A17 PILOT "Dragon Lady" Leather

Designed specifically for pilots by Waltham, high precision and a perfect dial legibility through graphical rigor and highly contrasting colors define the A17 PILOT. Developed in the 1940s as a navigational instrument for jet pilots, it has since become the archetype for aviation tool watch design.

On December 31, 1948  the USAF Equipment Laboratory Engineering Division, sent out a letter to the Waltham Watch Company and other watch brands asking for their comments on Specification n° 21277. This specification would later be known as MIL-W-6433. 

A tender issued to the Elgin National Watch Company, the Hamilton Watch Company, the Bulova Watch Company, the Gruen Watch Company and, the Longines-Wittnauer Watch Company. In the end the United States Air Force chose to exclusively use the Waltham Watch Company for their new Type A17 Pilot’s watch.

A legend was born on March 23, 1951 when Mil Spec MIL-W-6433 was approved for the Waltham Type A17.  

In the military world, a slight confusion about time interpretation can be fatal. Therefore, the military had to improvise a time system that reduces any chances of ambiguity. This brought the adoption of the military time system also known as the 24 hour clock system.

When on March 23, 1951 Mil Spec MIL-W-6433 was adopted by the USAF for the Waltham A-17 it did in fact feature a 24 hour dial. This watch was intended as a navigation timepiece for pilots.