RARE 1968 Royal Navy issue Smiths W10, NOS NATO strap
Very rare watch - only 300 issued
£2350.00
Out of stock
The Smiths 'W10' field watch was issued from 1967 to 1970. The majority were issued under Army contracts with the Army service code 'W10' marked on the back, although smaller numbers were also issued to the RAF, and even fewer to the Royal Navy with 6B and 0552 service codes respectively. This watch is one of only 300 issued to the Royal Navy in 1968 and has the 0552 Royal Navy Service code marked on the case back. All the Royal Navy issued Smiths W10s issued to the Royal Navy in 1968 and 1969 were originally marked with the 'W10' service code for Army, which was struck out and the 0552 service code added. The style of the 0552 markings differs between watches, with some being quite faint, but in this example the 0552 marking is nice an clear.
The watch has a stainless steel case and back, with an inner anti-magnetic plate dust cover, hacking seconds, and the iconic 'Made in England' marked on the dial. The movement is the Smiths cal. 60466E, evolved from the excellent Smiths 15 jewel civilian movements from the late 1950s and 1960s.
The watch has been fully stripped, cleaned and serviced, as described in the condition report.
The watch is supplied on a genuine NOS MoD issue NATO strap.
The stainless steel case is in good, clean cosmetic condition with minor marks and small knocks from use. The case back has some strap marks and some typical scratch marks from careless opening in the past.
The dial is in good condition with original lume plots in good shape. The hands are in good condition with original yellow lume intact. The crystal is a replacement. Please refer to the images to make your own judgement about the condition of the watch.
Mechanically the watch had a full stripdown, clean and service, including new mainspring, in March 2026. The case was ultrasonically cleaned. The original cal. 60466E movement movement - dated to March 1968, matching the case back year of issue - was fully stripped, with all parts cleaned and rinsed mechanically and ultrasonically in waterless solutions and hot air dried. The movement was reassembled, lubricated and regulated. The watch has a new back gasket fitted
The service was photo documented and images have been added to the listing, including an image of the watch on the timegrapher showing the readings. Amplitude is 300 degrees+, beat error is 0.0 - 0.1ms and accuracy is within a few seconds per day. Please note that this is based on readings taken on the bench subsequent to servicing, and accuracy may differ from this in use and over time. The watch hacks and adjusts correctly from the crown.
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 waterproof 6 month guarantee.
Issued: Yes
Issue details: UK, Royal Navy
Date of manufacture: 1968
Movement: Smiths cal. 60466E
Rarity: 300 issued to RN in 1968
Diameter: 36mm
Lug width: 17mm
Hacking: Yes
Case back: Screw
Screwdown crown: No
Bracelet: NOS MoD 18mm NATO strap - admiralty grey
Smiths MoD issued W10
Royal Navy issue
Very rare example
Smiths cal. 60466E hacking movement
Recently serviced
Good condition
Supplied on NOS MoD NATO strap
6 months non-waterproof guarantee
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