Eaglemoss Military Watches Collection.

In the earliest days of flight the French led the way. Names like Farman and Blériot made headlines around the world.
The French Air Force first came into being over 100 years ago, The Aéronautique Militiare existed before the onset of World War 1 and its pilots played huge part in the battles across europe.



Case
Polished 38mm case, 41mm with crown, 45.5mm lug to lug, 9mm deep. Ridged bezel edge.
Case back engraved with description of the watch. 29.5mm flat glass. 31.8mm interior aperture.
Dial
31.2mm black dial with applied chrome effect Arabic hour markers (not at 3 or 9) minute/second scale at outer edge. Arabic numerals at 5 second intervals. Pale green Arabic hour markers. Day indicator dial at 9 o'clock with date indicator at 3 o'clock.
Steel, White filled, baton style hours and minutes hands. Slim straight seconds hand.
Lume on minute and hour hands only.
Movement is a Sunon PE80
Strap
18mm Folded Steel bracelet, central wider links polished, outer links brushed, narrows slightly to a 16mm deployment clasp, 4 removable links, fit aprox 160-220mm, each link aprox 10.5mm + 21mm in clasp



I’m sorry to say that I like this special edition far less than the previous two. The Australian Divers watch had a real weight to it and this one feels far lighter, It also doesn’t have the quality feel of the US Astronaut chronograph

It is difficult not to be reminded of earlier watches from the collection, here it is with the very recent Issue 26, also a 1950s French Pilots watch, and The Subscribers Special, 1950s British RAF, multifunction watch.

The British RAF watch is visually much bigger, though only a 40mm case the glass is almost 4mm larger in diameter at 33.3mm.

Conversely the issue 26 is smaller at 35.2mm case and 30.8 glass, I couldn’t quite fit the movement into the issue 26 case without modifying the plastic carrier, but it’s fun to see what the face of it could have been like.

The French Air Force has In the 1950s French Pilots were issued with watches manufactured to the "Type 20" pattern. This Special edition watch reminds me mostly of Dodane type 21 watches.