As a designer, I always Iove learning about the context behind a product's design. I especially respect brands who properly pay homage to designs from different era. Bravo on this one, guys! Can't wait to snag one for my husband.
I'm a veteran. But I"m also a Buddhist now. Love the field watch style and history in any case. Wearing a Hamilton Khaki right now (that is a 38mm). I have a Vaer 36mm quartz - great watch! If you have smaller wrists like me the 36 really works, and that loss of 10 - 20 grams in weight from most watches makes it so much more more comfortable. Excited! Just ordered one. So glad they did this. Oh, Vaer Customer Service rocks.
Thank you for your service, your continued support, and for sharing your thoughts on the 36mm design. As you may be able to tell, Ryan and I are on a mission to promote the appeal and functionality of sub-40mm sizing for field watches. I've been wearing the 36mm C3 Tradition for over a year, and I could not agree more. From garden work around the house, surfing, golfing etc. I will often take a moment to look at the watch, and appreciate the fact I FORGOT I was even wearing it. Like a good pair of boots, comfort is an essential ingredient in a quality everyday wristwatch.
Hey Reagan, I have the 36mm version on the way to review and I am really looking forward to see what guys have put together. I am also a big fan of products assembled in the USA. There’s not many companies like you guys out there so I wish you the best, love what you’re doing .
I absolutely love this! I’m a huge fan of the look of those WW2 dirty dozen watches and I think this V2 version really nails the dimensions and proportions of a modern interpretation of a dirty dozen watch. I’m not in a position to buy one at the moment myself unfortunately but I’m sure you’ll sell out in no time. You guys absolutely nailed this one 🙌
Thanks Gareth - glad to hear you're a fan of the design and execution. The hand-wound ETA is certain a very special movement. For yourself, and others who might be looking for a more economical 10ATM vintage military field watch, I'd recommend keeping an eye out for our next re-stock of the Ameriquartz Korean Field Watch at $209 (sold out at the moment but back summer 2021) and also our upcoming 36mm A3 Automatic collection, retailing around $500, which will be released summer 2021. Cheers!
I just got mine, and I'm flabbergasted by the quality of the craftsmanship and sheer value for the money. The movement is also beautifully finished. Best of breed, period. Keep up the great work, VAER!
First off, Vaer is so transparent. You guys are always reachable and the American spirit is so wrapped up in youre brand from the way u guys started to the designs. A Vaer piece is a great investment
Thanks Brian, appreciate the support! We definitely try our best to stay as reachable as possible. As you probably know, Ryan and I handle all aspects of the business, so keeping on top of customer feedback can be a challenge (especially across different social channels) but it's something that is incredibly important to our business, even as we continue to grow the brand. All the best!
36mm, 20mm, 10ATM, 7001, this is perfect! Really interesting point about excluding the screw down for longevity of water resistance -- the idea that this was a deliberate choice makes me appreciate the purchase more. I'm curious to see if Vaer ever does a white-dialed theme variation, like Ball's Railroad Standard Trainmaster, or RGM/Vacheron Corps of Engineer dials. Weiss offers white and beige variations on their Field 38mm, which is also 20mm, 10ATM, 7001, but Vaer's case design is more refined on lug rounding, case back opening, size and metal strap compatibility. Looking forward to surfing in this!
I recently ordered two Vaer quartz watches. I look forward to them. The only thing preventing me to buy this watch is the missing "pheon", the broad arrow, on the dial. I will wait until you put it.
Very nice. Love the backstory of the watches DNA. The bracelet design is really awesome! Love the quick change pushers. I'm a big guy and I wear my 36 datejust with pride.
Thanks for the comment George. We love the 36mm Datejust (and Explorer), most especially when someone calls us out on using 20mm lugs on a 36mm case - always enjoy pointing out that if it's good for Rolex, it's good for us.
Thank you for your effort in making this watch. The subseconds dial fits/looks so much better on the 36mm v2 compared to the 40mm v1. I appreciate the details that nod back to the original like the larger crown and the hand winding. I also appreciate the modern nod to watch enthusiasts today with the display caseback. Why get a mechanical watch if you can't see the movement? Vaer, Timor, and Vertex have all made excellent modern versions of the D12 WWWs. This is v2 is my favorite. I also appreciated your thoughts about using a screw-down crown on a manual wind watch. This v2 is a big improvement over v1.
I own a S3. About the Stowas, the Marine 36 and Partitio (37mm), the main difference with the Vaers is the "dial" size. The Marine 36 has a 32.5 mm dial and the Partitio 33mm. That makes then look bigger. Even the Kuoe "Old smith" (35mm) has a dial of 31mm and a doomed cristal. Looks much bigger than the S3. The L-to-L and lug width also matter ...please remember that the Stowas have blued hands and screws and are extremely regulated ..... mine have run +1/-1 second per day for the last 4 years .... I love the case shape of the S3, the attention to detail is obvious. The CWC and MWC are all 35mm and 36mm .... love your take on the dirty dozen .... check the CWC sub-hunter .... By the way ..... when do you expect to have SS bracelets for the S3 back in stock ?????
Hi Gino, thanks for the comment and for supporting the brand - the 36mm steel bracelets ARE back in stock now. We haven't made a community-wide back-in-stock announcement because we were worried that they may sell-out again quickly, and that the A12 Dirty Dozen customers may miss out on the opportunity to bundle with a bracelet, but you should be able to shop them now. Thanks for the added insights on the Stowa watches, I actually haven't had the chance to handle them in-person but it's definitely a brand Ryan and I admire (generally, I wouldn't mention a brand in a comment or video, unless I thought they were worth giving some attention to). My guess, is that Stowa's decision to use their "massive caseback", which helps mitigate the issue of the dial sizing constraints on backloaded watches, has a trade-off when it comes to water-resistance. Backloading the dial and movement is an under-appreciated design decision (notoriously avoided by cheaper fashion watches, that benefit from the aesthetic of a thin bezel), so it's neat to see a work around with the Partitio using a caseback that extends to the case walls. Because we value real-world in-water function above almost all other design requirements, it's not something we'll replicate anytime soon, but if there was a way to do it, AND keep the case at 10ATM, I'd certainly be on-board.
You sound like a truly passionate and honest person. I appreciate this a12 model, and although it not being really low-price, this one is very tempting.
