Waltham
1950s Waltham U.S Military Issued Pilots Watch (Type A-17) "Korean War Era"
The Waltham Type A-17 is a U.S. Military issued pilot's timepiece that was in production from 1950-1956 (Korean War Era) and was the new and improved version of the WWII-era Waltham Type A-11. The A-17 was designed as a navigation timepiece for pilots and aviators and had been in development for some time as an upgraded version of the A-11, featuring radium Arabic numerals, 5-minute indices, lumed pencil-style hands, and a subsidiary 24-hour track. The practical dial layout and no-nonsense design give the wearer the perfect utilitarian feeling that makes these early military watches so sought after. Although this is a smaller watch in nature, the dial layout was designed for fast legibility. The A-17 is powered by the US-made Waltham 17 jewel 6/0 D manual wind movement.
The Waltham A-17 was supplied in three production runs. 1950, 1952, and 1956. What the Waltham Type A-17 lacks in size, it more than makes up for in character. That being said the A-17 definitely doesn't feel like a "small watch" once it is on the wrist due to the large presence it delivers from the purpose-built design.
SPECS
| Stock # | WTHA17-4 | |
| Brand | Waltham | |
| Style | Military Pilots Watch | |
| Model | Type A-17 | |
| Serial | 27XXX | |
| Size | Men's | |
| Material | Stainless Steel | |
| Dial | Matte Black | |
| Millimeters | 31.5 | |
| Strap | 2pc Military-Style Canvas Strap |
CASE & BRACELET
The impressive case remains in extremely crisp, gently used condition and is believed to remain unpolished. The screw-down coin edge bezel is remarkable as well, showing light signs of use. The case back retains all of its original factory and military numbers and markings in clear and crisp condition. The watch comes supplied on an 2pc military-style canvas strap.
DIAL & HANDS
The original matte black dial remains exceptionally well-preserved, with no notable damage and only subtle, tonal spotting commonly seen with age. The white outer minute track and inner 24-hour scale remain bright and fully intact. The original radium lume plots and Arabic numerals have aged evenly to a handsome golden-beige patina, closely matching the original radium hands. Under UV inspection, the dial lume exhibits no notable degradation, while the minute hand shows only minor lume loss that is invisible to the naked eye; the remaining lume is stable. The hands themselves exhibit minimal oxidation or corrosion, particularly for a timepiece of this style and era.
ACCESSORIES
None. The watch is running, previous service history is unknown. A movement service can be purchased upon request.