For the full collection of 1918 Trench and Medic, please visit
https://vario.sg/collections/1918-trench-medic
When World War I began in 1914, soldiers faced a novel problem. In the chaos on and off the battlefield where precise timing was integral to routines, communications, and synchronizing attacks, reliable and accurate timepieces were vital. Many officers had pocket watches, but these had many shortcomings on the battlefield. They were cumbersome to pull out and to open the protective lid with gloved hands, requiring officers to pause their duties. The dials were impossible to read at night and the glass crystals broke easily. In a setting where a second could be the difference between life and death, it was clear that an alternative was needed. Thus, in the muddy trenches of the First World War, the wrist-watch was born.
Until that point, wristwatches were feminine accessories called “wristlets”. Militaries took the design and upsized it, adding more durable materials and useful features to create the modern design. The shift from Roman to Arabic numerals made it easier to read the time at a glance, and the shatterproof crystal was introduced to protect the watch. Radium-lumed hands and dials were also used to make them easier to read them at night. By 1917, most officers owned one, and they would eventually become accessible to infantrymen.
Towards the end of the war in 1918, trench watches had become a symbol of courage and bravery, which signaled their push towards the mainstream and opened up a mass market in the post-war era. The VARIO 1918 Trench Watch pays homage to this period and the innovations that followed.
1st row left to right – White Dial with White Lume, Grey Dial with White Lume, Black Dial with White Lume
2nd row left to right – White Dial with Orange Lume, Cream Dial with Orange Lume, Black Dial with Orange Lume
White Dial with White Lume
Grey Dial with White Lume
Black Dial with White Lume
White Dial with Orange Lume
Cream Dial with Orange Lume
Black Dial with Orange Lume
Today, we have upgraded the classic concept to what no-one could have dreamed of a century ago:
• Scratch and shatter-proof double domed sapphire, AR-coated underside for clarity, instead of the original fragile glass;
• 10ATM water resistant case of marine grade stainless steel (316L), when 1910’s soft silver or brass couldn’t bear any water, and little shock;
• Latest generation, non-radioactive non-fading Swiss lume, instead of old radium paste which slowly poisoned the dial painters, and needed re-coating after ten years;
• State of the art modern enamel, when last century brittle vitreous glaze chipped off or aged with hairline cracks;
• A modern, robust Japanese automatic movement with hand-winding and hacking seconds, a “complication” envied as a rare luxury in the early 20th century!
Default final caseback design
Empty casebacks with be available at extra cost for customers who wants an empty or custom engraving caseback. We will provide laser engraving service on empty casebacks for customers as a chargeable service as well. This is the best time to engrave the casebacks as we’re doing it in 1 lot which means more cost savings than doing it individually. They make good gifts and help you bond with your watch. Only text will be allowed with a limit of 40 characters and 4 lines.
Signed screw-down crown (10ATM Water Resistance). Real wire lugs to capture the spirit of WW1 Trench watches
We did keep an iconic signature of the classic design, though: the true curved wire lugs. You won’t see them often on other modern trench watch revivals. They look charmingly retro, but still make sense today as more secure than springbars. This is why modern “mil-specs” issue watches keep fixed bars, thus imposing single-piece a.k.a. ”nato” straps.
C3 Lume in action (Faux lume takes a longer time to charge)
So, the Vario 1918 Trench may be a modern interpretation, but far from a novelty. It remains truthful to the spirit of the original classics: a tough, functional, state of the art tool watch. Versatile too, as it will suit both your fatigues or cocktail attire.
From Left – Coal Black, Ash Grey, Indigo Blue, Forest Green, Mahoghany Brown, Cinnamon Brown ,Camel Brown
Crazy horse leather gathers scratch marks and patina easily and contrast the classy 1918 Trench well. Crazy horse leather with bund pad (80mm/120mm) or single pass (270mm) width for Trench 18mm / width for Medic 20mm
Please note bund is suitable for up to a 7.2 inch wrist (fits 7.5 inch for those who wear it tight) and up to 7.5 inch wrist without the bund. Folks with bigger wrist should choose the single pass leather straps which pairs well with the bund.
Model wrist size 6.2 inches / 16cm
Model wrist size 7 inches / 18cm
1918 Medic Watch (40mm diameter, 20mm strap, 48mm lug to lug, Seiko NH38 Automatic movement) in White/White Lume, White/Orange Lume and Cream/Orange Lume colour will be offered as an option on Kickstarter and it will be delivered in May 2021. The medics in WW1 would have loved this pulsometer function that only seems to be introduced in the 1920s.
We are also considering to offer a quartz version with a Seiko Epson VL78 movement with 5 year battery life. Please mark your interest and we will offer it if we get enough support.
1918 Trench
Case diameter: 37mm
Case thickness: 10mm
Dial: Enamel
Crystal: 2mm double domed sapphire with inner AR applied
Lug width: 18mm
Lug to lug: 45mm
Lume: C3 Lume
Case Material: 316L stainless steel
Caseback: 316L stainless steel with option for empty caseback and laser engraving at additional cost
Crown: Screw-down crown
Movement: Miyota 82s5 automatic movement with hand-winding and hacking seconds. 21 jewels 21.6kpbh
Water resistance: 10 atm
Strap: Crazy horse leather with bund pad (80mm/120mm) or single pass (270mm)
Warranty: 1 year global warranty
1918 Brass Trench
Case diameter: 37mm or 40mm
Case thickness: 10mm
Dial: Enamel
Crystal: 2mm double domed sapphire with inner AR applied
Lug width: 18mm(37mm) or 20mm(40mm)
Lug to lug: 45mm(37mm) or 48mm(40mm)
Lume: C3 Lume
Case Material: Brass
Caseback: 316L stainless steel with option for empty caseback and laser engraving at additional cost
Crown: Screw-down crown
Movement: Miyota 82s5 automatic gilt movement (Côtes de Genève) with hand-winding and hacking seconds. 21 jewels 21.6kpbh more than 40 hours power reserve
Water resistance: 10 atm
Strap: Crazy horse leather with bund pad (80mm/120mm) or single pass (270mm)
Warranty: 1 year global warranty
1918 Medic
Case diameter: 40mm
Case thickness: 10mm
Dial: Enamel
Crystal: 2mm double domed sapphire with inner AR applied
Lug width: 20mm
Lug to lug: 48mm
Lume: C3 Lume
Case Material: 316L stainless steel
Caseback: 316L stainless steel with option for empty caseback and laser engraving at additional cost
Crown: Screw-down crown
Movement: Seiko NH38A automatic movement with hand-winding and hacking seconds. 24 jewels 21.6kpbh more than 40 hours power reserve
Water resistance: 10 atm
Strap: Crazy horse leather with bund pad (80mm/120mm) or single pass (270mm)
Warranty: 1 year global warranty
Model wrist size 7 inch / 18cm
Brass case patina after 1 month
Brass Case patina after 2 months
37mm Trench Brass Photoshop mock up. Choice of 37mm and 40mm. “6” won’t be cropped for 40mm.
This article originally appeared on https://vario.sg/pages/ww1-trench-watch