I appreciate that! For reference, we do sell the C5/A5 Heritage, which are aesthetically pretty similar but priced at $209 & $449 respectively. (Still not as cool as the Dirty Dozen though!)
Thanks Reagan for this review. The email just popped up today and when I saw it and the dimensions I was excited because this is true to the originals in so many ways. I am a big fan of the military field watch and having recently purchased the Timor Heritage Field makes this one right up my alley.
Thanks Brian, glad this one caught your attention - the Timor revival is a super cool piece, and further evidence of how the W.W.W. design continues to resonate. Appreciate the interest and the comment.
Glad to hear that and I think that's a very compelling motivation for building your watch collection. Good luck, and let us know if you have questions about this model or any other retro-inspired military watches in our lineup.
Thanks for the continued support James! As you've probably seen from your own experience, we've taken every opportunity to build on each watch release (from quartz, to autos, to divers, to manuals) and continuously improve our design, brand appeal and value proposition. We're optimistic that the new A12 models will help further establish our reputation in the $1000-$2000 category, and set us up for some very exciting releases in the next 12 months. We're excited to get your watch out to you.
The A12 is simply one of the best designs I’ve ever seen - simple, clean, versatile colors - and I love the small seconds. Really only one question here. While I love mechanical watches, I could use a grab and go. Will an A12 quartz version be coming out soon?
Thanks and great question. It's definitely something we've considering, and it may be on the release radar for 2022, but for the time being, we sort of like to keep the design and the model in the "special" category, at the top of our lineup. There is the C5 Heritage (36mm C3 version coming soon) for only $209.
that watch is truly an amazing modern version of the dirty dozen, however the swiss made markings that replaced some of the minute tracks between 5 and 7 make the watch slightly harder to read, i would love a redesign where the swiss made markings will be places somewhere else that would not affect the legibility of the watch, if so then i'm sold!
36mm case with 20mm lugs is the Nuts sizing for me, been loving my Smiths PRS25w since 2019. Cheers for the hand-wound movement, I'm really into it. Just add drilled lugs on the v3 and you can have my money! If there was a realistic possibility for different dial colors in the future - I'd love a brown one, although I imagine sand/cream would be even more popular.
Thanks Dimo, we appreciate the comment! We also like Smiths - they're a great companion to any Dirty Dozen collection. Regarding the 20mm to 36mm sizing, it might make more sense if you understand that ALL Vaer watches are sold with interchangeable straps, and all are sized at 20mm lug width, so if you own a 36mm A12 Dirty Dozen, a 39mm D5 Diver, and a 40mm C5 Field Watch, you can swap all the straps out between your watches seamlessly (same point goes for the drilled lugs). The 36:20 ratio is BIT rare, but to be honest, the fact that it's the ratio on the 36mm Rolex Explorer gave us a fair bit of confidence that it was an acceptable decision!
My brother owns a Rolex Datejust 36mm with a 20mm bracelet that looks the real McCoy and Rolex sells several thousand of these Nut sized watches every year............quite successful hmmmmmmmmm ?
Thanks for the comment and the compliment - that's very nice of you to say. We do have the advantage of technological progress with the exhibition caseback, and some other finishing touches - but we're glad to hear you think it more than holds its own with the originals.
@@VaerWatches I inquired with you about 36mm watches before you came out with them. You confirmed and I think said the Dirty Dozen version was planned for ~August '20. I'm guessing Covid complicated that plan so I wound up getting the C5. I've never spent so much on a watch, but I like this A12-V2 so much that I just put in for the pre-order. So looking forward to it!
I preordered C3 Tradition Black and love it, wear it almost daily. I am psyched you kept the A12 36mm, but is there a Destro version (9 o’clock crown) available?
Not at THIS TIME, though as we continue to stabilize/establish the business we'd love to start doing more fun and small batch one-offs and unique releases like that.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment - as you might have seen through our recent design survey, the A3 36mm automatics are in-progress and slated for a mid-summer release! We're very excited to be bringing this model into the line-up, as it's been continuously requested since we first introduced the 36mm sizing last year! Stay tuned.
I really like that it's 36mm. Almost all new watches look to me like someone took a wall clock and strapped it to their wrist. 36mm or smaller, all the way down to 29mm, was the norm for decades. I don't know why everything has gotten so big.
This looks awesome - truly. That said, I'm very surprised that the broad arrow under the logo is not there. When you're attempting to produce one of the most historical and accurate recreations, that arrow is kind of a must. It's on all of the dirty dozen watches ... all 12. Additionally, similar to what someone else said, I wouldn't have lumed the logo either.
Thanks for the comment Tim - and very fair feedback on the broad arrow/lumed logo. I already responded on these points below as well, but to re-state here: my general thinking is that the inclusion of the arrow, while aligning visually with the original W.W.W. spec and other MOD models, would be somewhat disingenuous, in that our version is a "civilian" model of a military watch. My personal approach to dial design leans minimalist, and I'm generally more inclined to remove markings than include them. If we were able to eventually offer a watch on a Military Base Exchange, the use of the arrow, in that case, would make a lot of sense to me. The lumed logo is more of a taste thing, like the open case back, it's a break from history /minimalist simplicity but we do like to include certain design elements because we think they're cool/fun - and the glowing Vaer logo would be in that category. Thanks again for the comment!
@@VaerWatches Incredibly fair and reasonable reply. Makes sense ... and thanks for taking the time to explain the thought process. I *do* miss that broad arrow though ;-) :-)
@@VaerWatches And to make sure that my true feelings about this watch are clear for others - I think this watch will end up being a go-to ... and that means a lot from someone who owns quite a few Vaer watches. Great job Vaer!
@@ODB_ No Doubt. I think it looks phenomenal enough to buy one (so hopefully that makes my feelings well known). My main point is that when you say "Our goal for the A12 Dirty Dozen was to create the most historically accurate WW2 Field Watch homage ever made" - then the broad arrow is a must.
@@VaerWatches I think it’s irrellevent if the watch is a military watch or casual. Literally every DD watch has the arrow. It’s like saying our watch is inspired by the other watches, yet is missing the one thing that all the other watches have.. (that and the two dots by the twelve). Having the smaller tracks, a smaller arrow, and smaller dots would have complimented a minimalistic design.
