PHG Heritage 36 – WO-1945

Description

01 — THE DESIGN

WO-1945 draws from the legendary “Dirty Dozen” — twelve watchmakers commissioned by the British Ministry of Defence in 1945 to produce a standard-issue field watch under the WWW specification. Simple, robust, and pure functionalism. PHG’s ambition goes beyond homage: we set out to reinterpret the material character of a 1945 military watch using 2026 manufacturing capability.

02 — THE DIAL

The original Dirty Dozen dials were not smooth, machine-polished surfaces. They carried a fine matte grain — the signature of wartime sand-blasting — and that grain is where the entire character of the dial lives. To reproduce it, we went through dozens of spray-finish trials. Grit size, spray angle, layer count — every variable was tested against simulated battlefield lighting. The resulting matte black dial holds its contrast under direct light and remains legible in near-darkness. All of the testing was done under lighting conditions that mimic field use, not a showroom.

In the 1940s, lume was applied by hand with a brush. Each numeral, each index, carried the subtle unevenness of a human stroke — and that irregular thickness produced a distinctive three-dimensional presence. Modern pad-printing can deliver a perfectly flat coat in three passes. We could have stopped there. We didn’t. PHG’s C3 Super-LumiNova coating was printed over ten layers — not because it was necessary, but because building up that thickness was the only way to replicate the plump, dimensional feel of a hand-painted vintage dial. In daylight it reads like an old watch. In darkness it glows with modern C3 uniformity. Two kinds of light, one kind of honesty.

04 — THE MOVEMENT

WO-1945 uses a Small Seconds layout — hours and minutes on the main dial, with a small running seconds sub-dial at 6 o’clock. We chose the Miyota 1L45 quartz movement for this configuration. To the best of our knowledge, this is possibly the first use of a 1L45 in a Dirty Dozen watch. The decision was driven by one factor: proportion. The 1L45’s sub-dial position perfectly matches the original WWW layout’s visual relationship between large and small dials. It looks right at a glance. It holds up under close scrutiny. The 1L45 is a standard jump-second quartz — one tick per second, ±20 sec/year, battery life of 3 years. No winding, no servicing, no surprises.

The Dirty Dozen dial numerals are a “you know it when you see it” proposition. Modern digital type is too clean, too uniform — it lacks the subtle curves of 1940s hand-drawn design. PHG’s design team adjusted every numeral stroke by stroke: the weight of certain lines, the angle of terminal endings, the spacing between digits. The goal was never to copy-paste. The goal was to capture the spirit — recognizable as Dirty Dozen from across the room, and quietly PHG up close.

03 — THE CASE

Drawing from one Dirty Dozen manufacturer would have been easy. Drawing from all twelve — taking the best lines from each — was the real assignment. Some cases had elegantly elongated lugs; others had a more aggressive bezel transition. PHG synthesized these strengths into a single case language: 36mm, fully brushed 316L stainless steel, lean and compact. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t compromise.

05 — THE CRYSTAL

Box-style K1 mineral glass with double-sided coating — anti-reflective on the inside, scratch-resistant on the outside. Push-pull crown. 50m water resistance.

06 — THE STRAP

18mm black NATO, Olive NATO, or brown leather strap with brushed stainless hardware.

About the Crazy Horse Leather Strap

If you’ve selected the leather strap version, your strap is made of crazy horse leather — a material prized for its rugged, vintage character.

Crazy horse leather (also called pull-up or oil-tanned leather) is full-grain cowhide with a waxed finish. It naturally develops light scuffs with use — this is the signature pull-up effect, a feature of the material, not a defect.

Scratches are easy to restore: gently rub with a fingertip or a barely damp cloth, and the mark will fade back into the leather. Over time, the strap develops a unique patina all its own.

Care: avoid alcohol-based cleaners; a dry cloth wipe is all it needs.

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07 — SPECIFICATIONS

CASE
Diameter	36 mm
Lug-to-lug	45.5 mm
Thickness	11.3 mm
Lug width	18 mm
Material	316L stainless steel, fully brushed finish
CRYSTAL
Crystal	Box-style K1 mineral glass, double-sided coating
MOVEMENT
Movement	Miyota 1L45 quartz, Small Seconds
Function	Small Seconds at 6 o’clock
DIAL
Dial	Matte black with white printed Arabic numerals, fine sand-blasted grain
Lume	C3 Super-LumiNova
WATER RESISTANCE
Water resistance	50 m / 5 ATM
STRAP
Strap	18mm black nylon NATO, brushed stainless hardware

08 — PHG PROMISE

Every PHG watch carries a two-year global warranty covering movement malfunctions and manufacturing defects in the case, crown, and crystal — waterproofing failure under normal use included. Accidental damage, normal wear, and battery replacement are not covered; full terms are set out in our Warranty Policy.

Each watch is inspected before it leaves our workshop.

PHG Watch Co. designs and builds this product independently from historical design languages. It is not affiliated with, authorised by, or connected to any other brand or reference.