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A Vertex watch is made by a British-founded brand established by Claude Lyons in 1912. Collectors best know Vertex for its Cal. 59 W.W.W. military wristwatch, one of twelve watches now grouped as the “Dirty Dozen.” The brand has since been revived, and its modern M100 and M36 draw on that military heritage without being original wartime watches.
How Vertex began and returned
According to Vertex’s official history, Claude Lyons founded the Vertex Watch Company in 1912, initially specializing in Swiss movements recased in Britain. Vertex Watches Ltd was established in London and La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1916. The company’s history records relationships with watchmakers including Aureole, Movado and Revue Thommen.
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In 1940, enemy action destroyed Vertex’s Hatton Garden factory and showrooms. The following year, Henry Lazarus—Lyons’s son-in-law and a British Army captain—was approached to help procure watches for military use. Vertex says Cal. 59 W.W.W. production began in Switzerland in 1943, followed by large-scale production in 1944.
Vertex later made diving and sports watches, but closed in 1972 after the quartz crisis and the end of its Hatton Garden lease. Lyons’s great-grandson, Don Cochrane, revived and reincorporated the company in 2015. The M100 was announced in 2016, and the brand relaunched in 2017, according to its timeline.
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What the Cal. 59 W.W.W. was—and what “Dirty Dozen” means
The Cal. 59 W.W.W. is the Vertex watch most closely tied to its military history. David Read’s account in the British Horological Institute’s Horological Journal expands W.W.W. as “watches, wristlet, waterproof.” The specification was approved in 1945 and appointed twelve suppliers: Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lemania, Longines, International Watch Co., Omega, Record, Timor and Vertex. Collectors commonly call the resulting group the “Dirty Dozen.”
Vertex describes the Cal. 59 as a navigation watch in its own history and says it was the only British-based manufacturer among the twelve. But “navigation watch” is not an uncontested technical description. Read says the W.W.W. watches were intended as normal wristwatches for general service, not technical navigation. His account places approval and deliveries in 1945, with most watches issued to the Army in the Far East after the war in Europe had ended.
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There is also a distinction between the brand’s British identity and where the wartime watches were made: Vertex says Cal. 59 production took place in Swiss factories. It is therefore more accurate to describe Vertex as a British brand whose wartime W.W.W. watches were produced in Switzerland than to imply they were manufactured entirely in Britain.
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Why published production figures do not match
Historical accounts differ on both timing and quantity. Vertex’s heritage page gives 4,652 W.W.W. Cal. 59 watches delivered in 1944. David Read’s BHI account places W.W.W. deliveries in 1945, while Fratello Watches reported 15,000 Vertex Cal. 59 Nav units produced by 1944 in 2019.
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These statements should remain attributed rather than combined into a single production total or timeline. The sources do not resolve the discrepancy.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Modern Vertex watches: military influence, not wartime originals
The current Vertex homepage lists the M100A, M36, M60 AquaLion and MP45. The collections page describes the M100 as an original “Dirty Dozen” homage and the M36 as a 36mm “Dirty Dozen”-inspired range. Wallpaper* describes the M100 as 40mm and the M36 as 36mm, closer in size to the wartime field watch.
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Those models are modern tributes, not original Cal. 59 W.W.W. watches. If you are choosing among current Vertex models, start with the kind of watch you want: the M100 and M36 draw on field-watch styling, while the M60 AquaLion and MP45 represent other directions in the present lineup. Check the current catalog for model details, stock and pricing, which can change. For straps or accessories, confirm compatibility with the specific watch before buying.
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What to remember when considering Vertex
- Brand: British-founded by Claude Lyons in 1912, with a modern revival led by Don Cochrane.
- Historic significance: Its Cal. 59 W.W.W. is one of the twelve watches collectors call the “Dirty Dozen.”
- Military context: The BHI account describes the W.W.W. as a general-service wristwatch; technical navigation claims are disputed.
- Modern collection: The M100 and M36 reinterpret military-inspired design, but are not wartime-issued originals.
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