British heritage reborn

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Vertex The M100 military watch

Starting from 2.994 €

The Vertex The M100A is a British military watch that continues the story of the only English house in the “Dirty Dozen”. A direct tribute to the W.W.W. calibre 59 delivered to the Ministry of Defence in 1944, it revives the typography, railway minute track and oversized small seconds, in a 40 mm brushed steel case driven by a Swiss automatic movement assembled in the brand's workshop. Its black dial with moulded Super-LumiNova blocks and “broad arrow” marking immediately signal its origin. Offered in two versions, brushed steel or Covert black DLC, delivered in a Peli case with three straps, it is aimed at military watch enthusiasts drawn to a genuine historical lineage.

Vertex The M100A military watch

Vertex was born in London in 1912, when Claude Lyons borrowed a thousand pounds from his father-in-law to launch his own watchmaking house. The company moved in 1916 to Hatton Garden, London's historic jewellery quarter, while also developing operations in La Chaux-de-Fonds. In 1941, Henry Lazarus, the founder's son-in-law and by then a captain in the British Army, was called upon to supply the Ministry of Defence with service watches. Production of the calibre 59 W.W.W., standing for Watch, Wrist, Waterproof, began in 1943 and 1944 across four Swiss factories: 4,652 pieces were delivered in preparation for D-Day, and the brand's total contribution is estimated at around fifteen thousand examples.

Vertex is thus the only British manufacturer among the twelve brands grouped under the name “Dirty Dozen”, a circle that has become legendary among military watch collectors. The company closed in 1972, brought down by the quartz crisis and the end of its Hatton Garden lease. It was revived in 2015 under the impetus of Don Cochrane, the founder's great-grandson, before an official relaunch in 2017 at Apsley House, the residence of the Duke of Wellington.

The M100, announced in 2016, was the first Vertex produced in forty-five years. The brand presents it as the ultimate tribute to the W.W.W. calibre 59 worn by British soldiers, sailors and airmen. The letter A in M100A signals the move to an automatic movement, where the first modern series were hand-wound.

Technical specifications Vertex The M100

Brand: Vertex
Model: The M100A / The M100AC
Reference: M100A
Indicative price: 2.994 € incl. tax
Movement: Swiss automatic
Calibre: Sellita SW260-1 Top Grade
Power reserve: 38 h
Diameter: 40 mm
Thickness: 12.2 mm
Water resistance: 100 m
Materials: Brushed 316L steel
Crystal: Double domed sapphire
Dial: Black
Strap: Black leather, 2 NATO
Warranty: 5 years
Box contents: Watch, case, 3 straps

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The Vertex The M100A military watch

The M100A carries forward the DNA of the 1944 calibre 59 without seeking a literal reissue. The brushed 316L steel case adopts a 40 mm diameter with a thickness of 12.2 mm, proportions that place the watch in a contemporary register while keeping the sober silhouette of British service watches. The 48.5 mm lug-to-lug keeps the footprint under control and allows the piece to sit stably on wrists of varying sizes, including under a sleeve. The all-over brushing avoids any stray glare, true to the original utilitarian logic. Above the dial, the double domed sapphire box crystal brings the characteristic distortion of old acrylic crystal boxes, but with the hardness of a modern material.

Montre Vertex The M100A 11

Its AR08 + AR06 anti-reflective treatment preserves legibility in raking light, a basic requirement for a watch designed for field use. The black dial is the model's most recognisable feature. Typography, railway minute track and layout of the hour markers echo those of the original W.W.W., while the off-centre oversized small seconds immediately recalls the lineage. The Super-LumiNova C3 grade X1 is cast in solid blocks rather than applied as a coating, a process that gives the dial its relief and long-lasting luminosity. The so-called syringe hands complete the historical reference, and the “broad arrow” marking appears on the dial with the express authorisation of the British Ministry of Defence.

Brushed steel or Covert DLC: two readings of the M100

The model comes in two versions at the same price. The M100A opens the series with its brushed steel case, while the M100AC, known as Covert, uses exactly the same construction under a brushed black DLC coating. The A denotes the automatic movement, the C the discreet character of the second execution. Both share the black dial with moulded Super-LumiNova and differ only in the case finish and the strap selection. Beneath the caseback, both watches house the Sellita SW260-1 Top Grade calibre, a no-date automatic movement with 31 jewels and a small seconds with stop-seconds function.

Montre Vertex The M100A 42

It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 Hz, is regulated in three positions and fitted with a Nivaflex hairspring. Its 38-hour power reserve calls for regular wear, the trade-off for a deliberately compact mechanical profile. The brand personalises the whole with blued screws and an oscillating weight named Cal59, a direct nod to the historical movement. Water resistance reaches 100 metres, secured by a screw-down crown, a level consistent with demanding daily use without any claim to being a true diver. The delivery matches this positioning: the watch arrives in a military-specification Peli case, accompanied by three straps in 20 mm lug width, black leather and NATO for the steel version, two-piece rubber and NATO for the DLC version.

Vertex The M100A military watch: the Dirty Dozen legacy

The Vertex The M100A combines a 40 mm brushed 316L steel case, a thickness of 12.2 mm and a 48.5 mm lug-to-lug. It is driven by the Swiss automatic Sellita SW260-1 Top Grade calibre, no-date, with 31 jewels and 28,800 vibrations per hour, fitted with a Nivaflex hairspring and a 38-hour power reserve. The black dial echoes the typography of the original W.W.W. with a moulded Super-LumiNova C3 grade X1 in blocks and the broad arrow marking. Double domed sapphire box crystal, screw-down crown, 100 metres water resistance, Peli case, three straps and a five-year worldwide warranty.

Movement

The M100A is driven by the Sellita SW260-1 Top Grade calibre, a Swiss automatic, no-date movement with 31 jewels. It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 Hz, and offers a 38-hour power reserve. Its architecture includes a small seconds with stop-seconds, useful for precise time-setting, as well as a Nivaflex hairspring. Regulated in three positions, it features blued screws, specific finishing and a personalised oscillating weight named Cal59, a direct reference to the brand's historical calibre.

Diameter and materials

The case measures 40 mm in diameter for a thickness of 12.2 mm and a lug-to-lug of 48.5 mm, with a 20 mm lug width. It is machined from brushed 316L steel, a matte finish that limits glare and reflects the model's utilitarian spirit. The Covert version uses the same case shape under a brushed black DLC coating. Above the black dial, the double domed sapphire box crystal evokes old crystal boxes while offering the strength of modern sapphire.

Water resistance

The watch offers water resistance of 100 metres, or 10 ATM, guaranteed by a screw-down crown that seals the case's most exposed point. This level comfortably covers swimming, splashes, heavy rain and handling in damp conditions, without positioning the piece as a true diver. Legibility in poor conditions relies on the Super-LumiNova C3 grade X1 moulded in solid blocks, which delivers intense, long-lasting luminosity, true to the brand's visual signature.

Accessories

The watch is delivered in a military-specification Peli case, a rigid waterproof box faithful to the model's spirit. Three straps accompany the steel version: a black leather, an Admiralty Grey NATO and an additional Vertex NATO, all in a 20 mm lug width. The Covert version instead comes with a two-piece Vertex rubber strap, a red NATO with DLC hardware and a black NATO. This selection allows the look of the piece to be varied without any further purchase.

Warranty

Vertex backs each piece with a five-year worldwide warranty, a duration longer than common market practice and presented by the brand as a promise of build quality. Purchases made through the official boutique also benefit from a 30-day return window and free worldwide delivery. This arrangement, combined with direct sales from London and a limited network of authorised retailers, frames a model currently reported as out of stock.