PIONEERS IN PROFESSIONAL TIMEKEEPING
For more info or to reserve by phone, call: 888.9.GALLET (425538) / International + 813.712.4966
The Flight Officer - Yesterday & Today
After Gallet first introduced the famous Flight Officer chronograph in 1938, this extraordinary Swiss timepiece remained as a favorite of both military and civilian aviators for decades.
As the world’s first wristwatch to combine time zone calculations with elapsed time recording capabilities, housed within an extremely durable and water resistant case, the Flight Officer has always been a relatively expensive timepiece for limited military budgets. In spite of this, Senator Harry S Truman recommended the watch as a requirement for pilots of the US Army Air forces during WWII, and personally wore a Gallet Flight Officer during his term as America’s 33rd president.
Throughout the watch’s 72 years of active duty, Gallet has continuously upgraded the Flight Officer with the most advanced technology available to the timekeeping arts. The very pinnacle of this evolution is expressed in the new Museum Edition Flight Officer, considered as the world’s most accurate and highly developed pilot's watch of the 21st century.
Gallet's Tradition of Philanthropy
Since providing the initial funding in 1899 to build the renowned Museum of Watchmaking in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Gallet has maintained a 112 year tradition of supporting institutions that preserve the history and educate the public about the noble art of timekeeping. Consistent with this tradition, Gallet is providing this extraordinary timepiece in a limited edition of only 1050 total examples as a direct benefit to America’s National Watch and Clock Museum.
The Watch
The Museum Edition Flight Officer, powered by the Gallet’s in-house manufactured MultiChron
“Duo-force” calibre G330, is the world’s first self-winding split rattrapante chronograph to be
powered by twin mainsprings. Besides the extended duration of 72 hours between winds,
this unique synthesis of features insures the highest level of chronometer accuracy, regardless
of whether the watch is only utilized for telling the time, or when one or both timers are
activated.
Additional Features
As the ultimate pilot’s wristwatch, the Museum Edition Flight Officer is designed to provide the wearer with the ability to calculate the time across all 24 of the world’s time zones. By
setting the outer periphery of the dial (face) to the wearer’s home location, and rotating the bezel to a second time zone, the current time of any place on the earth becomes clearly visible.
The Museum Edition Flight Officer is also equipped with an extra large date feature and housed in a 42mm diameter case, water resistant to 100 meters or 328’, with screw down winding crown and screw-lock activation pushers.
The New Calibre G330 Movement
The simple yet elegant appearance of Gallet’s new Duo-Force calibre G330 belies the highly complicated mechanism that is hidden within. The result of 5 years of intensive development, the MultiChron Duo-Force is the perfect integration of over 440 individually finished parts.
Vibrating at 28,800 beats per hour, any potential timing errors inherent to most mechanical
timepieces are reduced to a bare minimum. To further support this faster rate of vibration,
the escape wheel is constructed of pure Silicium, a cutting-edge material that requires no
lubrication and remains free from the negative effects that change in temperature and
normal degradation of watch oils have on a movement’s accuracy.
The extra power to drive this highly advanced system is derived from Gallet’s own Duo-Force
twin barrel configuration. Two separate mainsprings, precisely engineered to work in perfect
synergy, consistently deliver the exact level of force to the escapement, regardless of the
total amount of the mainspring wind or whichever of the complicated time recording features
is engaged.
All of these combined factors results in a mechanism that will perform at extremely impressive levels of certified chronometer accuracy at all times, in all conditions, and across all functions.
In line with Gallet’s long held reputation for extreme durability, every point of potential friction between moving parts is protected against wear by 51 solid ruby bearings, insuring lifetimes of reliable service on the wrist of the professional user.
Hand Assembly, Rigorous Testing, and Delivery Schedule
Each timepiece is painstakingly hand assembled, one watch at a time by Gallet’s master watchmakers, and repeatedly inspected and tested numerous times throughout the assembly procedure. From start to finish, each Museum Edition Flight Officer requires numerous weeks of assembly, as well as the time involved in certification by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres). Since this type of watchmaking perfection can not be rushed, there is currently a waiting period ranging from 5 to 6 months to receive a Museum Edition Flight Officer after a reservation is placed.
The Limited Series
The Museum Series consists of a total of only 1050 examples, separated by case metal into five
individual edition groups. 250 will be created in stainless steel, 250 in solid 18k yellow gold, 250
in solid 18k white gold, 250 in solid 18k red gold, and only 50 in solid 950 platinum. Numbering
for each edition group will begin at 1 and end at the total number created (ex: 1/250 for
stainless steel or 1/50 for platinum).
The first, or #1 watch in each edition will remain within the collection of Gallet and the National
Watch & Clock Museum. Available watches in each edition group will begin at number 2 and
increase consecutively, based on the date of reservation, until all watches in each edition are
sold.
Every Museum Edition Flight Officer will be beautifully engraved on the reverse with the Museum logo and the edition number. This edition number is also included on the accompanying official registration documents and Certificate of Authenticity.
The Museum Edition Flight Officer Chronograph
Specially priced (40% discount) for NAWCC members:
- Stainless steel - $19,500 (normal retail: $32,500)
- 18k yellow gold - $39,900 (normal retail: $66,500)
- 18k white gold - $41,250 (normal retail: $68,750)
- 18k red gold - $42,750 (normal retail: $71,250)
- 950 platinum - $89,700 (normal retail: $149,500)
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