William Wood Watches crafts luxury timepieces that celebrate heroes. With a particular affinity for firefighters—the brand is named after a firefighter of 25 years, CEO and founder Jonny Garrett’s late grandfather—it has now pushed the envelope even further with a remarkable new release that celebrates the role firefighters played in one of history’s most stirring acts of heroism: Operation Dynamo, the Dunkirk evacuation.
The William Wood Dunkirk Watch is a bronze nautical timepiece featuring a Swiss movement that the British watchmaker has created in honour of the Massey Shaw, a London Fire Brigade fire boat that answered the call at the commencement of Operation Dynamo. This vessel and its brave 13-man crew didn’t hesitate to respond as Allied troops languished on the shores of Dunkirk with enemy forces closing in. Alongside 850 other small ships, the Massey Shaw braved artillery and aircraft fire as it traversed the 47 miles across the English Channel four times. In the process, it saved 600 lives and helped to sway the war effort in favour of the Allies against the Nazi war machine.
A Moment in History
William Wood’s latest timepiece celebrates this heroic action in a number of ways. The first is by deploying in its construction a genuine part of the Massey Shaw’s engine that was operational during the evacuation. This incredible piece of history has been used to create the silhouette of the Massey Shaw found within the Operation Dynamo scene on each watch’s “We Will Remember Them” caseback. As tributes to acts of heroism go, they don’t come more meticulously crafted than this.
Further, the Dunkirk Watch draws inspiration for its bronze, red, and black dial from the Massey Shaw’s twin telegraphs, which the captain used from the bridge to communicate with crew members located elsewhere on the boat. This one-of-a-kind dial is housed within one of the most unique case constructions we’ve encountered, with a further nod to the Massey Shaw present in the form of red-painted “pipes” that recall those located in the vessel’s engine and pumping system. You really will not find comparable watch construction anywhere else.
An Elevated Tribute
Finding inspiration in the mechanical brilliance and functional beauty of the Massey Shaw certainly makes for a singular timepiece, but it would count for little if the rest of the watch weren’t up to snuff. Fortunately, William Wood has never done things by halves—much like the Massey Shaw’s courageous crew—and so the Dunkirk Watch is just as undeniably premium as it is historically inspired.
Featuring the most accurate movement the brand has ever deployed in a timepiece—the Swiss-made Sellita SW200 Top Grade Performance—the Dunkirk Watch can be relied upon to deliver outstanding accuracy. This movement powers the aforementioned bronze, red, and black dial, which ingeniously uses an aged champagne Super-LumiNova to make it look just like a watch from the 1940s. Plus, both STOP and LONDON illuminate on the dial in red to further match the Massey Shaw’s telegraphs.
This unique dial is protected by a sapphire crystal with an applied anti-reflective coating. Boasting scratch resistance and finished with a low flush curve, the glass is also tinted with a medium blue colour. This is intended as a tribute to brand namesake William Wood’s 25 years of service on a shift pattern called The Blue Watch for the Newcastle and Gateshead Fire Brigade.
We Will Remember Them
Not only is William Wood’s Dunkirk Watch a moving tribute to those brave souls who took part in an unforgettable piece of history, it will give you a chance to play a role in that history too. Anyone who purchases a Dunkirk Watch will have their name engraved onto a plaque that will be included on the Massey Shaw as it once again sails across the English Channel in 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of the Dunkirk evacuation.
At a time when Winston Churchill had hoped to rescue 30,000 troops from the beaches of Dunkirk, the crew of the Massey Shaw and many others like them rose to the challenge, helping to save a staggering 338,000 by the time Operation Dynamo was completed. William Wood’s Dunkirk Watch is an immaculately crafted celebration of their courage and a watch entirely unlike any other. As a result, it’s an unforgettable timepiece that makes a little history of its own.
