A17 DRAGON LADY
MIL-W-6433 compliant
Automatic Soprod M100 R4 regulation
40mm
Black DLC coated stainless steel
Domed sapphire crystal
Screw-in crown and case-back
10ATM water-resistant
X1 grade Superluminova®
Military green synthetic tactical strap
Swiss made
CHF 1,390.00
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Our factory direct promise
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.
The evolution of the A-17. The new generation American pilot watch.
U2 Pilot watch
When the United States Air Force Central Intelligence Agency put the U2 high altitude spy plane into service in 1956 the A17 was the ordnance watch of the U2 pilots.
U2 Dragon Lady
The U2 is still in service today and has a reputation for being notoriously difficult to fly. This is why the pilots nickname it the "Dragon Lady". Beautiful but dangerous.
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 projectSpecifications
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
- Black dial
- Thick painted (1.5mm) X1 grade white 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
