Time Spec: The Mark XI - Worn & Wound 7/1/19, 6(33 PM

REVIEWS ARTICLES BRANDS VIDEOS PODCAST WINDUP SHOP

TIME SPEC: THE MARK XI

JUNE 20, 2016 WORDS BY ILYA RYVIN

https://wornandwound.com/time-spec-the-mark-11/ Page 1 of 17
Time Spec: The Mark XI - Worn & Wound 7/1/19, 6(33 PM

P
erhaps more than any other watch in history, the Mk. 11 truly embodies
what it means to be a “tool watch.” Manufactured by International
Watch Company and Jaeger-LeCoultre based on specifications
provided by the British Ministry of Defense (MoD), the Mk. 11 was designed
from the ground up with functionality and utility at the forefront. The result? A
quintessential pilot’s watch, and one that would inspire countless designs
years after its humble beginning in 1949. Today, we take a closer look at this
historic piece.

IMAGE VIA FRANCO SQUELET TE.

In the early 1940s, the MoD created a set of specifications for watches to be

https://wornandwound.com/time-spec-the-mark-11/ Page 2 of 17
Time Spec: The Mark XI - Worn & Wound 7/1/19, 6(33 PM

issued to military personnel. 12 companies were awarded contracts: Buren,

Cyma, Eterna, Grana, JLC, Lemania, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor, Vertex, and
Longines. The resulting watches–highly valued collector’s pieces in their own
right–would eventually be called the “Dirty Dozen,” and to a lesser extent the
Mk. X watches.

“DIRT Y DOZEN”; PHOTO CREDIT: USER SIEWMING, MALAYSIA WATCH FORUM

Though the watches issued under the Dirty Dozen were approved for military
use, their lower level accuracy proved to be too unreliable for aviation. So,
sometime in 1946 or ’47, the MoD decided on a new navigator’s watch

https://wornandwound.com/time-spec-the-mark-11/ Page 3 of 17
Time Spec: The Mark XI - Worn & Wound 7/1/19, 6(33 PM

standard—6B/346, also known as the Mk. XI/Mk. 11.

The requirements specified the following:

1) The matte black iron dial was to be “marked with Arabic numerals from 1 to
12” and was to have minute markings “in white, with the exception of the four
cardinal graduations, which are luminized”; 2) a high-grade 12-ligne Swiss
movement capable of a 36-hour power reserve and a daily rate variation of no
more than -4/+4 seconds. It should also be equipped with a Glucydur balance,
a Nivarox hairspring, a centrally mounted seconds hand, and a hacking
function for synchronization; 3) a case waterproof to 20 feet; 4) magnetic
shielding via a Faraday cage; 5) an acrylic crystal held together via a retaining
screw to prevent it from detaching during decompression; and 6) a stainless
steel “Bonklip” bracelet (which had its own military reference number
6B/2763) permanently fitted to the case.

https://wornandwound.com/time-spec-the-mark-11/ Page 4 of 17
Time Spec: The Mark XI - Worn & Wound 7/1/19, 6(33 PM

The MoD took this list to London-based jeweler

Goldsmiths & Silversmiths Co., Ltd. They in turn
reached out to various manufacturers, and IWC and
JLC eventually secured the commission. Issued in
1949, the Mk. 11 was supplied to the RAF, FAA (Fleet
Air Arm), RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force), RNZAF
(Royal New Zealand Air Force) and a handful of
other outfits, and eventually even some private
firms.

Before being issued for service, all watches had to

endure rigorous performance testing at the
chronometer workshop of the Royal Greenwich
Observatory in Herstmonceux, where they were
regulated to five positions and various
temperatures over a two-week period. To maintain
optimal operation, watches had to be retested
annually, regardless of whether or not they were
ever issued.

https://wornandwound.com/time-spec-the-mark-11/ Page 5 of 17
Time Spec: The Mark XI - Worn & Wound 7/1/19, 6(33 PM

L: IWC; R: JLC. IMAGE VIA FRANCO SQUELET TE.

Given the stringent specifications laid out by the MoD, both Marks from IWC
and JLC were quite similar in build and appearance. Both came in stainless
steel cases approximately 35-36mm wide–35.3mm for JLC, 35.98mm for IWC.
The cases had long lugs and most featured fixed spring bars. The dials were
cup-shaped and designed to lock in with an iron back to create an anti-
magnetic seal, or a Faraday cage. Both JLC and IWC manufactured a handful
of Mk. 11 variants during the years they were commissioned, boasting several
different (although not too dissimilar) dials, handsets, and case back
markings.

