First manufactured in 1942 under specification No. 94.27834, the ubiquitous “A-11” is still known around the world as “The watch that won the war.” Contrary to its eponymous name, A-11 was actually the military standard to which these watches were manufactured rather than a model, with the actual model number being 10616, or “Watch, Navigation Hack.” With its simplistic, robust design and hacking feature, these watches were perfect for flyers and soldiers whose jobs required precision timing as they could be synchronized en masse to coordinate attacks, flights, or even routine duties to the military standard of plus or minus 30 seconds per day by pulling out the crown to stop the second hand. Their utilitarianism and durability saw them issued throughout both the Army Air Corps and US Army to include 30,000 units being acquired by the parachute troops in 1943 leading up to D-Day.
Timeworn has chosen to replicate the first A-11 specification which first appeared with black dials in mid-, to late-1942 with contracts belonging to Waltham, Elgin, and Bulova Watch Companies.
Our watch features an expertly replicated Keystone style case in nickel plated brass, tapered crown, non-luminous leaf hands in color-matched matte finish white paint, hand traced non-luminous dial expertly recreated in every detail, and 24-jewel hand-wound Miyota movement. Like the originals, ours are water-resistant to 30 meters and have a hacking seconds feature, which allowed soldiers and airmen to synchronize their watches to the second.
Timeworn Watches are delivered exactly as they were issued in the field, down to the exact packaging. They feature:
- Scratch and shatter resistant double curve plexiglass crystal
- 30 meter (100 ft) water resistance
- Nickel Plated Brass 32mm Keystone style case
- Miyota hand-wound 24-jewel mechanical movement
- Authentic internal movement dust cover
- Hacking second hand
- 16mm exact reproduction 100% cotton poplin watch strap
- Period correct packaging
- Limited one-year warranty