CWC
History of Cabot Watch Company
Cabot Watch Company was established in 1972 purely to make military watches for the military.
The mechanical GS Navigator and the pilots' mechanical asymmetrical chronograph were quickly established as military issue to thousands of troops, RAF pilots, Navy pilots and navigators.
In 1980, CWC made the first quartz watch supplied to HM Forces, the G10 Quartz (nicknamed "Fatboy"), and in the same year won the contract for the watch that replaced the Rolex Milsub as the Royal Navy Divers' watch - the 1980 Royal Navy Diver Automatic, probably the rarest milsub to date.
The CWC logo was changed from a simple typeface on all models and these were issued with the new oval logo from 1982 onwards.
In 1982/3, the CWC Royal Navy quartz divers' watch was issued, which remained the watch of choice to the Royal Navy well into the new millennium.
In 1987, a new watch was requested by the MOD, the black Special Boat Service issue quartz 300m SBS divers' watch. CWC continues to supply this watch to select branches of HM Forces today.
Throughout the 90s and well into the new millennium, CWC supplied the MOD with thousands of G10 watches for the British Army and Royal Navy. The GS2000 was issued to the RAF, also Royal Navy divers' watches, aircraft and ships' clocks, stop watches and straps.
Today, CWC continues to supply watches and CWC straps to HM Forces. The CWC "Strap Watch Wrist Nylon" is the official term for NATO strap, and we currently stock Phoenix straps and CWC straps.
CWC watches are manufactured to military specifications, which includes fixed strap bars, and this heritage continues throughout our whole range. We also make upgrades or enhancements to improve performance; our GS Sapphire is up-rated to 200m waterproof and features a sapphire glass and eight year lithium battery module.
Many older watches still survive today, having seen military service, a true testament to their durability. Some CWC watches are now becoming rare and collectable, such as the 1980 CWC G10, 1980 CWC RN Divers watch, CWC 1970s GS Navigators mechanical watches, CWC pilots 1970s chronograph, CWC SBS issued watches, and CWC Royal Navy issued quartz watches.
