2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings during World War II, and as the world commemorates this milestone, Praesidus goes beyond most watch brands by literally bringing a slice of D-Day history to the world. durable and characterful limited edition C. -47 A-11 Day D.
A watch, a story
It may be hard to imagine, but June 6, 2024 marks 80 years since “D-Day” – the start of the Allied invasion of France during World War II and one of the most pivotal days of that massive conflict . It is also a significant milestone in military history and, as such, it is no surprise that a military-inspired brand like Praesidus has gone out of its way to honor the heroism of those who served during the D-Day operations.
Rather than just a new colorway or a commemorative caseback, Praesidus aims higher by attempting to encapsulate a piece of the D-Day itself into the design of the watch. Enter the new limited edition Praesidus C-47 A-11 D-Daywhich combines the simplicity of rugged army design and old-school military charm with a dial made from one of the C-47 Skytrain transport planes used to drop American planes and British paratroopers in Normandy during the D-Day invasion.
Perfectly designed features
Almost brutally utilitarian and functional, the Praesidus C-47 A-11 D-Day’s 38mm wide sandblasted stainless steel case may deviate significantly from original WWII US Army A-11 watch cases global, but it captures the simple purpose, constructed spirit of these designs.
The gently rounded central case, narrow rounded smooth bezel, and slim, tapered pierced lugs all give off a plausibly practical, governmental feel on the wrist, as does the old-school low-domed acrylic crystal. It’s a significantly larger and more substantial silhouette than the original war-era A-11s, but small enough to still look ‘vintage’, and the no-frills matte finish adds to that from the get-go. aged feeling.
Praesidus continues this military style through the solid case back C-47 A-11 D-Day, which features an old-style linear text engraving detailing the commemorative provenance of the watch’s limited edition. Although it may look like a case from the 1940s, the C-47 A-11 D-Day is a modern model, offering a screw-down crown and 100 meters of water resistance out of the box.
Although the dial of the Praesidus C-47 A-11 D-Day appears as simple and basic as its case at first glance, there is much more here than first meets the eye. This dial is the centerpiece of the watch, with a patinated aluminum surface taken directly from the “hamburger door” (so named because of its position in front of the propellers to warn against opening during operation) of one of the C-47 aircraft used during D-Day.
Praesidus makes each watch unique
Given the unique nature and patina of this material, each dial of the C-47 A-11 D-Day series is more or less one of a kind, some examples sporting traces of original olive drab paint, some repainted with new olive drab, and others showing significantly more wear. Our sample arrived with a lightly patinated brushed aluminum dial, unpainted, showing signs of age around the dial edge at 10 o’clock and a few small spots of patina, but shining largely as it should. ‘to be that day in June 1944.
Praesidus’ decision to keep this surface bare and naturally aged keeps the visual focus on the material itself during wear, as does the simple, slightly rough layout of the sterile dial. Aside from the angular, khaki-lumed Arabic numerals, the dial design is extremely clean, with a light, airy outer minute track and a set of basic matte black-lined Roman sword hands. It’s extremely readable and usable despite the reflective aluminum dial base, and maintains an overall period-appropriate and suitably military feel on the wrist.
Miyota 9039 at the center of this historic novelty
Praesidus equips the C-47 A-11 D-Day with the familiar Miyota 9039 automatic movement. As a more refined, dateless variant of the ubiquitous 9015, the Miyota 9039 offers a reliable, easy-to-maintain platform with solid performance, including a 42-hour power reserve and a cadence of 28,800 bph.
To complete the design, Praesidus offers the watch either with its aged brown leather strap or with a unique variation of nylon NATO strap. While the NATO strap itself may seem a bit anachronistic for a WWII-themed watch, the pattern is a brilliant and thoughtful nod to the heritage of the aircraft used for this model. Like most NATO straps, it adds a bit of visual bulk to the watch on the wrist, but it’s a causal, characterful pairing that fits well with the overall look.
An ultra-limited edition, but at a competitive price
Alone 500 copies of each of the three dial colors will be manufactured, for a total production of 1,500 units. The Praesidus C-47 A-11 D-Day will be available for purchase on the brand’s e-commerce platform on June 6, 2024. The MSRP of this watch is US$550 (506,605 euros) at the time of publication.
