Smiths W10 British Army Wristwatch c.1970
The end of the Second World War by no means brought about total peace for Britain who became involved in conflicts all over the world. Such conflicts in Palestine, Malaya and Korea were fought with the equipment left over from WW2, which in watch terms was primarily the W.W.W’s.
The W.W.W’s were in continuous use throughout the 1950s until they were joined, along with the Smiths Deluxe, by the Smiths W10 wristwatch. These were joined later in the early 1970s by the W10 mechanicals by CWC and Hamilton.
The Smiths W10’s were used by British personnel during the Falklands War in 1982 and up to the first Gulf War at the beginning of the 1990s.
Smiths has a grand history in the UK as watch, clock and instrument makers. They are famed for having produced watches for the British military and Smiths watches even accompanied members of the first Mount Everest Expedition. Sadly, Smiths produced their last military wristwatches in the early 1970s.
The Smiths W10 was the last ever mechanical wristwatch to be produced in the UK to be issued to the British Army. As such, it is held in high regard by watch collectors and military enthusiasts alike.