Using the hand wound movement in the new A12 is a total win. I own a vintage Longines pulsometer that is hand wound and previously had a Panerai 47mm watch that was hand wound (PAM421?). Hand wound movements are too cool.
Vertex will release this year their dirty dozen watch reissue in 36 mm for the 80th anniversary of D-Day in limited edition. I hesitate with the Vertex one and this model 😞
At last. I ordered one. My considerations? When you do an MOD homage, it should include the broad arrow. The croc band should be brown to contrast with the black dial. The logo on the dial should NOT be lumed, IMO. The lumed logo violates the minimalist ethos of the MOD design intention. These are what the Brits would call, "moans and niggles". The effort looks very well executed as a whole; imperfect, like everything in this world, but properly intentioned and diligently executed, with the usual VAER attention to detail sufficient to impress even this double Virgo. Thank you for making a properly sized dirty dozen homage with a proper manual movement. No one else has done this. The choice of a non screw down crown is spot on for a hand wound movement! I do recall a 200M WR mechanical watch without a screw down crown, made by a Japanese microbrand, briefly, in limited numbers. It is possible, but technically demanding to achieve such tight tolerances. Yes, the Stowa 36 Marine is beautiful, but the low WR limits it's application to the office and formal occasions. It addresses a completely different niche. The niche for the A12 v2 is as a GS (general service) watch for land use, suited for everyday wear, hunting, fishing, casual, office, and just daily living. And, yes, 36mm is actually 2mm larger than the GS watch issued to the US Armed Services during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam eras, made by Benrus and others. This watch, the A12 v2, is the same size as the legendary Rolex 1016. Clarke Gable wore a 34mm watch. A 40mm watch is too large for use in the field, too prone to breakage, too likely to reflect sunlight (a target for snipers), and too likely to get caught up in gear in the heat of battle. I expect that this watch will be a great success, once the word gets out. It will particularly appeal to UK fans of MOD gear, and to traditionalist outdoorsmen who are willing to afford it. The branding as simply the A12 on your website may not get the attention that this watch deserves. You may want to call it the A12 v2(36 manual), or something like that to distinguish it from the previous A12 40mm automatic. This is an apples and oranges difference. It took balls to pursue this project. It's worth crowing about. I expect that I will wear this watch on my non dominant hand on an MN strap, and a vintage WW2 wrist compass on the other hand. Good to go in the densest forest, with or without blue sky. When you grow up in the Pacific Northwest, you learn how easy it is to become disoriented under dense and relentless cloud cover.
You said "Thank you for making a properly sized dirty dozen homage with a proper manual movement. No one else has done this.". That is not true. Timor recreated one and it is almost spot on (timorwatch.com/) (wornandwound.com/the-timor-heritage-field-a-dirty-dozen-watch-is-reborn/).
@@JasonPew Thank you for the correction. I had forgotten about that project. I didn't care for the case design, and 50m WR is lower than I was interested in. Yes, the Timor was spot on with the face, hands, and layout. I do think I prefer 20mm lugs though. The Timor offering is sold out, in any case.
@@JasonPew I appreciate you pointing that out - the team behind Timor definitely deserves a lot of credit for a very faithfully, and well-executed version of the original design.
Thank you for supporting the release, and taking the time to provide such in-depth feedback, suggestions, and helpful commentary. It's always great to hear from fellow enthusiasts. Your points are well-taken, I would say that the inclusion of the arrow, while aligning visually with the original W.W.W. spec and other MOD models, would be somewhat disingenuous, in that our version is a "civilian" model of a military watch. My personal approach to dial design leans minimalist, and I'm generally more inclined to remove markings than include them (it's one of the reasons very few of our military field watches include a 24-hour inner hour track). Your point that the lumed VAER logo counters this general principle of minimalism is fair - it is a bit decorative, but like exhibition casebacks (which I love), I think it's one of those features that's sort of fun, and especially appeals to people who are just getting into watches and enjoy the experience of noticing subtle design details that long-time collectors immediately pick-up on. Regarding the Gator strap, brown would certainly look good on this watch - however, our decision to offer only black at launch was mostly due to the incredibly high manufacturing cost of American Made Alligator straps, we only ordered 100 pcs of the gator, and wanted to see how the community would respond before branching into other colors. Black is more adaptable across a variety of models, and matches better with an upcoming gold-cased piece. Your other points regarding the Stowa, Benrus and other sub-36mm sizes are all spot on and I could not agree more - as a former Infantryman I can personally attest to the appeal of small watches in the field - though if I'm honest, when I was in the Army, I wore a $30 Digital Timex I bought at Wal-Mart!
I don't share the criticisms re: the arrow or lumed logo. I like this version better than the Timor recreation. It's personal preference. Vaer could have produced an exact replica. That's obviously not what their goal was. It sounds so boring and unoriginal. They created a homage to the original with their tweaks that make it unique to them, and I love it!
Thank you for pointing out that plenty of "manly men" throughout history have worn smaller watches. Few things annoy me more about this hobby than people saying "release it in a man's size! 42 or bust! I don't have a dainty wrist!" etc. I guarantee that if any of those people actually wore something like this exclusively for about a week they'd get used to it and it would be perfectly fine. They're just used to dinner plates on their wrist and that's all they ever wear, so they can't conceive of anything smaller being "masculine." Yet, generals, presidents, soldiers, astronauts have all worn watches in the 34 to 36 range.
100% agree - fortunately, most people who truly understand watches, also have a deep respect and awareness of history, and can find confidence (and good auction deals) in watch sizes that the casual shopper might tend to overlook.
Hand wound movement, good looking movement,display case back, 36mm case, nice lume, these make the watch almost perfect, but the lack of the arrow on the dial⋯ that makes me think twice.
the Eterna name was bought by a Japanese group which builds swiss based watches in Europe, There are a number of lines available by Eterna the Kon Tiki is a well made best seller....I know I have no life ordered te Solar am looking forward thanks
That would probably be a good high-school math test question... 42 hour reserve, 22 turns for full charge, 24 hour winding interval... I would say 10 - 12 winds would do it.
Thanks for the question, likely not until the late fall/early 2022 - as we're working to "level-up" the A7 collection a bit to give it more differentiation from the USA Assembled A5 models.
