Product Details

SKU Code: A-17

The A-17 Automatic is a faithful recreation of the classic U.S. Korean War-era military watch (1950–1953). While visually almost identical to the original field watches worn by American troops, this modern version has been upgraded with a 24-jewel automatic self-winding movement and a shatter- and scratch-resistant box sapphire crystal. The sapphire not only maintains the vintage look of plexiglass but also offers vastly superior durability, water resistance, and clarity. The movement can also be hand-wound, preserving the traditional feel of the original design.

This model sits between its two historical companions: the A-11 (based on the WWII USAAF pilot’s watch) and the GG-W-113 (based on the Vietnam-era issue watch of the 1960s–70s). Together, they form a trilogy of faithfully reproduced U.S. military classics.

The A-17 features a heavy-duty 316L stainless steel satin-finish case, a sweep second hand with hacking function, black dial with luminous hands and markers (Luminova), and a robust screw-down caseback. It’s designed for durability and night-time readability, making it as functional today as it was in the 1950s.

Technical Specifications

• Case Width (inc. crown): 38 mm
• Case Width (exc. crown): 36 mm
• Thickness: 12.9 mm
• Lug Size: 18 mm
• Lug-to-Lug: 43 mm
• Lug Type: Spring
• Case Material: 316L stainless steel
• Caseback: Screw-down stainless steel with engraved serial number
• Crown: Stainless steel, screw-down
• Dial Color: Black
• Movement: 24-jewel automatic (self-winding, with hand-wind option)
• Crystal: Box sapphire – shatter- and scratch-resistant
• Water Resistance: 10 ATM / 100 m / 330 ft
• Luminous Material: Luminova on dial and hands
• Strap: 18 mm Nylon Webbing Strap
• Packaging: Gift box
• Warranty: 24 months

Why Sapphire Crystal?

Sapphire is the gold standard for watch crystals. Unlike mineral glass, which is prone to scratches and cracking, synthetic sapphire is exceptionally strong, scratch-resistant, and shatter-resistant. These qualities make it ideal for military personnel, police officers, security staff, and outdoor enthusiasts—groups that account for over 70% of our customers.

After manufacture, sapphire glass is heat-treated to remove internal stresses, then cut and coated with two layers of anti-reflective treatment. The result is a crystal that retains the vintage look of plexiglass while offering modern-day durability. It’s no coincidence that sapphire is now also used on the latest iPhones.

While sapphire adds cost, it dramatically increases performance and longevity—making it the preferred choice for demanding users and serious watch collectors alike.

• Delivery

  • Delivery charges are as follows:

    USA/CANADA	EUROPE	UK	REST OF THE WORLD
    Tracked Mail US$11.50	Tracked Mail €11.75 / £10.25 / US$11.50	Tracked Mail  £9.95	Tracked Mail US$11.50 / €11.75 / £10.25
    Express Courier UPS or FedEx  US$25.00	Express Courier UPS or FedEx  €27.50 / £24.00 / US$27.00	Express Courier  UPS £12.95	Express Courier UPS or FedEx  US$41.50 / €42.50 / £36.50

    You will generally receive two emails after placing an order, the first will be a confirmation of receipt of the order and payment, this will be followed by a notification of shipment  once the goods are dispatched. When an order and payment has been processed, goods will be shipped by the Post Office or Courier within 48 hours. Please note that our shipping centers are closed on Saturdays and Sundays therefore orders placed during this time may take up to 72 hours to be dispatched, this includes orders after 13:00 European time on Fridays.

    The estimated delivery times in working days are set out below: *

    • USA Registered Mail: 4 to 12 days
    • USA UPS: 2 to 3 days
    • Europe UPS: 2 to 5 days
    • Europe Registered Mail: 7 to 14 days
    • UK DPD or UPS: 12 to 48 hours
    • UK Royal Mail: 1 to 3 days
    • Rest of World UPS: 3 to 10 days
    • Rest of World Registered Mail: 7 to 21 days

    All shipping estimates exclude Saturdays and Sundays when our packing and shipping centres are closed and also some countries postal services do not operate at the weekend.
    

    * Some countries are prone to be notoriously slow to process goods on arrival, among these countries are Israel, Hong Kong, Macau, Mexico, South Africa and some South American countries. We also tend to experience significant delays with many countries in Africa in addition to South Africa, you can always contact us for advice although we do not know with certainty exactly which countries will be slow, and which will be fast but the above estimates are a pretty good guide for most countries, keen in mind remote territories or those with slow customs processing can also tend to be problematic. Regardless of the processing speed, all of our shipments are fully insured against Loss.

    Please Note: We recommend using UPS, DHL or Fedex, which we offer as an option, if the delivery is very time sensitive and you are aware that your local Postal Service he's not particularly reliable.

    Whilst we make every effort to deliver your order within the above timeframes this is a guide and delivery cannot be guaranteed. We will not accept responsibility for delays caused by our Couriers or any National postal service. If the goods are not delivered within the time we have estimated, please feel free to contact us or email admin@mwc.watch, and we will do everything possible to resolve the issue promptly. We will not be liable for any loss caused to you by late delivery.

    Our delivery charges covers the cost of shipping the goods to you. However, this does not include import charges and administration fees to clear the goods when entering your country. 

    If you need to clarify any details regarding local taxes for your location, please contact us before placing an order. For clarification, goods shipped to the EU can be dispatched from our EU location if ordered on this site, and we also have a UK shipping center if you order at www.mwcwatches.co.uk

    In the United States, orders under $800 do not incur taxes or fees. In Australia, orders up to AU$1000 are tax-free. Many other countries have similar regulations, which you can verify using this helpful link: Zonos De Minimis Values and also another link below to calculate taxes for shipments to most countries which is here https://www.simplyduty.com/import-calculator/

    It is the responsibility of the purchaser to understand that charges may apply and pay all subsequent import tax and duty on goods shipped to their respective Country. In the instance that items are returned to MWC as a result of a rejected payment, subsequent charges incurred such as Import Duty and processing costs will be deducted from any refund issued. For further information on this please contact accounts@mwc-distribution.com 

    We do not accept any liability for goods that have been lost after delivery to a PO Box. We reserve the right to cancel orders where the delivery address is a PO Box. Furthermore, we also do not accept any liability for goods that have been lost after they are confirmed as delivered to APO or BFPO locations. 

    It is the Customer's responsibility to notify us if the goods have not been received within 21 days of the estimated delivery date or time of ordering. If no notification is made within this time period the buyer shall be deemed to have received the goods.

    Failed delivery of an item ordered due to non-acceptance of the delivery

    Please note that if you order an item and the delivery company inform us that the item was refused it would be returned back to us, in many cases especially with FedEx, UPS etc they will also charge a return fee to send it back. Because in these circumstances we have done everything that is required to get the item to you we would refund less both the outbound and Inbound shipping charges once the item was received back at our packing and shipping centre. Unfortunately sometimes if you are having the order delivered to a business location the people receiving inbound parcels are prone to refuse an item without checking with the individual concerned we would strongly recommend being very cautious in this situation and notifying the people who handle the incoming parcels that you are expecting a delivery to avoid this problem occurring. Usually, we would be notified there is a delivery issue and would email you for your instructions, normally these sorts of problems can be avoided if you contact the carrier and tell them there is an error but it's very important to act quickly to avoid the return and associated costs.