30/05/2026
WW2 HISTORY - At Zero West, we design watches with real meaning, and the S5e Spitfire Escape is a great example of this.
The S5e is a contemporary design inspired by the “Dirty Dozen” watches commissioned by the British Ministry of Defence during World War II, when twelve separate watch brands were tasked with manufacturing the same military watch. The S5e echoes their clarity, reliability and purpose, bringing the spirit of those simple, rugged front-line tools into a contemporary Zero West timepiece.
But this watch is so much more than a field-watch-inspired design. It commemorates RAF pilot Sandy Gunn and Spitfire AA810, the famous photo-reconnaissance aircraft he was flying when he was shot down over the Norwegian fjords. Sandy was later imprisoned in the camp immortalised by the Hollywood film The Great Escape — yes, the one with Steve McQueen. He spent a year helping to dig one of the escape tunnels, “Harry”, and although he initially escaped, he was later recaptured and executed.
As a quiet tribute to that story, each S5e carries a piece of Spitfire AA810 built into the side of the watch. It is a small but meaningful detail that connects the timepiece directly to the aircraft, the mission and the man behind the story, true history on the wrist, as we like to say at Zero West.
Check out the full story here: https://zerowest.watch/product/s5e-spitfire-escape/
