Diehard collectors of these watches know the story, but it bears repeating. These watches--stamped W.W.W. for "Watch Wristlet Waterproof"--had to meet strict standards mandated by the British Ministry of Defense during the last half of 1945. The specs were these: black dial; Arabic numerals; luminous hands (radium); 15 jewel movement; and waterproof.

Twelve companies met these standards, and manufactured the watches that would be dubbed the "Dirty Dozen" and fascinate collectors for decades. They were: Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, JLC, Lemania, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor, Vertex, and Longines.

Record was founded in 1903 in Tramelan, Switzerland. It operated as an independent company, producing a wide array of consumer grade pocket and wristwatches. In 1961, the brand was purchased by Longines.

Prior to their purchase, Record was contracted by the British Ministry of Defense to manufacture military-grade timepieces during the Second World War, and their version of the WWW (Watch, Wrist, Waterproof) saw wide distribution amongst the British Armed Services in the second half of the 20th Century.

Perhaps less-commonly seen than the other variants, the Record WWW is no less desirable. 

This case of this particular example retains a razor sharp case with almost no signs of wear. The real standout, though, is the dial, which has taken on a gorgeous patina over time, becoming tropicalized. With all the requisite military markings, this Record has survived combat unscathed and is ready to storm the trenches once more.