I have numerous automatic watches, one of which is a Rolex master 2. It is effectively a hand wound watch. As I cycle through my watches I always have to reset and wind them. Except the citizen ecodrive (always correct and amazing). So why not a simple and accurate hand wound watch that I can caress every day? Or reset and rewind as I cycle through my watch collection....but at least it does not pretend to be always there for me. I think I will get a Vaer. I thought your ETA heritage story was a bit of a stretch...everything is ETA these days...well not my Rolex.
Thanks for the comment Paco! I'm sure you'd really enjoy the hand-wound A12. And just to defend my ETA remarks, I can tell you as a microbrand, access to ETA pieces is VERY challenging right now (guess they're all being taken by big brands like Breitling). ETA 2824 market rates have doubled in the past year, and are barely available. We were lucky to get these 7001s for the A12. While ETA has the heritage, I can tell you that Vaer and other microbrands WILL transition to more Selita options, to keep our retail prices under $1200. (Selita movements are great by the way, ETA is just a bit cooler in my opinion).
So I just picked up 36mm A12 about an hour ago and here's my initial thoughts...pros and cons. Cons: Size: It's not "too" small, but would have definitely preferred something bigger, 38mm to 39mm would have been a better compromise, perfect in my opinion. I say that because when I compare to my Vaer 40mm automatic field or my 39mm Explorer it really does look on the smallish side. If they increase the size, at the same price point I'll buy that too. Water resistance/ push crown: I was hoping for an alternative to my Explorer, which I consider an everyday do everything watch. But the manual does not recommend rigorous in-water activities. So not so sure this checks that box. Pros: I've been fiending for a dirty dozen style watch that had a good balance of modern/vintage. This checks that box. I love the dial design and the lume of the Arabic numerals seems to be much better than Vaer field watch. The leather strap is top notch and Preferred vs silicon. Sorry if I'm redundant, but at the end of the day I like it and will enjoy wearing it, but don't love it, it checks the dirty dozen box. To love it, it needs to be at least a 38mm or 39mm. Also, unclear about water resistance & swimming with it every day in a vacation like situation. The manual says "do not recommend using A12 for rigorous in-water activities" 🙄. Not sure what that means. So is swimming laps the extent of what can be expected 🤔? My initial thoughts
Thanks for the review - fair points - though I think this video does a pretty thorough job explaining the choice of 36mm case sizing (as it's the true WW2 DD size). Regarding the water-resistance, you should be fine in the shower/rain/pool/lake etc, as you can probably see, the watch takes some decent effort to pull out the crown to wind. That said, I would not trust any 10ATM push-pull watch in "high-impact" water activities like surfing or cliff-diving.
“Eterna fell by the wayside” following WW2 and absorption into ETA ??? 🤔 Lovely DD homage though. Wish it was 38mm (maybe…) to better accommodate the 20mm lug width. Otherwise, at 36mm they should’ve gone with an 18mm lug width. Oh - and it wouldn’t have hurt to add the arrow (even if the purists will throw a fit).
I think you guys have sacrificed a few design choices in the case of ‘faux conern’ for keeping to tradition. What is a DD watch without the arrow? I get it, you want simplicity/minimalism... then make a simplistic arrow. Literally every original DD watch has one. Whether or not your watch is being used for military use or casual use is not the issue. You can make your own version of the arrow if you want. It doesn’t have the two dots right next to the 12. You provided a stock picture of the Eterna, yet it looks almost nothing like it (heck, your watch looks like a cheap knock off). Has no dots (not even small ones), and the hour/minute/second hands look like cheap plastic compared to the durable looking, flush design/color the eterna has, heck, your C3 has a more authentic look to its hands. At least make the arrows the same color as the dots around the face. The finishing looks bad, you can’t hack it. The swiss made inside the tracks makes the watch look cheap, and you’re using faux patina. If you make a V3 of this, i’d consider making it look better than the one you have here. I can go with Timor, which presumably isn’t making it’s watch for the UK military anymore, but is still keeping to tradition. Btw, consider this as constructive criticism. I was going to buy this watch until I noticied all of the cheap compromises you made and the over-priced amount you’re asking for it.
Hi, we just sent out an update email yesterday - A12 Dirty Dozens are set to start shipping next week (a week behind schedule, as a result of continued European COVID delays).
![FNAF vs TF2 - Episode 2 [SFM]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/z5b3V2-VLb0/mqdefault.jpg)
As a designer, I always Iove learning about the context behind a product's design. I especially respect brands who properly pay homage to designs from different era. Bravo on this one, guys! Can't wait to snag one for my husband.
I'm a veteran. But I"m also a Buddhist now. Love the field watch style and history in any case. Wearing a Hamilton Khaki right now (that is a 38mm). I have a Vaer 36mm quartz - great watch! If you have smaller wrists like me the 36 really works, and that loss of 10 - 20 grams in weight from most watches makes it so much more more comfortable. Excited! Just ordered one. So glad they did this.
Oh, Vaer Customer Service rocks.
Thank you for your service, your continued support, and for sharing your thoughts on the 36mm design. As you may be able to tell, Ryan and I are on a mission to promote the appeal and functionality of sub-40mm sizing for field watches. I've been wearing the 36mm C3 Tradition for over a year, and I could not agree more. From garden work around the house, surfing, golfing etc. I will often take a moment to look at the watch, and appreciate the fact I FORGOT I was even wearing it. Like a good pair of boots, comfort is an essential ingredient in a quality everyday wristwatch.
Hey Reagan,
I have the 36mm version on the way to review and I am really looking forward to see what guys have put together.
I am also a big fan of products assembled in the USA.
There’s not many companies like you guys out there so I wish you the best, love what you’re doing .
I absolutely love this! I’m a huge fan of the look of those WW2 dirty dozen watches and I think this V2 version really nails the dimensions and proportions of a modern interpretation of a dirty dozen watch.
I’m not in a position to buy one at the moment myself unfortunately but I’m sure you’ll sell out in no time. You guys absolutely nailed this one 🙌
Thanks Gareth - glad to hear you're a fan of the design and execution. The hand-wound ETA is certain a very special movement. For yourself, and others who might be looking for a more economical 10ATM vintage military field watch, I'd recommend keeping an eye out for our next re-stock of the Ameriquartz Korean Field Watch at $209 (sold out at the moment but back summer 2021) and also our upcoming 36mm A3 Automatic collection, retailing around $500, which will be released summer 2021. Cheers!
