of the dozen, behind the Grana. These watches only rarely come on to the market for sale.
It is also worth noting that of all the WWWs, only the Eterna and Longines have a form of shock protection that mitigates the risk of broken balance staff and cap jewels if the watch suffers violent shock, such as being dropped onto a hard surface. As a result these are the most durable and reliable of the WWWs.
The Eterna also has a distinctive case design, the bezel having and convex scalloped profile not seen on any of the other WWW watches.
This example is in very good condition, cosmetically and mechanically, having been the subject of a full service, as detailed in the condition report. The watch is supplied on a new grey ribbed NATO strap.
Cosmetically the watch is in very good, clean condition. The crystal is very good. The case and back are in good original condition with only minor marks from use. The hands and dial are in very nice condition, with darkened, pumpkin-coloured lume. The crown is a NOS MoD WWW crown.
Please refer to the images to make your own judgement about the condition of the watch. The images form an important part of the description.
The original cal. 520 movement is in very clean condition and was fully serviced in June 2024, including a new mainspring.The movement was fully stripped, mechanically and ultrasonically cleaned using waterless solutions and hot air dried. It was reassembled, lubricated and regulated. Amplitude is 300 degrees, beat error is 0.3ms and accuracy is inside +/- 5 seconds per day (on the bench - this may differ when worn). Images from the service are included in the listing, including an image of the watch on the timegrapher, showing the readings.
The watch is absolutely suitable for everyday use, but it is vintage watch so is not recommended for sports or use in extreme conditions. The watch has not been pressure tested so water resistance is not guaranteed. This watch is covered by our non-waterproof 6 month guarantee.
Issued: Yes
Issue details: British armed forces cWW2
Date of manufacture: 1944/45
Issue numbers: c5000
Movement: Eterna cal. 520
Diameter: 36mm
Lug width: 17.5mm
Hacking: No
Case back: Screw down
Screwdown crown: No
Bracelet: NATO
Other features: Shock protection
One of the rarest 'Dirty Dozen'
5000 issued
Eterna cal. 520 movement
Serviced with photographic record
Nice condition
Supplied on ribbed NATO strap
6 months non-waterproof guarantee
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