British watchmaker Bremont has recently introduced its latest timepiece, the Bremont Broadsword Recon, an addition to the company’s Armed Forces collection. With only 200 pieces available, the limited-edition model embodies takes inspiration from the iconic Dirty Dozen watches.
Bremont is no stranger to military timepieces, with the Bremont Military and Special Projects Division creating bespoke watches for military personnel and divisions. They are the only luxury watch producer allowed to use the signs, symbols and Heraldic Badges of all three of the Royal Navy, British Army and the Royal Air Force. It is therefore no surprise that they turned their eye to a reimagination of the ‘Dirty Dozen’.
The Dirty Dozen
The “Dirty Dozen”refers to a group of 12 wristwatches made by 12 different manufacturers during World War II for the British Ministry of Defence. These watches were commissioned by the MoD for the British military personnel and were required to meet specific criteria for accuracy, durability, and legibility under harsh conditions.
The 12 manufacturers that produced these watches were Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lemania, Longines, IWC (International Watch Company), Omega, Record, Timor, and Vertex. The watches shared common features, such as a black dial with Arabic numerals, a railroad-style minute track, luminous hands and hour markers, a shatterproof crystal, and a stainless steel case. They also had similar specifications, including a 15-jewel manual-wind movement, water resistance, and a diameter of around 35-38mm.
These watches were designed to be functional and reliable under the challenging circumstances of war. The Dirty Dozen has gained legendary status among watch collectors and enthusiasts due to their historical significance and the limited number of pieces produced during the war. Today, they are highly sought after in the vintage watch market and serve as the inspiration for modern military-inspired timepieces, such as the Bremont Broadsword Recon.
Reimagining a classic design
One of the primary details Bremont integrated into the Broadsword Recon is the sandwich dial. The matte black dial has cutouts for the luminescent elements, allowing Bremont’s tan-colored trademarked “P51” Super-LumiNova to shine through.
Matte black hands with the same shade of tan lume as the dial provide legibility. The watch’s color scheme continues with the Bremont logo, date window at 3 o’clock, and markers, all in tan. Additional details include hash marks between the hour markers and the “HMAF” logo beneath the Bremont name. A small seconds dial at 6 o’clock pays tribute to the original Dirty Dozen pieces and has four openings to the lume underneath.
The two-piece hardened steel Broadsword case measures 40mm in diameter, 12.5mm in thickness, 47mm lug-to-lug, and has a 20mm lug spacing. The case features the signature Broadsword ridged sides, nicely chamfered beefy lugs, and a broad, radially brushed bezel. The watch is equipped with a domed AR-coated sapphire crystal and comes with a color-matched NATO strap with an additional rubber or leather strap.
The steel caseback is stamped with the badges of all three services and ‘Approved by Her Majesty’s Armed Forces’. The case is rated water resistant to 100 meters.
Inside is the Bremont modified caliber 11 1/2‴ BE-95-2AV, a 31 jewel movement with Glucydur balance wheel, Anachron balance spring and a 38-hour power reserve.
Summary
Bremont has delivered a very handsome and faithful reinterpretation of the classic ‘Dirty Dozen’ but with a very modern feel. Bremont’s ties to the UK military gives the watch added credibility. Priced at £3,195.00 this is very tempting alternative to similarly styled watches, such as the Omega Seamaster Diver 300m 007 Edition at £9,300.