I just got mine, and I'm flabbergasted by the quality of the craftsmanship and sheer value for the money. The movement is also beautifully finished. Best of breed, period. Keep up the great work, VAER!
First off, Vaer is so transparent. You guys are always reachable and the American spirit is so wrapped up in youre brand from the way u guys started to the designs. A Vaer piece is a great investment
Thanks Brian, appreciate the support! We definitely try our best to stay as reachable as possible. As you probably know, Ryan and I handle all aspects of the business, so keeping on top of customer feedback can be a challenge (especially across different social channels) but it's something that is incredibly important to our business, even as we continue to grow the brand. All the best!
36mm, 20mm, 10ATM, 7001, this is perfect! Really interesting point about excluding the screw down for longevity of water resistance -- the idea that this was a deliberate choice makes me appreciate the purchase more. I'm curious to see if Vaer ever does a white-dialed theme variation, like Ball's Railroad Standard Trainmaster, or RGM/Vacheron Corps of Engineer dials. Weiss offers white and beige variations on their Field 38mm, which is also 20mm, 10ATM, 7001, but Vaer's case design is more refined on lug rounding, case back opening, size and metal strap compatibility.
Looking forward to surfing in this!
I recently ordered two Vaer quartz watches. I look forward to them. The only thing preventing me to buy this watch is the missing "pheon", the broad arrow, on the dial. I will wait until you put it.
I liked this watch so much that I'm almost walking to California to buy one!
Congrats from🇧🇷!
Very nice. Love the backstory of the watches DNA. The bracelet design is really awesome! Love the quick change pushers. I'm a big guy and I wear my 36 datejust with pride.
Thanks for the comment George. We love the 36mm Datejust (and Explorer), most especially when someone calls us out on using 20mm lugs on a 36mm case - always enjoy pointing out that if it's good for Rolex, it's good for us.
Thank you for your effort in making this watch. The subseconds dial fits/looks so much better on the 36mm v2 compared to the 40mm v1. I appreciate the details that nod back to the original like the larger crown and the hand winding. I also appreciate the modern nod to watch enthusiasts today with the display caseback. Why get a mechanical watch if you can't see the movement? Vaer, Timor, and Vertex have all made excellent modern versions of the D12 WWWs. This is v2 is my favorite. I also appreciated your thoughts about using a screw-down crown on a manual wind watch. This v2 is a big improvement over v1.
Got this watch today. Absolute knock out.
I own a S3. About the Stowas, the Marine 36 and Partitio (37mm), the main difference with the Vaers is the "dial" size. The Marine 36 has a 32.5 mm dial and the Partitio 33mm. That makes then look bigger. Even the Kuoe "Old smith" (35mm) has a dial of 31mm and a doomed cristal. Looks much bigger than the S3. The L-to-L and lug width also matter ...please remember that the Stowas have blued hands and screws and are extremely regulated ..... mine have run +1/-1 second per day for the last 4 years ....
I love the case shape of the S3, the attention to detail is obvious.
The CWC and MWC are all 35mm and 36mm .... love your take on the dirty dozen .... check the CWC sub-hunter ....
By the way ..... when do you expect to have SS bracelets for the S3 back in stock ?????
Hi Gino, thanks for the comment and for supporting the brand - the 36mm steel bracelets ARE back in stock now. We haven't made a community-wide back-in-stock announcement because we were worried that they may sell-out again quickly, and that the A12 Dirty Dozen customers may miss out on the opportunity to bundle with a bracelet, but you should be able to shop them now. Thanks for the added insights on the Stowa watches, I actually haven't had the chance to handle them in-person but it's definitely a brand Ryan and I admire (generally, I wouldn't mention a brand in a comment or video, unless I thought they were worth giving some attention to). My guess, is that Stowa's decision to use their "massive caseback", which helps mitigate the issue of the dial sizing constraints on backloaded watches, has a trade-off when it comes to water-resistance. Backloading the dial and movement is an under-appreciated design decision (notoriously avoided by cheaper fashion watches, that benefit from the aesthetic of a thin bezel), so it's neat to see a work around with the Partitio using a caseback that extends to the case walls. Because we value real-world in-water function above almost all other design requirements, it's not something we'll replicate anytime soon, but if there was a way to do it, AND keep the case at 10ATM, I'd certainly be on-board.
@@VaerWatches Thanks for the info. I just ordered the bracelet and even got a discount !!!!!!!!!!
I’m interested in a V2 model ….my dad was a WWII veteran and earned a Purple Heart ..
Fantastic! If I hadn’t purchased a C3 and a D5 in the last year, I would have pulled the trigger today.
You sound like a truly passionate and honest person. I appreciate this a12 model, and although it not being really low-price, this one is very tempting.
I appreciate that! For reference, we do sell the C5/A5 Heritage, which are aesthetically pretty similar but priced at $209 & $449 respectively. (Still not as cool as the Dirty Dozen though!)
Thanks Reagan for this review. The email just popped up today and when I saw it and the dimensions I was excited because this is true to the originals in so many ways. I am a big fan of the military field watch and having recently purchased the Timor Heritage Field makes this one right up my alley.
Thanks Brian, glad this one caught your attention - the Timor revival is a super cool piece, and further evidence of how the W.W.W. design continues to resonate. Appreciate the interest and the comment.
Wearing the Timor heritage as I write this, also have the vertex m-100, and the smiths prs-29a, love the dirty dozen style watches
My father was a WW2 veteran. I like to collect watches that look like the watches he might have worn during the war.
Glad to hear that and I think that's a very compelling motivation for building your watch collection. Good luck, and let us know if you have questions about this model or any other retro-inspired military watches in our lineup.
Great looking watch, esp on the gator. Want one!
We have more coming to stock this fall!
@@VaerWatches will this watch back in stock? or just the gator straps🥲?
I've ordered mine. This will be my third VAER. Looking forward to placing it on wrist.
Thanks for the continued support James! As you've probably seen from your own experience, we've taken every opportunity to build on each watch release (from quartz, to autos, to divers, to manuals) and continuously improve our design, brand appeal and value proposition. We're optimistic that the new A12 models will help further establish our reputation in the $1000-$2000 category, and set us up for some very exciting releases in the next 12 months. We're excited to get your watch out to you.
