Why This Watch Matters

This cool Airain Type 20 chronograph built for the French Military has a gorgeous patina and a flyback chronograph movement made by Valjoux. 

The Full Story

Vintage military chronographs are not only examples of what combat-ready design looked like in the past, they're also just plain cool-looking today. The Breguet "Type 20" is one of the most well-known of the bunch, especially with the success of its modern reinterpretations.

However, there were also similar designs issued by Mathey-Tissot, Dodane, and Airain, which have all gained popularity in recent years. This variant from Airain has a three-star logo on the caseback, which indicates its association with the Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre, or the French Army Light Aviation, a French helicopter unit established in 1954.

The French Army stipulated the following three factors for all of its military chronographs. The case must be 38mm in diameter for legibility and optimal handling. The dial had to be black for better contrast and minimal glare. And, most importantly, the chronograph had to be of the flyback variety, which allowed a pilot to easily reset the elapsed time indication. 

We paired this Airain chronograph with our Bedford Watch Strap in Light Grey to highlight the overall versatility of this watch. 

The Fine Print

Maker: Airain 
Model: Type 20
Year: 1960s 
Case No: 246292
Material: Stainless steel 
Dimensions: 37.5mm diameter; 13.5mm thickness 
Crystal: Plexiglass 
Lume: Yes, radium 
Caliber: Valjoux, manual-wound, caliber 222 (Flyback) 
Bracelet/Strap: 
Lug Width: 20mm
Box/Papers: No 

What we Love and What You Should Know

The watch is overall well-preserved for a military chronograph. The case shows some scratches and has been lightly polished. The caseback engraving is still very crisp, including the three stars from the Cétéhor (Centre Technique de l'Industrie Horlogère) in Besançon. The lack of FG markings ("F.G." stands for "Fin de Garantie," or end of guarantee). This is consistent with a provenance from ALAT pilots, since their watches were serviced by civilian watchmakers. The black paint on the numerals of the bezel have worn off. The ridges on the bezel are still crisp which helps with the graspability of the bezel. The black dial has aged beautifully to a soft black with some noticeable patina between six and eight o'clock. The lume on the numerals have gained an attractive patina in a rich dark buttery color, which is also close in color to the lume on the hands. The lume on the hands appears to have been re-applied a very long time ago, which is a common service for military watches to ensure proper legibility and functionality. The crystal has light scratches. This watch was photographed on a 175mm/6.9inch wrist.