THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: SMITHS
MODEL: W10
YEAR: 1969
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 35mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: TEXTILE
MOVEMENT: MANUAL WIND

Smiths began as a family-run business in the 19th century, founded by Samuel Smith in 1851. What started as a modest operation supplying precision instruments soon grew into one of Britain’s most respected makers of clocks, gauges, and eventually, watches.

They were one of the very few watch companies in the world to produce everything in-house, right down to the movements. While the Swiss dominated the global scene, Smiths quietly carried on, crafting mechanical watches entirely on British soil—a rare and ambitious feat.

Their range included everything from field watches and dress models to dashboard instruments and pilot chronometers. But perhaps their most famous moment came in 1953, when a Smiths watch accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay to the summit of Mount Everest—a symbol of reliability in the harshest conditions on earth.

In 1966, Smiths secured a contract that would become a defining chapter in its history: supplying wristwatches to the British Ministry of Defence. The result was the W10—a no-nonsense, purpose-built timepiece issued to British Army personnel from 1967 to 1970.

This example, supplied to the British Army (W10), has remained in incredible condition. The dial is flawless, and the hands are superb as well. There is a very small hole in the minute hand, though it’s barely noticeable when worn.

The cal. 60466E movement came to us in great health and is running at +8 s/d, 250 amps, with a beat error of 0.5.