The A12 is simply one of the best designs I’ve ever seen - simple, clean, versatile colors - and I love the small seconds. Really only one question here. While I love mechanical watches, I could use a grab and go. Will an A12 quartz version be coming out soon?
Thanks and great question. It's definitely something we've considering, and it may be on the release radar for 2022, but for the time being, we sort of like to keep the design and the model in the "special" category, at the top of our lineup. There is the C5 Heritage (36mm C3 version coming soon) for only $209.
@@VaerWatches my dream watch is a a12 with a polished case. I would use it with a Forstner Komfit bracelet. Perfection.
that watch is truly an amazing modern version of the dirty dozen, however the swiss made markings that replaced some of the minute tracks between 5 and 7 make the watch slightly harder to read, i would love a redesign where the swiss made markings will be places somewhere else that would not affect the legibility of the watch, if so then i'm sold!
36mm case with 20mm lugs is the Nuts sizing for me, been loving my Smiths PRS25w since 2019. Cheers for the hand-wound movement, I'm really into it. Just add drilled lugs on the v3 and you can have my money! If there was a realistic possibility for different dial colors in the future - I'd love a brown one, although I imagine sand/cream would be even more popular.
Thanks Dimo, we appreciate the comment! We also like Smiths - they're a great companion to any Dirty Dozen collection. Regarding the 20mm to 36mm sizing, it might make more sense if you understand that ALL Vaer watches are sold with interchangeable straps, and all are sized at 20mm lug width, so if you own a 36mm A12 Dirty Dozen, a 39mm D5 Diver, and a 40mm C5 Field Watch, you can swap all the straps out between your watches seamlessly (same point goes for the drilled lugs). The 36:20 ratio is BIT rare, but to be honest, the fact that it's the ratio on the 36mm Rolex Explorer gave us a fair bit of confidence that it was an acceptable decision!
Drilled lugs would be fantastic
My brother owns a Rolex Datejust 36mm with a 20mm bracelet that looks the real McCoy and Rolex sells several thousand of these Nut sized watches every year............quite successful hmmmmmmmmm ?
This is subjective of course but I think the Vaer Dirty Dozen watch looks better than every one of the original Dirty Dozen watches.
Thanks for the comment and the compliment - that's very nice of you to say. We do have the advantage of technological progress with the exhibition caseback, and some other finishing touches - but we're glad to hear you think it more than holds its own with the originals.
@@VaerWatches This is not a complaint...I have the C5 Heritage Black with tan hands. Your Dirty Dozen with tan hands would be perfect.
@@VaerWatches I inquired with you about 36mm watches before you came out with them. You confirmed and I think said the Dirty Dozen version was planned for ~August '20. I'm guessing Covid complicated that plan so I wound up getting the C5. I've never spent so much on a watch, but I like this A12-V2 so much that I just put in for the pre-order. So looking forward to it!
I preordered C3 Tradition Black and love it, wear it almost daily. I am psyched you kept the A12 36mm, but is there a Destro version (9 o’clock crown) available?
Not at THIS TIME, though as we continue to stabilize/establish the business we'd love to start doing more fun and small batch one-offs and unique releases like that.
Thank you for bringing back 36mm designs! This one is too expensive for me but I'm waiting for the automatics!
Thanks for the thoughtful comment - as you might have seen through our recent design survey, the A3 36mm automatics are in-progress and slated for a mid-summer release! We're very excited to be bringing this model into the line-up, as it's been continuously requested since we first introduced the 36mm sizing last year! Stay tuned.
Nothing wrong with 36mm. I am wearing this size on my 7.5 wrist everyday. Going to get this watch for my dad for Father’s Day
I really like that it's 36mm. Almost all new watches look to me like someone took a wall clock and strapped it to their wrist. 36mm or smaller, all the way down to 29mm, was the norm for decades. I don't know why everything has gotten so big.
This looks awesome - truly. That said, I'm very surprised that the broad arrow under the logo is not there. When you're attempting to produce one of the most historical and accurate recreations, that arrow is kind of a must. It's on all of the dirty dozen watches ... all 12. Additionally, similar to what someone else said, I wouldn't have lumed the logo either.
Thanks for the comment Tim - and very fair feedback on the broad arrow/lumed logo. I already responded on these points below as well, but to re-state here: my general thinking is that the inclusion of the arrow, while aligning visually with the original W.W.W. spec and other MOD models, would be somewhat disingenuous, in that our version is a "civilian" model of a military watch. My personal approach to dial design leans minimalist, and I'm generally more inclined to remove markings than include them. If we were able to eventually offer a watch on a Military Base Exchange, the use of the arrow, in that case, would make a lot of sense to me. The lumed logo is more of a taste thing, like the open case back, it's a break from history /minimalist simplicity but we do like to include certain design elements because we think they're cool/fun - and the glowing Vaer logo would be in that category.
Thanks again for the comment!
@@VaerWatches Incredibly fair and reasonable reply. Makes sense ... and thanks for taking the time to explain the thought process. I *do* miss that broad arrow though ;-) :-)
@@VaerWatches And to make sure that my true feelings about this watch are clear for others - I think this watch will end up being a go-to ... and that means a lot from someone who owns quite a few Vaer watches. Great job Vaer!
@@ODB_ No Doubt. I think it looks phenomenal enough to buy one (so hopefully that makes my feelings well known). My main point is that when you say "Our goal for the A12 Dirty Dozen was to create the most historically accurate WW2 Field Watch homage ever made" - then the broad arrow is a must.
@@VaerWatches I think it’s irrellevent if the watch is a military watch or casual. Literally every DD watch has the arrow. It’s like saying our watch is inspired by the other watches, yet is missing the one thing that all the other watches have.. (that and the two dots by the twelve). Having the smaller tracks, a smaller arrow, and smaller dots would have complimented a minimalistic design.
Using the hand wound movement in the new A12 is a total win. I own a vintage Longines pulsometer that is hand wound and previously had a Panerai 47mm watch that was hand wound (PAM421?). Hand wound movements are too cool.
