Details

Brand

CWC

Model

Field Watch

Reference

W10

Movement

Hand Wound

Case

35mm

Metal

Stainless Steel

Circa

1977

Dial

Black

Bezel

Steel

Condition

No

Box/Papers

Watch Only

About this watch

Band: Black/Green NATO Clasp: Steel Pin Buckle Glass: Plexi glass Water Resistant: Splash Proof Ray Mellor, then Managing Director of Hamilton in the United Kingdom, noticed during the 1970s that the British MoD was struggling to fill orders for the timepieces that it required. This was due in part to the quartz crisis and also to the fact that brands such as Smiths and Hamilton no longer found government contracts financially rewarding. To fill this gap, Mellor decided to launch his own brand in 1972, dedicated entirely to meeting the MoD’s requirements while not selling to civilians. CWC, or Cabot Watch Company, was named after the 15th-century explorer John Cabot. Cabot was the first European to see North America since the Norse Vikings. The name, Mellor felt, had strong English connections that would help the brand win MoD contracts. It wasn’t until the 1990s that Mellor reluctantly began selling his watches to civilians through Silverman’s, a British company specializing in selling mil-spec items to the public. This collaboration soon led to Mellor selling the company to Silverman’s, with a retired Mellor still attending meetings into his ninth decade. This CWC W10 field watch from 1977 measures 35mm with a tonneau (French for barrel) shaped case and is made from stainless steel. While its monocoque construction was originally engineered to seal out dust and moisture, due to its age and vintage materials, it is now only splash-proof. The dial features printed Arabic numerals, a chemin de fer (railway) minute track surrounding the iconic MoD broad arrow insignia, and luminous markers filled with aged tritium. It also bears an encircled “T”, denoting the use of this radioactive luminescent material. The one-piece case protects the MoD Calibre 649 (derived from the Swiss ETA 2750), a…