Baltany S182019 Dirty Dozen Vintage Field Watch — VD78, Two-Colour Lume

Baltany S182019 Dirty Dozen Vintage Field Watch — VD78, Two-Colour Lume

The Baltany S182019 is a 36mm vintage military field watch powered by the Seiko VD78 solar-quartz movement, built around the design language of the Dirty Dozen — the twelve military watch specifications commissioned by the British Ministry of Defence in 1944. It presents a black dial with full Arabic numeral layout, sub-seconds at 6 o’clock, railroad minute track and a two-colour luminous system: Vintage Yellow Super-LumiNova on the main time display and C3 Super-LumiNova on the scale — two different glow colours visible simultaneously in darkness.

Available with black nylon NATO strap or leather strap (colour may vary). Arched sapphire crystal with AR coating. Weight approximately 70g. Water resistance to standard splash and daily wear rating with screw-in crown.

This page covers the S182019 quartz Dirty Dozen model. For the mechanical Dirty Dozen variant with automatic movement and date complication, see the Baltany S2081 Military Field Watch.

Key Specifications

What Is the Dirty Dozen?

The Dirty Dozen refers to twelve watch models produced between 1944 and 1945 for the British Army, commissioned by the Ministry of Defence from twelve different manufacturers. The specification brief was highly standardised across all twelve makers: black dial, white Arabic numerals on a railroad chapter ring, luminous sword or pencil hands, sub-seconds at 6 o’clock, and a round case in the 36–38mm range. The resulting watches — produced by makers including Jaeger-LeCoultre, Longines, IWC and nine others — became some of the most collected vintage military timepieces in the world.

The design language they established — large numerals, railroad track, small seconds, no complications, luminous hands — is the defining vocabulary of the mid-century military field watch category. Baltany’s entire field watch range draws from this specification.

The S182019 is the quartz member of Baltany’s Dirty Dozen-inspired range, offering the correct visual specification with VD78 solar-quartz accuracy and solar charging for minimal maintenance.

The Two-Colour Lume System

The S182019’s most technically distinctive feature is the simultaneous application of two different Super-LumiNova formulations to different elements of the same dial:

Vintage Yellow (on hands and main hour markers) — the GL Old formulation that references the aged appearance of vintage radium and tritium lume compounds. In ambient light it reads as a warm cream-ivory tone. In darkness it emits a warm green glow.

C3 (on the minute scale) — the standard current-production Super-LumiNova C3 formulation. In ambient light it appears as a bright cool white. In darkness it emits a brighter, more saturated green than the Vintage Yellow formulation.

The result in complete darkness: the main time display elements (hands, hour markers) glow in the warmer, slightly more muted Vintage Yellow tone, while the outer minute track and scale glow in the brighter C3 green. The two colours are visually distinguishable — you can see the boundary between the warmer inner lume and the brighter outer scale lume. This creates both a functional layering (you can distinguish time display from scale at a glance) and a visual depth that single-colour lume cannot replicate.

This dual-lume approach on a quartz watch is unusual and reflects the same attention to lume detail found on Baltany’s automatic models.

Design — Dirty Dozen Dial Layout

The dial follows the Dirty Dozen specification:

Full Arabic numeral layout — all 12 numerals present on the face, large enough to read immediately without interpretation. The double-bar 11 (preventing misreading as 1 in low visibility) is not always present on modern interpretations but the large, well-spaced numerals maintain the legibility intent.

Railroad minute track — a dense inner chapter ring of fine minute and second graduation marks running around the inside circumference of the dial, separated from the Arabic numerals by a clear interval. The railroad track is the visual signature of the Dirty Dozen specification and gives the dial its characteristic layered appearance.

Sub-seconds at 6 o’clock — a small dedicated seconds register with its own track and hand, positioned at the lower axis of the dial. The sub-seconds display creates the two-register layout that is period-correct for the 1944 specification and visually distinguishes this dial from a standard three-hand layout.

Syringe hands — a specific hand profile with a broad central body, pointed tip and a narrow stem connecting to the centre — a variant of the sword hand associated with mid-century military watches. The profile maximises the luminous fill area on each hand for legibility in low light.

Movement — Seiko VD78 Solar-Quartz

The VD78 is a solar-assisted quartz movement that maintains its lithium power cell charge through light exposure via the dial. Under regular daily wear and normal indoor or outdoor light exposure, the battery maintains charge without replacement. The movement includes a sub-seconds display — a continuous seconds hand running in the 6 o’clock register — which is the complication that enables the period-correct two-register dial layout.