Vertex will release this year their dirty dozen watch reissue in 36 mm for the 80th anniversary of D-Day in limited edition. I hesitate with the Vertex one and this model 😞
Where did you find the information? I cannot find anything about 36mm Vertex in the Internet.
@@bumberwun asked them by email last year and communicated about it in newsletter
I hope so i own two vertex m 100 b and mp 45 heritage manual both perfection simple no nonsense tools what more would you want in a watch
At last. I ordered one. My considerations? When you do an MOD homage, it should include the broad arrow. The croc band should be brown to contrast with the black dial. The logo on the dial should NOT be lumed, IMO. The lumed logo violates the minimalist ethos of the MOD design intention. These are what the Brits would call, "moans and niggles". The effort looks very well executed as a whole; imperfect, like everything in this world, but properly intentioned and diligently executed, with the usual VAER attention to detail sufficient to impress even this double Virgo.
Thank you for making a properly sized dirty dozen homage with a proper manual movement. No one else has done this. The choice of a non screw down crown is spot on for a hand wound movement! I do recall a 200M WR mechanical watch without a screw down crown, made by a Japanese microbrand, briefly, in limited numbers. It is possible, but technically demanding to achieve such tight tolerances.
Yes, the Stowa 36 Marine is beautiful, but the low WR limits it's application to the office and formal occasions. It addresses a completely different niche. The niche for the A12 v2 is as a GS (general service) watch for land use, suited for everyday wear, hunting, fishing, casual, office, and just daily living. And, yes, 36mm is actually 2mm larger than the GS watch issued to the US Armed Services during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam eras, made by Benrus and others. This watch, the A12 v2, is the same size as the legendary Rolex 1016. Clarke Gable wore a 34mm watch. A 40mm watch is too large for use in the field, too prone to breakage, too likely to reflect sunlight (a target for snipers), and too likely to get caught up in gear in the heat of battle.
I expect that this watch will be a great success, once the word gets out. It will particularly appeal to UK fans of MOD gear, and to traditionalist outdoorsmen who are willing to afford it. The branding as simply the A12 on your website may not get the attention that this watch deserves. You may want to call it the A12 v2(36 manual), or something like that to distinguish it from the previous A12 40mm automatic. This is an apples and oranges difference. It took balls to pursue this project. It's worth crowing about.
I expect that I will wear this watch on my non dominant hand on an MN strap, and a vintage WW2 wrist compass on the other hand. Good to go in the densest forest, with or without blue sky. When you grow up in the Pacific Northwest, you learn how easy it is to become disoriented under dense and relentless cloud cover.
You said "Thank you for making a properly sized dirty dozen homage with a proper manual movement. No one else has done this.". That is not true. Timor recreated one and it is almost spot on (timorwatch.com/) (wornandwound.com/the-timor-heritage-field-a-dirty-dozen-watch-is-reborn/).
@@JasonPew Thank you for the correction. I had forgotten about that project. I didn't care for the case design, and 50m WR is lower than I was interested in. Yes, the Timor was spot on with the face, hands, and layout. I do think I prefer 20mm lugs though. The Timor offering is sold out, in any case.
@@JasonPew I appreciate you pointing that out - the team behind Timor definitely deserves a lot of credit for a very faithfully, and well-executed version of the original design.
Thank you for supporting the release, and taking the time to provide such in-depth feedback, suggestions, and helpful commentary. It's always great to hear from fellow enthusiasts. Your points are well-taken, I would say that the inclusion of the arrow, while aligning visually with the original W.W.W. spec and other MOD models, would be somewhat disingenuous, in that our version is a "civilian" model of a military watch. My personal approach to dial design leans minimalist, and I'm generally more inclined to remove markings than include them (it's one of the reasons very few of our military field watches include a 24-hour inner hour track). Your point that the lumed VAER logo counters this general principle of minimalism is fair - it is a bit decorative, but like exhibition casebacks (which I love), I think it's one of those features that's sort of fun, and especially appeals to people who are just getting into watches and enjoy the experience of noticing subtle design details that long-time collectors immediately pick-up on. Regarding the Gator strap, brown would certainly look good on this watch - however, our decision to offer only black at launch was mostly due to the incredibly high manufacturing cost of American Made Alligator straps, we only ordered 100 pcs of the gator, and wanted to see how the community would respond before branching into other colors. Black is more adaptable across a variety of models, and matches better with an upcoming gold-cased piece. Your other points regarding the Stowa, Benrus and other sub-36mm sizes are all spot on and I could not agree more - as a former Infantryman I can personally attest to the appeal of small watches in the field - though if I'm honest, when I was in the Army, I wore a $30 Digital Timex I bought at Wal-Mart!
I don't share the criticisms re: the arrow or lumed logo. I like this version better than the Timor recreation. It's personal preference. Vaer could have produced an exact replica. That's obviously not what their goal was. It sounds so boring and unoriginal. They created a homage to the original with their tweaks that make it unique to them, and I love it!
A lot of current Rolexes and luxery watches are 36mm. Big oversized watches are just mini wall clocks.
I just ordered mine today.
Awesome, glad to hear that - hope you enjoy it!
Nice watch. 38mm would be a great compromise.
Thank you for pointing out that plenty of "manly men" throughout history have worn smaller watches. Few things annoy me more about this hobby than people saying "release it in a man's size! 42 or bust! I don't have a dainty wrist!" etc. I guarantee that if any of those people actually wore something like this exclusively for about a week they'd get used to it and it would be perfectly fine. They're just used to dinner plates on their wrist and that's all they ever wear, so they can't conceive of anything smaller being "masculine." Yet, generals, presidents, soldiers, astronauts have all worn watches in the 34 to 36 range.
100% agree - fortunately, most people who truly understand watches, also have a deep respect and awareness of history, and can find confidence (and good auction deals) in watch sizes that the casual shopper might tend to overlook.
I would very much like to purchase a 36 mm manual wound A-12....
When are we getting them
The original fields were mainly 32mm so yes much smaller than today. My Hamilton gg is 32
Thanks for the comment! Love those vintage Hamiltons.
Interesting my friend: did you mention that originally 13 watch companies were invited to tender, but one was unwilling to do so ?
