Watson and Crick published their groundbreaking paper, "Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid," in the journal Nature on April 25, 1953. The scientific community quickly recognized the significance of their discovery, and the double helix model was widely accepted. However, the Nobel Committee typically waits several years before awarding prizes to ensure that the discoveries have stood the test of time and had a profound impact on the field.
In the case of Watson and Crick, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to them jointly with Maurice Wilkins in 1962, almost a decade after their groundbreaking discovery. The committee recognized them for "their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material."
It's worth noting that the Nobel Prize nominations are confidential for 50 years, so the exact reasons for the 12-year delay in awarding the prize to Watson and Crick may never be fully known. However, the consensus is that the committee wanted to be absolutely certain of the importance and impact of their work before bestowing the highest honor in scientific achievement.