An if-you-know-you-know British brand, Vertex is steeped in incredible history that not many know about.

Although Vertex was founded in 1916 by Claude Lyons in London, it was during the Second World War when Vertex’s global reputation took an emphatic leap. The brand was one of the twelve companies commissioned by the British Ministry of Defence to produce combat-ready timepieces. These watches, known as the "Dirty Dozen," were designed to be robust, highly legible and reliable under the harsh conditions of war.

This prestigious undertaking served to propel Vertex’s fame as well as its expertise in constructing durable and precise watches, which the brand applied to the engineering of its civilian watches too.

While movement makers like Lemania are credited for playing a pivotal role in the development and production of monopusher chronographs, not many collectors know that Vertex was commissioned by the UK’s Admiralty Hydrographic Department in 1945 to build a monopusher chronograph wristwatch for its soldiers. As war had placed a strain on the supply chain between Switzerland and the UK, Vertex was unable to produce the number of watches that the UK’s Ministry of Defence required, so this project was handed over to Vertex’s partner Lemania.

Nevertheless, Vertex’s recently released MP45 tribute timepiece lets you own a piece of this history.

Vertex went under during the Quartz Crisis, but was revived in 2016 by Don Cochrane, the great-grandson of founder Claude Lyons. Today, Don and his team create limited editions centred on sustainability, craftsmanship and the technical mastery that Vertex achieved during its golden age.

If we’ve sparked your curiosity, check out the Vertex M100, which is a modern tribute to Vertex’s Cal 59 watch, which was one of 1944’s original Dirty Dozen. The M100 pays homage to Vertex’s classic military aesthetics, but with modern ergonomic dimensions and accented with Super-LumiNova for enhanced legibility.

You can also consider getting your hands on the Vertex Bronze 75, which is a special edition that salutes the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

If you’re shopping for an affordable dive watch, the M60 Lion is a bold tool watch that is inspired by Vertex watches of the 1950s and 60s, is built to ISO 6425 regulations and is water resistant to a depth of 600m.

Vertex collectors have conferred their timepieces with suave and memorable looks, by matching them with RSM watch straps. Although the RSM military straps is a prime candidate for accentuating Vertex’s military heritage, RSM collectors have also paired their watches with dashing models like camo straps, engraved stripe straps, X-hatch straps, fine canvas straps and herringbone twill straps. There's no right and wrong—customising your watch with an RSM fabric strap is your personal canvas for expressing your own personality and unique creativity.

Photo credits for header image: @time.texas (left); @rsmwatchstrap; @rsmwatchstrap