If you’ve got an appreciation for military history — or appreciate a vintage look when it comes to your accessories — take note of the resurrected watchmaking brand Vertex. Relaunched in 2017 by the great-grandson of the company’s founder, Vertex has issued a limited edition that pays homage to one heck of a legendary timepiece. The occasion is the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, and the timepiece is the Vertex Bronze 75: a special bronze facsimile of the M100 watch, one of the famed Dirty Dozen watches produced for British troops in 1945 by Vertex, Grana, Omega, and other leading watchmakers.
That 40mm bronze case will develop a warm, unique patina over time, part of its attraction, for sure. The stainless steel caseback, meanwhile, includes the classic Dirty Dozen W.W.W. engraving which stands for: watch, wristlet, and waterproof. The large lumed numerals make the black dial super-legible. Then there are the straps. Besides the quick-release vintage leather one, there’s also a recreation of the original Dirty Dozen A.F.0210 cotton strap and a nylon Zulu strap. A worthy tribute to a fabled chapter of the horological annals — and to those who served in one of the 20th century’s defining conflicts.