War time inheritance
History, heritage, presence and a low-level price: salute the military-styled Vertex M100
Founded in 1916 by British watchmaker Claude Lyons, Vertex was one of the original “dirty dozen” watches commissioned by the Ministry of Defence for military use (others include IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega and Longines). Though Vertex continued producing its militaryapproved W.W.W watches (the initialism stands for Wrist. Watch. Waterproof) for 56 years, the company was forced to shutter its Hatton Garden headquarters due to the global quartz crisis in watchmaking in 1972.
Today, the marque has a new lease of life in the hands of Lyons’ great-grandson Don Cochrane, launching a new model, the M100, inspired by its wartime forerunner the W.W.W. Cal 59 from 1944. A mechanical timepiece housed in a pleasingly compact 40mm case, the watch has an on-beat vintage feel, comes available on various straps (though the authentic feeling khaki Nato is our favourite) and contains a top grade ETA 7001 movement. “The story of the M100 comes from the fields, skies and seas of WWII. The watches did truly important things during that period: from timing bombing runs and invasions to navigating through enemy territory and, of course, organising all important trips to the pub,” says Cochrane of the marque he inherited. “Now Vertex is re-entering the market with all of that authority behind it. Authority which gives the new M100 a soul you just would not get without that backstory.”
Perhaps most interesting, though, is that for the past six months or so only around 600 watches have been offered for sale to a handful of customers personally selected by Cochrane. From this winter, however, a small number will become available to the public via selected retailers.
It’s a clever way of building interest in a timepiece which, with a £2,500 price tag, sits at the lower end of the luxury watch market.
To be in with a chance of bagging one yourself, visit the Vertex store in London’s Marylebone in the new year, or express your interest online at its website. Action stations, men!