Description

Cabot Watch Company, or CWC, does not have a long, rich history, it was only founded in 1972.

In the early 1970s, the MOD sourced watches from several brands. For the Royal Navy Divers, there were Omega and Rolex, for RAF Pilots – Precista, Newmark, and Hamilton, and the Army, Smiths, and Hamilton. However, by 1972, Smiths had ceased making watches and Hamilton, facing the quartz crisis, decided that MOD contracts were just not lucrative enough to continue.

Hamilton’s Managing Director for the UK, Ray Mellor, saw an opportunity to manufacture watches to MOD Specifications and decided to establish The Cabot Watch Company, or CWC as it appears on their watch dials.

It is estimated that CWC only issued, just over, 3000 watches in total in their first 20 years or so making them all rare. However, the 1995 production has been estimated at only 500 to 600 units produced, making it very rare! This particular watch has issue number 509.

These are extremely hard to find, in used, but not “battered”, condition and this one stands up to scrutiny very well. The dial is clean, with the Tritium lume showing a beautiful patina. The case hasn’t been polished and still shows sharp edges, and the markings on the case back are crisp. The engraved issue number is “large”, suggesting this was taken from existing Silverman’s stock, rather than issued from the factory (which would have been a “small”, engraved issue number).

The hands are in amazing condition, although the lume is now very faint.

Finally, the Aluminium Bezel insert looks incredible and is the correct “fat-print” version too. I have never seen one this nice and having just been serviced, it runs as you would expect too.

All beautifully presented on a new “James Bond” style NATO strap.

The appeal of CWC watches is that, from the outset, they were created to be military instruments, with no pretence, no evocative name like “Submariner” or “Seamaster”; just a simple dial and case back stamped with the essential codes and stock numbers.

To those who appreciate the simple stripped-down utility of dive watches, or military watches in general, the CWC diver might just be your best choice!