Over time, the Mk. 11 underwent some notable design changes. The first

https://wornandwound.com/time-spec-the-mark-11/ Page 6 of 17
Time Spec: The Mark XI - Worn & Wound 7/1/19, 6(33 PM

generation of watches, for example, did not feature a triangle at 12, but rather
an Arabic 12 flanked by two dots. This was later changed around 1952 “to
improve clarity of presentation.” Likewise regarding the handset, with the
shorter, squared hour hand (now iconic to IWC and the Mark line) being
preferred for immediate legibility. Starting around 1962, IWC Mk. 11s featured
an encircled T on the dial above 6 o’clock to indicate the presence of tritium
(the MoD began to issue tritium replacement dials for older radium versions
around this time). The circle T did not appear on RAAF and RNZAF versions of
the watch because they did not request it. The aforementioned bonklip
bracelet was eventually discontinued and replaced with a nylon NATO strap
(6B/2617), only to be reintroduced years later as an alternative.

https://wornandwound.com/time-spec-the-mark-11/ Page 7 of 17
Time Spec: The Mark XI - Worn & Wound 7/1/19, 6(33 PM

L: JLC; R: IWC. IMAGE VIA FRANCO SQUELET TE.

Each Mk. 11 had to be branded with a broad arrow on the dial, case, and
movement to denote government property. Likewise, each watch had to
display the store reference number, 6B/346. 6B signifies “Aircraft Navigation
Equipment, Accessories and Unit Servicing Parts,” a designation not
exclusive to watches. 346 was the chronological number. Each unit also had
to indicate a serial number and the year the batch was ordered. For example,
2283/51 indicates the 2,283th unit from a 1951 order.

https://wornandwound.com/time-spec-the-mark-11/ Page 8 of 17
Time Spec: The Mark XI - Worn & Wound 7/1/19, 6(33 PM

L: IWC CAL. 89 (PHOTO CREDIT VIA WATCHXCHANGE); R: JLC CAL. 488/SBR

The JLC was equipped with the JLC Cal. 488/SBr, a chronometer-grade
movement with few contemporary peers. The caliber was produced in very
low production runs for a short period of time, and its design would eventually
become the basis for the cal. P478/BWSbr used in the iconic 1958 JLC
Chronomètre Geophysique. Quite the lineage.

The IWC was fitted with the renowned Caliber 89, widely regarded as one of
the most robust three-handed movements ever built. The Cal. 89 runs at
18,000 bph and features a Breguet hairspring and a patented indirect drive
for the centrally mounted seconds hand. The first generation of Cal. 89s
lacked shock-protection, a deficiency that would eventually make the JLC Mk.
11 obsolete. After realizing the cost to repair damaged watches was greater
than the cost to include shock-protection from the start, all subsequent
productions included Incabloc.

https://wornandwound.com/time-spec-the-mark-11/ Page 9 of 17
Time Spec: The Mark XI - Worn & Wound 7/1/19, 6(33 PM

As mentioned, JLC’s Mk. 11 was discontinued in 1953 largely due to its

inadequate shock-resistance. It is believed that around 2,950 units were
made for the RAF (and the later the RAAF), and all were decommissioned in
the early ‘60s. IWC became the sole supplier of the Mk. 11, and the firm
produced nearly 8,000 units between 1949 and 1953. The Mk. 11 was finally
decommissioned in 1981, and approximately 1,000 units total were also sold
commercially in 1973 and 1984. There were no commercially available JLC
units.

JLC MK. 11 VARIANTS. PHOTO CREDIT: ANALOG SHIFT

For the sake of brevity, I won’t get into all of the variations that exist within
the Mk. 11 line. The information is simply too dense for any general overview,
and some of the details can get quite a bit murky. Most of the discrepancies
are a result of different production runs and tweaks made along the way,

https://wornandwound.com/time-spec-the-mark-11/ Page 10 of 17
Time Spec: The Mark XI - Worn & Wound 7/1/19, 6(33 PM

inconsistent specifications from different agencies (e.g. unlike the RAF, the
RAAF did not require dials to have a Broadarrow or an encircled T), and things
get even hazier when you account for IWC restorations with original cases
and movements and NOS replacement dials and hands. I will, however, say
that one of my favorite configurations of the Mk. 11 is the RAF-issued IWC
with the blunt square hour hand and a later replacement circle T dial. It’s such
an iconic look, and it’s one that would inspire countless designs from IWC,
among them the JLC-based Mk. XII and the ETA-powered XV–two civilian
models.

REVIEWS ARTICLES BRANDS VIDEOS PODCAST WINDUP SHOP

PHOTO CREDIT: ANALOG SHIFT

Today, the Mk. 11 is a highly sought after piece of horological militaria. Ten
years ago, you could acquire a fine example for anywhere between two and
three thousand. Today, you’d be hard pressed to find a quality specimen for

https://wornandwound.com/time-spec-the-mark-11/ Page 11 of 17
Time Spec: The Mark XI - Worn & Wound 7/1/19, 6(33 PM

less than eight grand. Nevertheless, it’s a wonderful timepiece with a rich
history, one that any serious watch lover should know regardless of
ownership ambitions.

For those feeling the Mk. 11 pull, MK II recently launched the Hawkinge, a
value-driven homage to this venerable classic built to MK II’s stringent
standards. Stay tuned for our review.

For a treasure trove of Mk. 11 knowledge, visit MarkEleven.

Featured image via Analog Shift.

https://wornandwound.com/time-spec-the-mark-11/ Page 12 of 17