Jaeger-LeCoultre W.W.W. 'Dirty Dozen'

Regular price
$4,950
Regular price
Sale price
$4,950
REF W.W.W.
Manual-winding
35 MM
– Show less
SKU AS11452
Article Number 40980119
ref W.W.W.
case size 35 MM
movement Manual-winding
approximate age 1940s
dial color Black
material Chrome Plated
style Military
category Vintage
bracelet Fabric
lug width 17 MM
Includes Grey pass-through, nylon strap with matching stainless steel hardware and pin buckle. Also includes Jaeger-LeCoultre: The Ultimate Guide For The Collector by Zaf Basha.
overall condition Exceptional condition overall. Case is in excellent condition given its age. Dial and handset are in equally excellent condition with light wear and even patina noted throughout.
REF W.W.W.
Manual-winding
35 MM
– Show less
SKU AS11452
Article Number 40980119
ref W.W.W.
case size 35 MM
movement Manual-winding
approximate age 1940s
dial color Black
material Chrome Plated
style Military
category Vintage
bracelet Fabric
lug width 17 MM
Includes Grey pass-through, nylon strap with matching stainless steel hardware and pin buckle. Also includes Jaeger-LeCoultre: The Ultimate Guide For The Collector by Zaf Basha.
overall condition Exceptional condition overall. Case is in excellent condition given its age. Dial and handset are in equally excellent condition with light wear and even patina noted throughout.

Why We Love it

The Jaeger-LeCoultre W.W.W. is one of those watches that doesn’t just have history — it practically is history.

In 1945, as World War II reached its final chapters, the British Ministry of Defence issued a specification for a new kind of wristwatch: rugged, legible, waterproof, easily serviced, and standardized enough to be deployed at scale. The result was the now-legendary W.W.W. program — short for “Wrist. Watch. Waterproof.” Twelve Swiss manufacturers were contracted to deliver these timepieces, creating what collectors later nicknamed the “Dirty Dozen.” And among them, Jaeger-LeCoultre is widely regarded as one of the most desirable.

Why? Because JLC didn’t treat this like a simple government order. It treated it like an engineering problem — and then solved it with the same seriousness it brought to its finest civilian watches.

This example, with its chrome-plated and stainless steel case and screw-down caseback, is engraved with the correct military markings: the issue number, the 'broad arrow' (the British government property mark), and the “W.W.W.” designation. The black dial is a pure instrument panel: bold luminous Arabic numerals, a crisp white outer minute track, luminous 5-minute dots, and a subsidiary seconds register at 6 o’clock for quick synchronization. The 'cathedral' hands — polished, luminous, and unmistakably martial — are the kind of detail that makes modern “military-inspired” watches feel like cosplay.

Inside is the hand-wound Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 479, a jeweled movement built to be accurate, robust, and serviceable under real-world conditions — the kind of movement meant to survive mud, cold, impact, and long stretches without mercy.

At 35mm, it wears with that perfect WWII-era proportion: compact, purposeful, and almost shockingly elegant for something designed for war. It’s not a watch that pretends to be tough. It’s tough because it had to be.

A true tool watch, before that phrase became branding.

This spectacular piece comes from the collection of Zaf Basha, a noted authority on Jaeger-LeCoultre who has published two books: Vintage Military Watches: A Guide for the Collector and Jaeger-LeCoultre: The Ultimate Guide for the Collector. Over the years, Basha put together one of the most impressive assemblages of vintage JLC timepieces in the world, and we're thrilled and honor to offer many of them for sale on Analog:Shift. 

Brand Story

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Few watchmaking concerns are as storied as Jaeger-LeCoultre. Though the maison is not technically a member of the “Holy Trinity” of Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin, one could easily make the argument that it should be: After all, it was JLC that supplied movements to Patek from the beginning of the 20th century through the early 30s.

Founded in 1833 by Antoine LeCoutlre in Le Sentier, Switzerland, the firm became the Jaeger-LeCoultre we know today when it merged with Parisian watchmaker Edmond Jaeger’s business in 1937. The two horological concerns collaborated on numerous projects before cementing their partnership, the most important of which was no doubt the Reverso. A sport watch with a reversible case, this ingenious timepiece was designed to offer protection to the watch dial — when engaged in sport or otherwise dangerous activity, the wearer would simply flip the case over, exposing its back to the world, rather than the vulnerable crystal.

But the Reverso is far from the only significant timepiece brought to market by JLC: The firm also produced the world’s thinnest pocket watch in 1907, powered by the Caliber 145. In 1929, the maison released the Caliber 101, still today the smallest mechanical movement. (Queen Elizabeth II wore a Caliber 101-equipped wristwatch to her coronation in 1953.) And perhaps no other watchmaker is world-renowned for their production of a clock in the way that JLC is famous for the Atmos. Invented by Jean-Léon Reutter, it’s powered by miniscule changes in atmospheric pressure — Edmon Jaeger acquired the patent and licensed it beginning in 1936. The Atmos is still produced in numerous forms today, and remains the Swiss government’s foremost diplomatic gift.

From classic, near-centuries old designs like the Reverso and the Atmos to modern über-complications such as the brilliant Master Gyrotourbillon, Jaeger-LeCoultre remains on the cutting edge of horological technology nearly two centuries after its founding.

A:S Guarantee

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Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a two-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

Shipping & Returns

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All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre W.W.W. 'Dirty Dozen'

Jaeger-LeCoultre W.W.W. 'Dirty Dozen'

Regular price
$4,950
Regular price
Sale price
$4,950
Jaeger-LeCoultre W.W.W. 'Dirty Dozen'