We were contacted by the family of an elderly gentleman who had sadly passed away.
The gentleman was known to be a man of numerous passions and a collector of many interesting curios.
When sorting through the late gentleman’s belongings, the family stumbled across a large hoard of watches they never knew existed.
The find was a complete surprise to the late gentleman’s family as he had never expressed any particular interest in watches and had not mentioned his considerable collection.
Happily, included within the eclectic batch of old timepieces were six rare and highly sought-after vintage military watches, all in near-perfect and unmolested condition.
After recovering from the initial shock of their unexpected find, the family contacted us to arrange the sale of the six special military watches.
The late gentleman certainly had a keen eye as the watches entrusted to us to sell are some of the rarest and best examples of their kind.
Cyma W.W.W “Dirty Dozen” Wristwatch c.1945
One of the most popular of the twelve “Dirty Dozen” watches issued to the British Army during WW2, the Cyma W.W.W. is in wonderful condition. The watch retains its original radium lume and features a beautiful tropicalised dial. The existing crown and second hand are incorrect and will be replaced with correct new old stock replacements.
Timor W.W.W. “Dirty Dozen” Wristwatch c.1945
The Timor W.W.W. is another member of the famous “Dirty Dozen”. Only around 13,000 Timor W.W.W. watches were issued, and good examples are becoming increasingly hard to find. The example to be offered for sale is in excellent overall condition and is one of the best to be found.
Smiths Deluxe 6B/542 Wristwatch c.1956
Considered a “grail” piece by most serious collectors, the Smiths Deluxe 6B/542 is perhaps the rarest and most coveted of the six watches recently discovered. Only around 300 examples of these special watches are believed to have been issued to the RAF and the example for sale is in exceptional condition and may be the best we have ever seen.
Omega 6B/159 RAF Pilots Wristwatch c.1943
The Omega 6B/159 comes from the heart of WW2 and would have no doubt adorned the wrist of an RAF pilot or navigator.
The watch is in truly remarkable condition and is certainly one of the cleanest and best examples we have ever had the pleasure to offer for sale. It could be said to be something of a collector’s dream as they do not come much better than this.
Lemania Series III 6BB/924-3306 Chronograph c.1967
The Lemania Series III 6BB Chronograph is an extremely desirable watch. Issued to pilots and navigators of the RAF, the watch features the reliable Lemania 2220 calibre movement with Incabloc shock resistance, making it an ideal everyday wearer. The recently discovered example is in superb condition and is exactly as you would hope to find one.
Newmark 6BB/9243306 “Fab Four” Chronograph c.1980
Considered the rarest of the so-called “Fab Four”, the Newmark 6BB Chronograph is another incredible find. It is believed only around 500 of these watches were issued to the RAF in 1980 and finding one can prove extremely challenging. The newly discovered example is in amazing condition and is a dream to any collector looking to complete their “Fab Four” collection.
All six watches are new to the market having been stored away for some time. Consequently, they all require a sympathetic service, which will shortly be undertaken by expert horologist, Simon Freese.
The watches will be listed for sale on our website over the forthcoming few days. In the meantime, please feel free to contact us now should you wish to register your interest in one or more of these remarkable discoveries.
Thank you for your interest.
