Longines WWW “Greenlander” 23088

Longines, 38mm WWW "Dirty Dozen - Greenlander" MoD Military issued World War II Wristwatch

Description: Longines WWW "Dirty Dozen - Green-lander" ref: 23088 MoD Military issued World War II wristwatch. 38mm stainless steel case with double stepped bezel and fixed (soldered) lug pins, closed case-back with MoD engravings, Longines calibre 12.68Z yellow gold gilt finish manual wind movement. Black dial, Arabic numerals, Radium-lit cathedral style hands and dial markings, sub-seconds at 6 o'clock, acrylic domed crystal. Original pig skin leather strap with steel buckle and stays. In functional condition with a time keeping gain of +50 sec/day. Comes without box or paperwork. Original production was only 8,000 pieces. During world war II the British Ministry of Defense in the 1940's developed a specification for military issue wristwatches. The specification is referred to as W.W.W., an acronym which stands for Watch, Wrist-let (i.e. not a pocket watch) and Waterproof. W.W.W. is marked on the case back along with the serial number and manufacturer code (F for Longines). The Longines reference 23088, was dubbed the ‘Greenlander’ by collectors due to its association with the 1952-54 British North Greenland Expedition, that ended up not being true. Nonetheless, the name stuck. In all there were 12 different manufacturers, who produced watches to this specification for the MoD, collectively they are referred to as “The Dirty Dozen.” This watch has a beautiful Longines 12.68N movement with Breguet over-coil and blued screws contrasting nicely with the gilded plates, shock proofing on the balance pivots, designed to absorb the sort of jarring-impacts which can damage or break movement components. The watch has a great solid stainless steel case, which at 38 mm is large for a vintage watch, but well suited to contemporary tastes. The watch has fixed lugs to hold it securely to the strap, even in combat. All watches are sold "As Is". Webb's make no guarantee of the future working order of the watch or battery life, and watches may need to be serviced to improve accuracy. Generally, none of the watches have been tested for time keeping accuracy or running time, nor have any seals been tested on water-resistant watches. If they have been tested this is for indication purposes only and not guaranteed. Vintage watches may have been restored or repaired over the years, as such Webb's cannot guarantee that individual component parts are original or authentic. Categories: Fine Jewels, Watches and Luxury Accessories > Watches & Timepieces > Wristwatches