VD78 accuracy is ±15 seconds per month — significantly more accurate than the automatic mechanical calibers used in other Dirty Dozen-inspired Baltany models. For buyers who want the Dirty Dozen visual specification with the lowest possible maintenance requirement and highest timekeeping accuracy, the VD78 is the correct movement choice.

Arched Sapphire Crystal

The arched (domed) sapphire crystal is an appropriate choice for the vintage aesthetic. The dome creates the characteristic visual profile of mid-century professional watches — a slight convex curve above the dial that produces a lens effect and the reflection ring around the bezel edge visible on vintage pieces. Combined with the AR coating, the arched crystal provides scratch resistance superior to the acrylic crystals used on the original 1944 watches while retaining their visual character.

Strap Options

Black NATO nylon — the most militarily appropriate strap for this watch. NATO straps pass under the case for security, are indestructible under normal wear and age with use. The black NATO on this dial reads as tactical and understated.

Leather — colour varies, typically brown or tan. Leather provides a more relaxed, vintage character and pairs naturally with the warm Vintage Yellow lume tone of the hands and markers.

The 18mm lug width accepts standard aftermarket NATO straps in any colour — khaki or olive green NATO are particularly appropriate pairings for the military character of this watch.

Baltany Dirty Dozen Range — Which Model Is Right?

Baltany produces multiple watches in the Dirty Dozen design family. Here is how they differ:

S182019 (this watch) — 36mm, VD78 solar-quartz, two-colour lume (Vintage Yellow + C3), sub-seconds, no date. The quartz option — most accurate, lowest maintenance, solar charging. Best for: buyers who want the correct Dirty Dozen aesthetic without mechanical power reserve management.

S2081 — 39mm, Seagull ST1731 automatic, dual-lume (GL Old + BGW9), sub-seconds + date window, 100m water resistance. The mechanical and more fully featured option. Best for: buyers who want automatic movement character, a date window, and deeper water resistance.

D12 S2025 — 36mm, Seagull ST1701 automatic, two-colour lume, sub-seconds, 100m, double-dome sapphire. The most iconic and community-respected Baltany model. Best for: buyers who want the automatic movement and the original community favourite.

W10 Military — 36mm, NH38 automatic, matte case, broad arrow dial, no date. The most militarily austere option with the broad arrow mark and fully matte finish.

Who Is the Baltany S182019 For?

The S182019 is built for:

• Buyers who want the Dirty Dozen military field watch aesthetic with quartz accuracy and zero power reserve management
• Anyone who specifically wants the two-colour Vintage Yellow + C3 lume combination — visible as two distinct glow tones in darkness
• First-time military watch buyers who want the correct visual specification at the most accessible price in the Dirty Dozen range
• Daily wear buyers who want to set the watch and forget it without winding or power reserve checking

More from Jewelry Addicts

Exploring Dirty Dozen watches and vintage military field watches:

• Baltany S2081 — Dirty Dozen with Date, Automatic — the mechanical upgrade with date + dual lume + 100m
• Baltany D12 S2025 — the iconic automatic Dirty Dozen model
• Baltany Watches — Full Collection — all Baltany models at Jewelry Addicts
• Baltany Buyer’s Guide 2026 — which Baltany is right for you
• Best Automatic Watches Under $200 — full category roundup

Product Parameters

Model: S182019 Vintage Watch
Movement Type: Japan SEIKO VD78 Quartz
Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel
Diameter: 36mm (unincluding crown)
Lug to Lut: 43mm
Thickness: 12.5m(Including Glass）
Dial: Black, Filled with Swiss Vintage Yellow And C3 Luminous
Glass: Arched Sapphire Crystal, AR Coating
Hands: Luminous Coating
Strap Material:Nylon / Genuine Leather
Strap Color:Blach Nylon / Random Color Leather
Strap Width:18mm
Strap Length: 22 / 23cm
Luminous: Hour hand, Minute hand, Second hand and Scale with two luminous effects
Swiss Vintage Yellow + C3 Super Luminous
Crown: Screw-in lock
Weight: About 70g

Product Details

Arched Sapphire Crystal

36mm small dial, very suitable for small wrists, military watch style, design source “Dirty Dozen”
Collection Vintage Wristwatch

Swiss Super-LumiNova Luminous，Two colors match

Fine sand surface, fine and smooth, more scratch-resistant and dirt-resistant than polished surface, and friendly to hands

Beautiful hands

Custom Logo

We have our own processing factory, which can provide small batch LOGO customization service

For customized LOGO, please inform us, the color and style of the dial you need, and please send us the pattern that needs to be printed

Product Display

Product Packaging

1 x Portable anti-drop watch box
1 x BALTANY Watch
1 x 18mm strap（distributed randomly colour）
1 x Soft Cleaning Cloth
1 x 2 Years Warranty