This Smiths British military watch might look like the standard W10 Army issue from the front but is in fact quite a rare Kenyan British forces issue watch.
A rare piece of post-colonial military history—the "Made in England" Smiths W10, issued to the Kenya Army.
This is an exceptional example of the legendary Smiths W10—the last mechanical military watch manufactured entirely in England. While the standard British Army "W10" is a staple of military collecting, this specific example bears the scarce "KA" and "K.G" markings, identifying it as part of a small batch supplied to the newly independent Kenya Army in the late 1960s.
The value of this watch lies in the unique engravings on the screw-down caseback, which tell the story of its journey from the Smiths factory in Cheltenham to East Africa.
6645-99-910-1000: This is the NATO Stock Number (NSN).
6645 identifies it as a "Time Measuring Instrument."
99 is the country code for the United Kingdom (indicating the source of supply).
910-1000 is the specific code for this Smiths General Service watch.
K /|\ G As far as we know K.G. In the context of British equipment supplied to former colonies, this stands for "Kenya Government."
The Broad Arrow (Pheon) sandwiched between the letters is the traditional mark of the Crown and Ordnance. Even though Kenya gained independence in 1963, they maintained close military ties with the UK, and their equipment often retained the Broad Arrow or was procured through the British Ministry of Defence (MoD), leading to this hybrid marking of British heraldry and Kenyan state property.
KA 0196:
KA denotes Kenya Army.
0196 is the issue number. This is a remarkably low serial number, suggesting this was one of the very first watches issued to the Kenya Army, likely to a high-ranking officer or a specialist unit immediately following the transition from the King's African Rifles to the Kenya Army.
1964:British Land Forces Kenya was disestablished after the final withdrawal of troops by December 1964, following Kenya's independence in 1963.
1964:British forces helped put down mutinies in the newly independent Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to support the pro-British governments.
1967-1969:A British general continued to serve as the chief of the Defence Staff for the Kenyan army until 1969.
1970:The large British Army Training Team in Kenya was withdrawn.
The watch has been fully serviced by our on-site workshop using vintage original smiths parts. More of a back up for future servicing on this watch . We have replaced the mainspring and fitted a new armoured glass crystal . My father who started AWC in 1973 worked in the smiths watch department during the early years and is very familiar with the quality and history. We still stock most parts for vintage smiths English watches today. This watch comes with a 12 month, non-waterproof service cover.
The dial and hands are showing signs of age you’d expect to see from a 50+ year old military watch. This is a true piece of Army equipment which im sure could tell some stories. The case is in good original condition, with few signs for wear, again, as you would expect.
The all-English, 36mm, stainless unpolished steel case has curved lugs with solid, fixed bars, making it perfect of NATO straps. Its brushed case makes it less reflective and gives its rugged good looks. A domed crystal sits above the matt black dial. Lume pips are painted onto the rail minute track. Arabic numerals indicated the hours. Sword hands and centre seconds hand have a lume infill. “T” in a circle to indicate a Tritium lume. The Broad Arrow, which has been used to mark property of the government or Crown since the 17th Century, sits at the 6 o’clock position to signify its Military DNA. The screw-down case back has the military engraving around the edge. 6645-99-910-1000 - Stock,store number Inside is the manually-wound, Smiths caliber 60466E
Originally founded in London in 1851 by Samuel Smith, the company first established itself by making automotive dials and cockpit instruments and obtained a Royal warrant in 1907. A factory was built in Cheltenham at the beginning of the Second World War, and it is from this factory that the majority of vintage Smiths come from. It was at this time that Smiths’ military involvement began. They received contracts from the MoD to provide watches, which they made from scratch. By the end of the War, Smiths consisted of over 20 companies, ranging from motors to aviation, and, of course, clocks and watches. By the late 1970s, the clock and watch division of the company had broken up. The most famous Smiths wearer has to be Sir Edmund Hilary, who carried a Smiths watch to the summit of Everest.
What we think
To understand the rarity of this piece, one must look at the production numbers:
Standard British Army (W10): The vast majority of Smiths military watches were issued to the British Army. While desirable, they are relatively available in the vintage market.
Royal Navy (0552): These are significantly scarcer than the Army versions and command a premium.
Kenya Army (KA): These are exceptionally rare. The order numbers for the Kenyan forces were tiny compared to the British Army. Furthermore, the survival rate of watches issued in Africa during the 1960s and 70s (decades of border wars and rough field use) is low. Finding one with a clean dial and legible markings is a "grail" find for Commonwealth military collectors.
The "Empire" Connection
This watch represents a fascinating transitional period in history. By 1967, the British Empire was winding down, but the "Made in England" Smiths watch was still the gold standard for durability. The British government frequently supplied "start-up" military kit to Commonwealth nations.
While the British Army wore the W10 and the Royal Navy wore the 0552, the KA variants are a testament to Britain’s lingering influence in East Africa. It is highly likely this watch was on the wrist of a Kenyan officer trained at Sandhurst or by British advisors in Kenya.
There is something truly amazing about wearing a military watch, never knowing what it may have seen or been through throughout its life, whose wrist it was on etc... That is what I think people are drawn to with military watches - the unknown, but the potential. An all English example ,serviced by us established 1973 - Maybe my father assembled this movement in the 1960s who knows.
Spec Stuff
Reference : 6645-99-910-1000 Ka0196
Movement : Manual Wind Cal. 60466E Age :1961/1970 Specific Age :1968 Case Size : 36mm Case Thickness :11mm Lug to Lug : 47mm Lugs :18mm Condition : Pre-Owned Box & Papers : No Case Material :Stainless Steel Service History : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
1967-70 Rare Smiths W10 British Military Issue Wristwatch issued to Kenyan Army - 6645-99-910-1000