Hand wound movement, good looking movement,display case back, 36mm case, nice lume, these make the watch almost perfect, but the lack of the arrow on the dial⋯ that makes me think twice.
the Eterna name was bought by a Japanese group which builds swiss based watches in Europe, There are a number of lines available by Eterna the Kon Tiki is a well made best seller....I know I have no life ordered te Solar am looking forward thanks
Thanks William, glad the D4 caught your eye.
wanted to buy the watch but your company doesn't ship to Malaysia..what a bummer..
If I'm wearing this watch daily, how many winds do I give it each morning?
That would probably be a good high-school math test question... 42 hour reserve, 22 turns for full charge, 24 hour winding interval... I would say 10 - 12 winds would do it.
@@VaerWatches Hi thanks for the feedback I'm good to go...
When is the A7 field or Heritage watch back in stock?
Thanks for the question, likely not until the late fall/early 2022 - as we're working to "level-up" the A7 collection a bit to give it more differentiation from the USA Assembled A5 models.
Small watches all day. I'm a 6' guy and happily will wear a 28mm. 37mm is as large as I'll go.
Your product knowledge is .......interesting!
I hope that's a compliment! If so, thanks!
I have numerous automatic watches, one of which is a Rolex master 2.
It is effectively a hand wound watch. As I cycle through my watches I always have to reset and wind them. Except the citizen ecodrive (always correct and amazing).
So why not a simple and accurate hand wound watch that I can caress every day? Or reset and rewind as I cycle through my watch collection....but at least it does not pretend to be always there for me.
I think I will get a Vaer.
I thought your ETA heritage story was a bit of a stretch...everything is ETA these days...well not my Rolex.
Thanks for the comment Paco! I'm sure you'd really enjoy the hand-wound A12. And just to defend my ETA remarks, I can tell you as a microbrand, access to ETA pieces is VERY challenging right now (guess they're all being taken by big brands like Breitling). ETA 2824 market rates have doubled in the past year, and are barely available. We were lucky to get these 7001s for the A12. While ETA has the heritage, I can tell you that Vaer and other microbrands WILL transition to more Selita options, to keep our retail prices under $1200. (Selita movements are great by the way, ETA is just a bit cooler in my opinion).
So I just picked up 36mm A12 about an hour ago and here's my initial thoughts...pros and cons.
Cons:
Size:
It's not "too" small, but would have definitely preferred something bigger, 38mm to 39mm would have been a better compromise, perfect in my opinion. I say that because when I compare to my Vaer 40mm automatic field or my 39mm Explorer it really does look on the smallish side. If they increase the size, at the same price point I'll buy that too.
Water resistance/ push crown:
I was hoping for an alternative to my Explorer, which I consider an everyday do everything watch. But the manual does not recommend rigorous in-water activities. So not so sure this checks that box.
Pros:
I've been fiending for a dirty dozen style watch that had a good balance of modern/vintage. This checks that box.
I love the dial design and the lume of the Arabic numerals seems to be much better than Vaer field watch.
The leather strap is top notch and Preferred vs silicon.
Sorry if I'm redundant, but at the end of the day I like it and will enjoy wearing it, but don't love it, it checks the dirty dozen box. To love it, it needs to be at least a 38mm or 39mm. Also, unclear about water resistance & swimming with it every day in a vacation like situation. The manual says "do not recommend using A12 for rigorous in-water activities" 🙄.
Not sure what that means. So is swimming laps the extent of what can be expected 🤔?
My initial thoughts
Thanks for the review - fair points - though I think this video does a pretty thorough job explaining the choice of 36mm case sizing (as it's the true WW2 DD size). Regarding the water-resistance, you should be fine in the shower/rain/pool/lake etc, as you can probably see, the watch takes some decent effort to pull out the crown to wind. That said, I would not trust any 10ATM push-pull watch in "high-impact" water activities like surfing or cliff-diving.
@@VaerWatches Thanks for reply.
The 36mm has definitely moved into the loved category. I've been wearing it almost every day 😃
@@VaerWatches thank you!
Can anyone comment on winding the movement? Any wiggle on the stem? One YT review of the D5 artic with lots of wiggle on the stem on winding.
I would love to own one but unfortunately I can't afford to spend the money atm
why not 38mm ?
I thought you were going to tell us it was a tribute to the watch worn by Lee Marvin in The Dirty Dozen.
“Eterna fell by the wayside” following WW2 and absorption into ETA ??? 🤔
Lovely DD homage though. Wish it was 38mm (maybe…) to better accommodate the 20mm lug width. Otherwise, at 36mm they should’ve gone with an 18mm lug width.
Oh - and it wouldn’t have hurt to add the arrow (even if the purists will throw a fit).
sad to no bracelet anymore..please more bracelet...
You could simply gather the facts together before doing the video? The focus on quality and heritage is a positive.
🙄
Or you could do your own research. Some people's kids.
39mm
why not 38?
Ppplllllleeeeaaaasse make more, when I looked you were already sold out.
I just checked and the A12 is not sold out.
Yes, Sifo is right! Quite a few models are SOLD OUT, but as of April 28th the Dirty Dozen is still in stock.
I think you guys have sacrificed a few design choices in the case of ‘faux conern’ for keeping to tradition. What is a DD watch without the arrow? I get it, you want simplicity/minimalism... then make a simplistic arrow. Literally every original DD watch has one. Whether or not your watch is being used for military use or casual use is not the issue. You can make your own version of the arrow if you want.
It doesn’t have the two dots right next to the 12. You provided a stock picture of the Eterna, yet it looks almost nothing like it (heck, your watch looks like a cheap knock off). Has no dots (not even small ones), and the hour/minute/second hands look like cheap plastic compared to the durable looking, flush design/color the eterna has, heck, your C3 has a more authentic look to its hands. At least make the arrows the same color as the dots around the face. The finishing looks bad, you can’t hack it. The swiss made inside the tracks makes the watch look cheap, and you’re using faux patina.
If you make a V3 of this, i’d consider making it look better than the one you have here. I can go with Timor, which presumably isn’t making it’s watch for the UK military anymore, but is still keeping to tradition. Btw, consider this as constructive criticism. I was going to buy this watch until I noticied all of the cheap compromises you made and the over-priced amount you’re asking for it.
Just purchased one! Any idea when these will ship out roughly?
Hi, we just sent out an update email yesterday - A12 Dirty Dozens are set to start shipping next week (a week behind schedule, as a result of continued European COVID delays).