We recently took a look at every special edition being produced for British Watchmakers’ Day 2026 and one of the names that was conspicuously absent from that list was Vertex. That’s because they’re doing something a little bit different: rather than produce an event exclusive, they are debuting their latest limited edition at the show, which is the first place you’ll be able to see the watch in the metal. The watch in question is the Vertex M36 Desert Edition.
The limited edition is split into two sub-variants, one in stainless steel and the other in bronze, which are the two materials the standard M36 is currently available in. Both versions follow the heritage inspired field watch design of the collection with a clean, round design, smooth bezel and knurled crown.
At 36mm in diameter with an 11mm thickness, it’s quite small, which leans into its vintage appeal as well as serving a practical purpose. Reducing the surface area of the watch means it is less likely to impede a soldier’s wrist movement while also being less likely to get bashed and scraped. That’s also a reason for its smooth, round shape as any rocks or debris are more likely to glance off of it instead of penetrating and do lasting damage.
However, all of that is true of the standard models too and what makes the M36 Desert Edition special is the dial. As you might expect from the name, it’s presented in a sandy khaki colour inspired by the desert battlefields of WWII. It gives the watch a warmer tone than the black or green dials of past editions and works particularly well, in my opinion, in combination with the bronze case. Though on the steel it reminds me of sun-aged white dials which has its own neo-vintage appeal.
There are more changes than just the colour of the dial though. The standard M36 has hour markers made from solid blocks of Super-LumiNova to give them a maximum glow. However, the Desert Edition introduces applied metal indexes for the first time. It’s a little bit amusing because this is the reverse trajectory most brands are taking at the moment with the boom in lumicast and globolight numerals from brands like Christopher Ward.
However, I think it makes a lot of sense because with the new sand coloured dial, you lose a lot of the normal contrast between the hour markers and a dark coloured dial. So, by adding a frame to the numerals (which are still lumed in the centre) you make them appear more graphic in style and therefore easier to read despite being tone on tone. Meaning that while on paper it seems like a step backwards in terms of technical watchmaking innovation, it’s actually a really smart design choice.
Powering the watch is the automatic Sellita SW260-1 movement. It’s a small seconds calibre with 38-hour power reserve based on the SW200. Here it’s protected by a caseback that bears an engraving of the Bagnold sun-compass, a device used by the Long Range Desert Group to navigate in deserts where magnetic compasses are unreliable due to the metal of the cars they were using and iron deposits in the earth.
The Vertex M36 Desert Edition is limited to 30 pieces in steel at a price of £2,265 and 30 pieces in bronze at £2,395. That’s slightly higher than the standard models in respective materials given the limited availability and alterations to the dial with the new hour markers. It’s a cool interpretation of a traditional military style.
Price and Specs:
More details at Vertex.
The link goes to Yema web instead Vertex.
Thanks for the review