Grana is now owned by Société des Montres West End SA, an independent Swiss watchmaking company with its own workshops based in Leytron, in the Swiss Alps.
BRAND HISTORY
Manufactured and distributed to the British Army starting in early 1945, the WWW watches (Watch, Wrist, Waterproof) were produced by twelve Swiss manufacturers, which is why collectors often refer to them collectively as "The Dirty Dozen."
Only around 1,500 Grana WWW wristwatches were made for the British Army during World War II. As a result, the Grana WWW has become known as the "holy grail" among military watch enthusiasts, many of whom aim to complete their collection of all twelve "Dirty Dozen" timepieces.
Dirty Dozen
In 1945, the British Ministry of Supply issued an extraordinary brief: 12 Swiss watch manufacturers had to produce the perfect soldier's watch. Black dial, luminous Arabic numerals, movement regulated to chronometer standards, shatterproof and waterproof case. No frills. Pure function. Stamped on the caseback: W.W.W. — Watch, Wristlet, Waterproof — alongside the British Crown's heraldic broad arrow. Collectors would later name this legendary group the "Dirty Dozen", after the iconic 1967 war film.
Among the twelve, one stands apart — the piece that drives collectors to obsession: Grana.
Why ? Because Grana is estimated to have produced only 1,000 to 1,500 examples — out of roughly 145,000 W.W.W. watches made in total. By far the smallest output of any of the twelve. A small manufacture, limited production capacity, and a war drawing to a close: the Grana became the missing piece in virtually every collection.
Today
Independent Swiss Watchmaker
Family Owned
We take great pride in the attention and craftsmanship that goes into every timepiece that leaves our atelier.
In our workshop, we have skilled technicians that regulate all movement we buy. All watches undergo a series of stringent tests. Each watch is calibrated and tested in multiple positions: horizontal, vertical, crown-up, to simulate real-world wrist movement. Using precision tools like a timegrapher, watchmakers analyze beat error, amplitude, and daily deviation. A well-adjusted movement aims for a variance of 0 to +12 seconds per day.