1982 CWC G10 'Fatboy' British army issue field watch - hacking seconds
Falklands era CWC Fatboy G10
£445.00
Out of stock
In 1982, the year of the Falklands conflict, the Ministry of Defence procured quartz G10 watches under 4 contracts numbering around 9498 watches in total. Three of these batches were supplied by CWC and the remaining one by Precista. This watch is from the third batch supplied overall, and the second batch supplied by CWC (with the Precista batch in between), which numbered just 2197 units batch supplied, making it a relatively rare version.
The 1980-82 CWC G10s were the first quartz watches procured by the Ministry of Defence, and replaced the mechanical 'W10' field watch supplied by CWC up to 1980. The 80-82 G10s were powered by the ETA 536.121 quartz movement. The mid-case of the watch had to be sufficiently deep to accommodate the 536.121 movement, which is much thicker than modern quartz movements, hence the nickname. The additional thickness of the case does give the watch a bit of extra weight and adds to the character of the watch.
The 1980 and (rare) 1981 watches retained the old-style CWC logo from earlier CWC watches, while the 1982 G10 saw the introduction of the new-style CWC logo with the ellipse around the letters.
The case back includes a screw-in battery hatch so that when the time comes the battery can be changed without removing the back.
The back is marked with the NATO stock number, serial number and year of issue, as well as the service code W10, indicating that the watch was purchased under an Army contract.
This example has been subject to a recent full service and is in very good condition all round as described in the condition report. The watch is supplied on an grey RAF-type single pass strap with fabric keeper.
The case and back have some marks from use, most noticeably some marks on the bezel at the 2 o'clock position and some typical but faint strap burn to the case back. Overall however the watch is very clean and in very good cosmetic condition. The case back has the correct markings including the NATO stock number, serial number indication CWC batch 1 from the 1982 issue year. The crystal is a flat profile replacement in good condition, with matt tension ring fitted. The dial and hands are in near mint condition. Please refer to the images to make your own judgement about the cosmetic condition of the watch. The images form an important part of the description.
The watch was subject to a full stripdown, clean and service in October 2025. The case parts were stripped and ultrasonically cleaned and the original ETA 536.121 movement was serviced.
The movement was fully stripped, mechanically and ultrasonically cleaned using waterless solutions and hot air dried. The movement was rebuilt and lubricated using Moebius oils. Images of the movement rebuild are included in the listing. The watch hacks and sets from the crown correctly. All the seals were also replaced and greased, including the back gasket, the battery hatch and crown gaskets.
The watch was regulated on a quartztester machine and on the bench is running at +0.01 seconds per day day (+0.3 seconds per month), well within the +/-10 seconds per month specification, although this level of accuracy cannot be guaranteed in use.
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: UK, Army contract.
Date of manufacture: 1982
Rarity: 2197 issued in first 1982 CWC batch
Movement: ESA/ETA 536.121
Diameter: 36mm
Lug width: 18mm
Hacking: Yes
Case back: Snap
Screwdown crown: No
Bracelet: Single pass RAF-type strap
Quartz ESA/ETA 536.121movement
UK Army issue
Falklands era
Essential addition to any military watch collection
Recently serviced
Nice condition
Supplied on RAF-type single pass strap
6 months non-waterproof guarantee
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