Military Watches: The Field Watch
Bremont Watch Company
Beautifully engineered mechanical chronometers. British Engineering, Tested Beyond Endurance.
The practice of wearing a pocket watch on the wrist is recorded as early as the nineteenth century however, following the Boer War this practice began to be integrated throughout the military. It was during the First World War that soldiers started using watches to accurately coordinate manoeuvres and they became more accurate and an essential piece of equipment.
Before this, pocket watches had been too rare and expensive to have any specific military value and the concept of time was not yet centralised, however following the First World War this changed and the watch became of increasing importance to the military. By the time the Second World War began, a good quality watch was an essential part of a soldiers’ kit and a crucial tool for planning and organisation.
What are the 'Dirty Dozen'
Having become synonymous in the world of horology, the 'Dirty Dozen' is the name for the field watches commissioned by the British Ministry of Defence for the British Army throughout the 1940s. Coined by watch enthusiasts as the ‘Dirty Dozen’ after the classic 1967 movie, this collection of 12 watches has become highly sought after. Until recent years, predominantly only known to the avid military collector, they have become one of the most sought after sets within the watch community.
Following the First World War and during the second, when Britain had lost many of its watchmakers to the cause or the armaments industries, Switzerland, who maintained armed neutrality, started to ramp up its watchmaking output. It continued to meet demands for civilian orders during this period however the MoD needed specific military timepieces built to their requirements to be durable, accurate and reliable, thus, the 'Dirty Dozen' watches were produced by 12 different Swiss watch manufacturers.
The 12 watch manufacturers tasked with supplying these watches were Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor and Vertex.
To ensure that these timepieces would withstand the rigours of war, requirements for the ‘perfect soldier’s watch’ were placed on the 12 manufacturers:
These military requirements and the advent of the ‘Dirty Dozen’ watches drove important improvements in watchmaking and design, cementing these developments in the history of the wristwatch.
Bremont's Armed Forces Collection, inspired by the 'Dirty Dozen'
The ‘Dirty Dozen’ military watches have a special place in the history of both watchmaking and Britain’s armed forces, and as such, have inspired Bremont’s own?Armed Forces Collection, in partnership with the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
In 2019, Bremont entered into a partnership with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), honouring Her Majesty's Armed Forces. Through this partnership, Bremont became the sole luxury watch producer allowed to legitimately use the signs, symbols and Heraldic Badges of all three services.
Bremont's Armed Forces Collection is comprised of a series of timepieces inspired by the 'Dirty Dozen' field watches and builds upon the original specification set by the MoD, whilst maintaining Bremont's DNA through the precision engineering and materials utilised.
The?Bremont Armed Forces Collection?has been approved by His Majesty’s Armed Forces and combines the functionality and durability of these classic military watches, focusing on style and incorporating modern elements, and marked the first time that civilians could purchase official Bremont Military timepieces.
The original timepieces of the collection, the Broadsword, Argonaut and Arrow, all feature:
The Broadsword
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The?Bremont Broadsword?is a contemporary take on the three handed ‘Dirty Dozen’ watch design, housing the chronometer rated BE-95-2AV movement inside its two-piece 40mm hardened steel case, and features a sub-seconds hand at 6 o’clock. Multiple layers of luminous paint on the hands and dial complete the original specification for the British Army.
The Broadsword Collection is now available in a variety of case finishes including DLC and Bronze, in addition to the original Stainless Steel model.
The new Broadsword Recon is the latest extension of Bremont’s sought after Armed Forces Collection. Limited to just 200 pieces, the Broadsword Recon is a unique addition to the collection with its modern, sandwich dial construction.
The Argonaut
The?Argonaut, a name inspired by Greek mythology and synonymous with Navy history having appeared on Commissioned ships for nearly 250 years. This 42mm hardened steel-cased military dive watch houses a three-handed chronometer rated BE-92AV movement.
With minutes being so critical in the marine environment, readability on both the hands and dial have been crucial in the design process, including the highly legible orange minute hand filled with custom green Super-LumiNova?.
The internal rotating bezel is operated by a crown at 4 o’clock, and features the green Super-LumiNova?, providing enhanced legibility on both the dial and hands.
The Argonaut Collection has been extended, with new iterations of the original military dive watch including the Argonaut Bronze and the Argonaut Azure.
The Arrow
The Arrow plays on the same British military DNA as the Broadsword but is aimed at the airman with its chronograph functionality, a necessity for any timed mission, and complementary RAF Blue sailcloth strap.
The Bremont Arrow is a 42mm cased mono-pusher chronograph, with a running seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock, and elapsed minutes on the 3 o’clock counter. The pusher at 2 o’clock on the two-piece hardened steel case will start, stop and reset the stopwatch on the chronometer rated BE-51AE movement.
The?Bremont Armed Forces Collection?has been approved by His Majesty’s Armed Forces and combines the functionality and durability of these classic military watches, focusing on style and incorporating modern elements.
Discover the collection for your own piece of military timekeeping history.
Senior Creative Industrial Designer at Liugong Construction Machinery.
1 年What a gorgeous timepiece! And a tenuous link to another Bremont ambassador- Charley Boorman, who’s godfather was Lee Marvin - leader of the Dirty Dozen. I met Charley at a Bremont night (with Nick English) some years back where he regaled the audience with stories about Lee that still make me laugh!