Eaglemoss Military Watches Collection.
MWC 36 - 1960s French Naval Pilot
by
, Jul 14, 2015 at 12:31 PM (9460 Views)
In 1920, French WWI hero Paul Teste, was the first pilot to demonstrate actually landing an aircraft on the deck of a ship, The Béarn, and in effect invented the concept of the modern Aircraft carrier.
In the 1960s French Pilots were issued with watches manufactured to the "Type 20” pattern, including approximately 500 Breguet watches for those operating from Aircraft carriers in the Navy.
Case
Polished 38.2mm case, 40.8mm with crown, 47.3mm lug to lug, 10.5mm deep.
Case back engraved with description of the watch. 30.8mm flat glass. 31.3mm interior aperture.
Bezel Polished with fluted edge and painted hour indicators
Dial
32mm black dial with white second scale at outer edge. Orange Arabic numerals at 5 second intervals.
Steel, Orange filled, pointed style hours and minutes hands. Slim straight seconds hand.
Lume on minute and hour hands only.
Strap
18mm Brown ‘Crocodile’ effect leatherette strap narrows to 16mm polished buckle.
This is the fourth French Pilot watch in the last 12 MWC releases, three have been representations of a French Military Type-20 Flyback Chronograph common through the 50s and 60s.
The Issue 31, which is a rebranded German Glasshute pilots watch, and could be considered the template for the Type-20.
Here are from left to right issues 31-1940s French Air Force, 26-1950 French Pilot, SP4-1950s French Pilot, and issue 36-1960s French Naval Pilot.