MWC A-17 Classic 1950s US Pattern Korean War Pilots Watch with Hybrid Movement
WE MANAGED TO OBTAIN SOME OF THESE WATCHES FROM A SURPLUS CLEARANCE SALE THEY ARE BRAND NEW BUT MADE IN 2020 AND WERE IN STORAGE SO COULD NEED A NEW BATTERY QUITE SOON ALTHOUGH MOST HAVE BATTERY SAVERS ON THE CROWN SO COULD PROBABLY STILL RUN FOR SOMETIME. (SEE FINAL IMAGES) BUT THESE ARE GREATLY REDUCED TO CLEAR.
ONCE THEY ARE GONE, IT IS VERY UNLIKELY WE WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN ANYMORE. This recreation is based closely on the original 1950s Korean War A-17 models but has the advantage that it is now equipped with a high-performance hybrid movement, glass crystal, screw caseback, and 100m water resistance. The MWC hybrid watches essentially combine the best of new and traditional watchmaking technology. They encompass features from both our conventional automatic and quartz models, resulting in a hybrid ultra-low maintenance movement. The hybrid movement has a battery powering the movement through coils and a quartz oscillator, but the hands are mechanically actuated and controlled.
Essentially the movement is mechanical except it's powered by a battery and regulated by a crystal, the only thing it doesn't have is a spring. This watch offers the ideal choice for buyers who would prefer the sweep secondhand as seen in automatic watches with the hassle-free maintenance benefits of a quartz watch. Returning to the original watches made back in WW2, these were made in a variety of slightly different styles by Elgin, Bulova, and Waltham but were all based on an original US government specification laid down at the time. This watch is closest in appearance to the Elgin 539 which used a 15 or 16 jewel movement and was made for the USAAF between 1940 and 1945. The original watch was made from plated base metal (to save steel) but this modern recreation is solid stainless steel, so it should stand the test of time better than the originals.
The history of our recreation and how it came into going back over 10 years to January 2009 when we were approached by a US veterans association who asked us to examine the viability of making a watch that was identical in appearance to the original watches which were made by Hamilton, Bulova, and Benrus during the Vietnam War. We were sent samples of watches to examine and also the original specification sheets and the result was a watch which was very close to the original and used a high grade fully jeweled hand-wound movement, this watch was the GG-W-113 which we still make. As a result of making that watch, we were contacted again with a view to recreating this even earlier model because these are now almost impossible to find in good sound condition.
The reason that finding one is good order is difficult is primarily because as outlined above most were made from 1943 onwards when resources were limited and hence cheap metal was used. This 1950s pattern A-17 watch sits between the 19. 0s A-11 and the 1960s GG-W-113. This model was developed in 2019 to retain the appearance of the original watches but with multiple upgrades such as the screw-down crown, 100 m water resistance, and screw caseback as well as the hybrid movement. Width Inc Crown: 40 mm.
Width Exc Crown: 38 mm. Lug to lug is 45 mm. 100 m / 330ft Water Resistance. Hybrid movement with "Hack System". 20 mm Nylon Military Webbing Strap.