In the grand, sweeping narratives of the Second World War, history tends to focus on the thunder of tanks, the roar of aircraft, and the strategic brilliance of generals. Yet, ticking away quietly on the wrists of countless soldiers, pilots, and sailors was a piece of technology so vital that missions could succeed or fail based on its performance. This is the story of the military-issued watch, an unsung hero of the conflict, whose design and purpose were forged in the crucible of war. These weren’t mere time-tellers; they were precision instruments of navigation, coordination, and survival.
The American Workhorse: The A-11 “Hack” Watch
Often referred to as “the watch that won the war,” the American A-11 is perhaps the most iconic of all WWII timepieces. It wasn’t a single watch model from one brand, but rather a strict military specification that several manufacturers had to meet. The U.S. government commissioned three of its horological giants—Elgin, Waltham, and Bulova—to produce these watches in massive quantities. The goal was not luxury, but brutal efficiency and interchangeability. An A-11 had to be simple, rugged, and above all, accurate.
The design philosophy was one of absolute clarity. It featured a black dial with bold white Arabic numerals, a clear minute track, and luminous hands. This high-contrast layout ensured that a pilot could read the time with a quick glance, even in the turbulent, poorly lit cockpit of a B-17 Flying Fortress. The case was typically made of chrome-plated base metal and was designed to be dustproof and water-resistant, though not truly waterproof by modern standards. But its most critical feature, the one that gave it its nickname, was the “hack” seconds mechanism. When the crown was pulled out, the seconds hand would stop completely. This allowed an entire squadron of pilots or a platoon of soldiers to synchronize their watches to the exact same second. In an era before GPS and atomic clocks, this simple mechanical function was paramount for coordinated attacks, timed bombing runs, and precise navigation.
The hacking seconds feature was not a minor convenience; it was a core tactical requirement. For navigators on long-range bombing missions, even a few seconds of deviation could result in being miles off target. By allowing for perfect synchronization before a mission, the A-11 specification directly contributed to operational effectiveness and the safety of aircrews.
German Precision: The Colossal B-Uhren
While the Americans focused on mass-produced functionality, the German approach was one of uncompromising precision and specialized use. For their Luftwaffe navigators, they developed the Beobachtungsuhr, or B-Uhr (plural B-Uhren), which translates to “Observation Watch.” These were not subtle timepieces. With case diameters of a staggering 55mm, they were designed to be worn on the outside of a thick flight jacket, strapped securely to the arm. Their immense size was purely functional, allowing for a large, pocket-watch-grade movement that could be regulated to the highest chronometer standards.
Only five companies were contracted to produce these elite instruments: four German makers (A. Lange & Söhne, Laco, Stowa, Wempe) and one Swiss powerhouse (IWC). The B-Uhren came in two primary dial configurations:
- Baumuster A (Type A): An earlier, simpler design with classic Arabic numerals from 1 to 11 and a distinctive triangle with two dots at the 12 o’clock position for quick orientation.
- Baumuster B (Type B): A later design from around 1941, featuring a large outer minute track with a smaller inner ring for the hours. This layout prioritized reading minutes and seconds, which was more critical for a navigator during a bombing run.
These watches also featured a prominent onion-shaped crown, large enough to be operated while wearing thick gloves. Like the A-11, they had a hacking seconds feature. The B-Uhr was an imposing, purpose-built tool that embodied German engineering’s focus on technical superiority, serving a single, highly specialized role with incredible accuracy.
Britain’s Finest: The “Dirty Dozen”
As war loomed, the British Ministry of Defence realized its troops lacked a standardized, robust wristwatch suitable for the rigors of the field. They drafted a set of specifications for a new general service timepiece and, because Britain’s own watchmaking industry was largely dedicated to producing naval and aviation chronometers, they turned to neutral Switzerland for production. They commissioned twelve different Swiss manufacturers to build watches to their exacting standards. These twelve watches are now famously known by collectors as the “Dirty Dozen.”
The Twelve Suppliers
The companies that formed this exclusive group were Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor, and Vertex. The specification they all followed was designated W.W.W., for “Watch, Wrist, Waterproof.” While each company used its own movement and had subtle design variations, they all shared core characteristics: a black dial with luminous markers, a “small seconds” sub-dial at 6 o’clock, a railroad minute track, a shatterproof perspex crystal, and a rugged, water-resistant case. The case backs were engraved with the W.W.W. marking, the broad arrow symbol (denoting property of the Crown), and two sets of serial numbers. These were true field watches, designed to be legible, reliable, and tough enough to survive the trenches and battlefields of Europe and beyond. Today, collecting a full set of all twelve is considered a holy grail for many military watch enthusiasts, with the Grana being exceptionally rare as very few were produced.
Special Operations and Covert Timekeeping
Beyond the standard-issue pieces, the war also spurred the development of highly specialized watches for elite and clandestine units. The most famous of these are the watches used by the Italian Navy’s frogmen commandos of the Decima Flottiglia MAS. These underwater demolition experts required a timepiece that was large, exceptionally luminous, and completely waterproof for their nighttime raids on Allied ships in harbors like Alexandria and Gibraltar.
They turned to the Florentine watchmaker Panerai, which in turn sourced waterproof cases and movements from none other than Rolex. The resulting watches, like the Radiomir, were massive, featuring a cushion-shaped case and a dial painted with a highly radioactive, radium-based luminous material that glowed with fierce intensity in the dark. These watches were military secrets, tools of silent warfare that were not declassified or made available to the public until decades after the war, their history shrouded in the shadowy world of special forces operations.
The legacy of these wartime watches is immense. They established a design language—simplicity, legibility, and durability—that defined the “tool watch” genre and continues to influence countless timepieces today. From the pilot’s watch with its clear dial to the rugged field watch, the DNA of the A-11, the B-Uhr, and the Dirty Dozen is unmistakable. They are more than just vintage collectibles; they are tangible artifacts that bore witness to history, each scratch and patina a silent testament to the incredible stories they could tell.
