Vertex is a historic British watch brand, originally one of the ‘Dirty Dozen’ WWII suppliers, revived in 2016 to create high-spec, modern military field watches.
Overview
Founded: 1916
Based in: London, United Kingdom
Typical Price Range: £2000–£5000 GBP
Known For: M100, MP45
Website: vertex-watches.com
Brand Story
Vertex was founded in London in 1916 by Claude Lyons, developing into a key British supplier of military pocket and wrist watches. Most notably, Vertex was selected as one of the twelve manufacturers (the ‘Dirty Dozen’) to supply field watches to the British Ministry of Defence during World War II. The brand was revived in 2016 by Lyons’ great-grandson Don Cochrane, who focused on modernizing this military pedigree.
Design Language
Vertex watches combine historical military design with modern technology. Dials feature molded, solid-lume 3D Arabic numerals made from Super-LumiNova, red-tipped sweep hands, and highly brushed case profiles that emphasize rugged utility.
Movements & Manufacturing
Vertex utilizes Swiss Sellita movements, choosing hand-wound calibers like the SW216-1 for field watches to match vintage mechanics, and automatic chronograph calibers for their aviation-themed models.
Notable Models
The M100 is a modern 40mm tribute to the original WWII ‘Dirty Dozen’ military watch, while the MP45 is a monopusher chronograph inspired by historical pilot watches.
Why Enthusiasts Care
Vertex is the only British member of the historical ‘Dirty Dozen’ to be actively revived by a direct descendant of the original founder. Their watches are engineered with exceptional specifications, offering collectors genuine military heritage.
Official Website
Featured Models
M100
A modern 40mm military field watch paying tribute to the historical WWII 'Dirty Dozen' watches, featuring molded 3D solid-lume numerals.
