A17 PATINA
MIL-W-6433 compliant
Automatic Soprod M100 R4 regulation
40mm
Stainless Steel
Domed sapphire crystal
Screw-in crown and case-back
10ATM water-resistant
Old radium X1 grade Superluminova®
Military green synthetic tactical strap
Swiss made
CHF 1,290.00
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PILOT WATCH
Designed specifically for pilots by Waltham, high precision and a perfect dial legibility through graphical rigor and highly contrasting colors define the A17 PILOT. Developed in the 1940s as a navigational instrument for jet pilots, it has since become the archetype for aviation tool watch design.
On December 31, 1948 Colonel J.C. Harvell, Chief of the USAF Equipment Laboratory Engineering Division, sent out a letter to the Waltham Watch Company and other watch brands asking for their comments on Specification n° 21277. This specification would later be known as MIL-W-6433.
At the end of 1948 the A-17 specification called for a Watch; Hack, Wrist, Luminescent Dial, 1300–2400 Auxiliary Markings, Type A-17. Further details of the specification were radium lume to be provided on the 1–12 hour markers, five minute markers, hour and minute hands, the tip of the sweep second hand and on the auxiliary 13–24 markings to facilitate the reading on 24 hour military time.
A tender issued to the Elgin National Watch Company, the Hamilton Watch Company, the Bulova Watch Company, the Gruen Watch Company and, surprisingly, the Longines-Wittnauer Watch Company. In the end the United States Air Force chose to exclusively use the Waltham Watch Company for their new Type A-17 Pilot’s watch.
A legend was born on March 23, 1951 when Mil Spec MIL-W-6433 was approved for the Waltham Type A-17.
Discover the projectThe evolution of the A-17. The new generation American pilot watch.
Specifications
Swiss made
In-house production
Top grade
40mm diameter
- 316L (1.4404) stainless steel
- Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
- Engraved case-back
Polished lugs, vertical brushed case-body, polished bezel with sanblasted indents, polished crown with sandblasted indents
- Matt black dial
- Thick painted (1.5mm) X1 grade Superluminova® luminous print on numerals, hour indexes, H/M/S hands
Military green Cordura® tactical strap with polished 316L (1.4404) stainless steel pin buckle
20-20mm
10 ATM / 100m / 333ft
The movement
Movement
Swiss made Soprod M100 automatic mechanical movement
R4 regulation level: +4s/-4s per day and a maximum divergence in all positions of 15s/day.
Only 3.60mm thick
Functions
Hours, minutes, central seconds
Jewels
25
Winding
Mechanical, self-winding, 28’800 bhp/4Hz
Power Reserve
42 hours
F-86 Sabre pilots watch
The A-17 had the initial vocation to equip long range bomber crews based in Europe. Then it became the F-86 Sabre pilots watch during the Korean war. It also equipped the crews of the Boeing B-47 Stratojet and the F-104 Starfighter.
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Reviews
The A-17 so far has proved accurate to one second per day on my wrist, measured against the Official US NIST time.
Robert
Angel for the A17, USA
