SKU Code: GGW113/100QZ
This recreation is based closely on the
original Vietnam war design from the 1960s but has the advantage that
it is now equipped with a high-performance hybrid movement, glass
crystal, screw caseback and 100m water resistance. MWC hybrid
watches essentially combine the best of both new and traditional
watchmaking technology. They encompass features from both 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.
The watch offers the benefit of retaining the classic 1960s
outward appearance whilst having the advantage of a few important
updates to improve its suitability for use on a day to day basis, the
main upgrades are an increase from 30m to 100m water resistance and a
screw-down crown and caseback. The other watches in this family of
watches are the A-11 based on the WW2 USAAF pilots watch and the A-17
based on the Korean War issue model.
All the
original watches regardless of whether they were an A-11, A-17 or
GG-W-113 used plexiglass which was fine for the time but does not come
anywhere near meeting modern standards for either water resistance or
scratch resistance. The updates mean that rather than just being
splash-proof like the original models this watch is fine for swimming
and other activities involving use in water, although the updates vastly
improve the watch in terms of performance it still retains the
historical retro appearance which was achieved by manufacturing a
special curved glass crystal which closely mimics the original.
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 or 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 jewelled hand-wound
movement, this watch was the GG-W-113 which is still made by MWC. 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, the original A-11 is
now virtually impossible to find in good sound condition, this is
primarily because most originals were made from 1943 onwards when
resources were very limited due to the war and hence cheap metal was
used which meant they were not very durable and the wartime alloy
watches could not get close to a watch like this model made in solid
stainless steel.
The new 100m series of models were
developed in 2019 and encompass the best of both traditional appearance
and current-day performance standards.
SPECIFICATION