An incredibly rare Royal Canadian Air Force monopusher chronograph, dating to the early 1950s.
This battle-tested piece of military, Canadian, and watchmaking history has seen significant flight time in military aircraft. An absolutely massive watch for the times, this military chronograph would have been worn over the pilot’s flight jacket, on the lower forearm. To facilitate legibility during combat, the dial's architecture is minimalist in design, with no text and oversized subdials. The syringe shaped hour and minute hands are filled with radium – an early material used for luminescence, which was quickly discontinued due to safety concerns for those painting the dials in Switzerland (who were working next to open vats of radioactive paint). The red enamel centre-sweep seconds hand and blue steeled sub seconds hands make for a very attractive aesthetic, while the over-sized case makes the watch fit nicely within contemporary sizing.
Adding to the rarity of this piece is the fact that it bears markings from the Swiss watch manufacture Rodana. The name Rodana is a predecessor to Rodania. Interestingly, the company changed its name in response to anti-trust prosecutions and hearings in the US - an attempt to escape the company's corporate history. As a result, there are extremely few RCAF watches in the present configuration, making this particular piece exceedingly rare.
This watch retains all its original military markings and was sourced from the wrist of the French Canadian RCAF pilot to whom it was originally issued.
