MWC 24 Jewel 1980s Pattern 300m Automatic Military Divers Watch with Sapphire Crystal and a Black and a Grey NATO Strap - No Fault Apparent Running Fine During a Four Hour Test

£279.00 £149.00 149.00

Qty

This watch is one of 2 which are model SUB/MIL/SS/AU/W, below is a full description of and the issues which they are reported to have (in many cases the watches do not have issues) below that is the full information relating to this model from the factory website which gives full details of all of the dimensions, specification and other information relating to the watch. 

We buy these watches from various defence auctions and other disposal sales and it's frequently the case that we find that there is actually nothing wrong with the watch but it has to be assumed it will have some form of fault though in most cases it's very minor or as described below. These watches are disposed of at low-cost because we find that one of the problems is the pressure of time for our service staff in the UK and elsewhere and in most cases, they have given them a quick check over and nothing is immediately apparent though we have to assume that there is either no real fault with the watch or something will reveal itself over time in which case it’s normally a simple case of a service or regulating needed.

Model: SUB/MIL/SS/AU/W

Condition: Looks New in Original Box

Fault: Both the watches were running fine and keeping time when left on test for 4 hours so it doesn't seem there are any issues.

The issue we sometimes fight with the surplus watches which come from the auctions and sales is that sometimes the people checking the watches before they go into the sales do not understand that an automatic watch needs winding so if it's not running they simply assume it has a fault even though in many cases it turns out not to have anything wrong. In this particular case, these two watches are exactly the same model, and they are saying that they don't run so our suspicion is, they simply do not understand the basic principles of the watch, because both ran the moment we wound them.

----

Factory Description:

Product Code: SUB/MIL/SS/AU/W

These divers watches are a remake of one of our 1980’s models, this particular variant was remade specifically for a U.S contractor who had secured a large sale to one of their clients, the watch has a robust stainless steel case and is equipped with a high performance automatic 24 jewel self-winding movement. We have made a number of upgrades to the original watch such as the shatter and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and increased water resistance rating. The dial is unbranded (referred to in the military as sterile) which gives the watch a very clean appearance with a totally uncluttered face. 

This watch is based on a 1980 UK MOD specification for automatic divers watches (DEF STAN 66-4 [Part 1] Issue 3), this specified a unidirectional bezel and a boldly marked dial with tritium paint and a mineral glass crystal. The MOD document from 1980 can be seen in the final 2 images. This watch is made in the spirit of the 1980 watches but with certain design aspects taken from its predecessors. This watch also has improvements over the 1980 specification such as the sapphire crystal referred to below. 


These models represent excellent value and are very competitively priced for such a high-performance automatic watch of this type.

This watch measures 45mm including the crown and 40mm excluding the crown and uses Luminova for first-rate nighttime visibility, the strap is a standard 20mm NATO strap as used on a wide variety of military divers models so there are a substantial range of colours options available if you like to occasionally change the strap which you are using.

Dimensions and Specification:

  • Water Resistance: 300m / 1000ft Water Resistant
  • Crown: Screwdown Locking
  • Screw Caseback
  • Dimensions: Width Inc Crown 45mm (Exc Crown 40mm)
  • Movement: 24 Jewel NH35A with 41-hour reserve
  • Thickness: 15mm
  • Crystal Type: Sapphire with Anti Reflective Coating*
  • Crystal Diameter 31mm
  • Lug to Lug: 49mm
  • Weight: 89.5g
  • Strap: 20mm NATO Webbing Strap
  • Box

* A lot of people ask us what are the benefits of sapphire crystal over a standard mineral crystal? The answer is that synthetic sapphire is by far the best material for watch crystals because it is very strong and also shatter and scratch-resistant, these characteristics make it very appealing to military and security personnel, police officers, and people who lead active outdoor lifestyles, these groups account for over 70% of our customers. To get things into perspective we find that when clients have accidents with watches resulting in a cracked crystal over 90% usually watches with mineral glass crystals, even factoring in that we use hardened mineral crystals they still do not come close to sapphire for durability under adverse conditions. The reason that sapphire crystals are so strong is that after the sapphire glass is manufactured it is also heat-treated to remove its internal stresses—which can cause weakness—it is then made into the watch crystals and two layers of anti-reflective coating are applied, interestingly sapphire crystal is now used on the latest iPhone. Of course, sapphire crystal comes at a price hence you find that it's normally only fitted to higher-end watches.