This automatic self-winding A-17 pattern watch is a classic design based on typical designs used in the Korean War between Jun 25, 1950 and Jul 27, 1953, this modern re-creation whilst visually virtually identical re-creation to the original has the advantage that it is now equipped with a modern self-winding 24 jewel mechanical movement and has also been upgraded to a box sapphire crystal, the big advantage of the sapphire crystal is that it is both shatter and scratch resistant as well as enhancing water, resistance, and although outwardly identical in appearance to the original plexiglass crystal which would have been used on the original watches, whilst the mechanical movement is automatic it still retains the option to hand-wind if desired. The other watches in this family of watches are the A-11 based on the WW2 USAAF pilots watch and the GG-W-113 based on the later 1960/1970s Vietnam War issue model.
This watch has a heavy stainless steel satin finish case made from Military Grade 316L stainless steel, sweep second hand, hacking function, black dial, and Luminova on the markings and hands for first-rate night-time performance.
The entire range of A-11, A-17, and GG-W-113 watches came into being because in January 2009 MWC was approached by a US veterans association who were keen to examine the viability of making a GG-W-113 watch which was identical in appearance to the original watches which were made by Hamilton, Bulova and Benrus during the Vietnam war. After receiving samples of watches to examine and also the original specification sheets the resulting watch was very close to the original and used a high grade fully jeweled hand-wound movement. As a result of making that watch another order was placed with a view to recreating the A-11 which is an even earlier model it was a logical progression that the veterans came back to us again, asking if we could complete the lineup of the three watches, which comprise this family by making the 1950s pattern A-17 watch which sits between the 1940s A-11 and the 1960s GG-W-113.
DIMENSIONS
Width Inc Crown: 38mm
Width Exc Crown: 36mm
Thickness: 12.9mm
Lug Size: 18mm
Lug to lug is 43mm
Lug Type: Spring
Dial Colour: Black
Case Material: 316L stainless steel
Caseback: Screw-down 316L stainless steel
Crown: 316L stainless steel
Water Resistance: 5 atm (50m/165ft)*
Movement: 24 Jewel Automatic
Crystal: Shatter and Scratch Resistant Box Sapphire*
Luminous Material: Luminova
Serial number on caseback
Strap: 18mm
Supplied in a gift box
24 Months Guarantee
* A lot of people ask us what are the benefits of sapphire crystal over a standard mineral crystal? The answer is that synthetic sapphire is by far the best material for watch crystals because it is very strong and also shatter and scratch-resistant, these characteristics make it very appealing to military and security personnel, police officers and people who lead active outdoor lifestyles, these groups account for over 70% of our customers. To get things into perspective we find that when clients have accidents with watches resulting in a cracked crystal over 90% usually watches with mineral glass crystals, even factoring in that we use hardened mineral crystals they still do not come close to sapphire for durability under adverse conditions. The reason that sapphire crystals are so strong is that after the sapphire glass is manufactured it is also heat-treated to remove its internal stresses—which can cause weakness—it is then made into the watch crystals and two layers of anti-reflective coating are applied, interestingly sapphire crystal is now used on the latest iPhone. Of course, sapphire crystal comes at a price hence you find that it's normally only fitted to higher-end watches.
