Product Details

SKU Code: A-17

This automatic, self-winding A-17 pattern watch is a classic design based on those used during the Korean War in the 1950s. It has been enhanced with a high-performance 24-jewel self-winding mechanical movement and upgraded to a box sapphire crystal, which is both shatter and scratch-resistant. Despite these modern improvements, the watch retains the outward appearance of the original plexiglass crystal used on vintage models. The mechanical movement is automatic but also allows for hand-winding if desired.

The A-17 is part of a family of watches that includes the A-11, based on the WWII USAAF pilot's watch, and the GG-W-113, inspired by the Vietnam War issue model.

This watch features a heavy satin-finish case made from military-grade 316L stainless steel, a sweep second hand, hacking function, black dial, and Luminova for superior night-time visibility.

The development of the A-11, A-17, and GG-W-113 watches began in January 2009 when MWC was approached by a U.S. veterans association interested in recreating a GG-W-113 that was visually identical to the original models produced by Hamilton, Bulova, and Benrus during the Vietnam War. After reviewing samples and original specification sheets, MWC successfully produced a watch that closely resembled the original, equipped with a high-grade, fully jeweled hand-wound movement. This GG-W-113 is still in production today. The success of this project led to a request to recreate the A-11, an earlier model from the 1940s. However, original A-11 watches are now nearly impossible to find in good condition, largely because they were made during WWII when resources were limited, resulting in less durable materials. In contrast, this modern recreation of the A-17 is built with solid stainless steel, making it far more durable.

The A-17 sits between the 1940s A-11 and the 1960s GG-W-113 in terms of design and historical context.

DIMENSIONS

• Width (Including Crown): 38mm
• Width (Excluding Crown): 36mm
• Thickness: 12.9mm
• Lug Size: 18mm
• Lug to Lug: 43mm
• Lug Type: Spring

Dial Color: Black
Case Material: 316L stainless steel
Caseback: Screw-down 316L stainless steel
Crown: 316L stainless steel screw-down locking crown
Water Resistance: 5 atm (50m/165ft)
Movement: 24-jewel automatic
Crystal: Shatter and scratch-resistant box sapphire*

Luminous Material: Luminova
Serial Number: Engraved on caseback
Strap: 18mm
Supplied in: Gift box
Warranty: 24 months

Sapphire Crystal Benefits

Many people ask about the advantages of sapphire crystal over standard mineral glass. Synthetic sapphire is the best material for watch crystals due to its exceptional strength, shatter resistance, and scratch resistance. These qualities make sapphire crystal particularly appealing to military and security personnel, police officers, and people with active outdoor lifestyles—groups that account for over 70% of our customers.

To provide perspective, over 90% of accidents involving cracked watch crystals occur in watches with mineral glass, even when hardened. Sapphire, on the other hand, is far more durable under adverse conditions. After being manufactured, sapphire crystals are heat-treated to eliminate internal stresses, which could cause weakness, and then two layers of anti-reflective coating are applied. Interestingly, sapphire crystal is also used in the latest iPhones. Although sapphire crystals come at a higher cost, they are typically found in higher-end watches due to their superior durability.

• 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.