Auricoste
type 20 ouragan flyback - Armée de l'Air (French Air Force)

Military chronograph Auricoste Type 20 Flyback Pilot’s Watch from the French Air Force, dated 1954, featuring two sub-dials with flyback function and a rotating bezel. Issued until the 1980s (FG maintenance engravings on the caseback), this watch is one of the iconic timepieces of the French Air Force during the Dassault Ouragan and Mirage III era... the era of the “Knights of the Sky”. The stainless steel case offers excellent aging resistance and improved protection against electric and magnetic fields, a property that made it a preferred choice for many Mirage IV pilots. This watch is part of the Type 20 batch commissioned by the French Air Force at the end of 1953 to replace WWII-issued watches that were not well-suited for jet aircraft piloting.

It features two totalizing sub-dials: a right-hand seconds counter calibrated every three seconds (as per French Air Force specifications) to measure flight and ground attack phases, and a left-hand minute counter for up to 60 minutes, used for point-to-point navigation. Its movement is considered the best among all watches provided to the Air Force under the 1954 Type 20 specifications. This is the Auricoste 2040 calibre, a column-wheel chronograph movement with shock absorber, 18,000 vibrations per hour, and a 36-hour power reserve. It is based on the famous Lemania 15TL escapement, which also served as the mechanical foundation for many high-end chronographs from Patek Philippe, Omega, and Tissot (calibre 33-3) during the 1940s and 50s.

The bi-directional rotating bezel, made of chrome-plated metal, allows for tracking the time remaining to the next waypoint during navigation. Less abrasive than the bezels on other issued Type 20s, it was favored by many pilots and contributed to the watch’s exceptional longevity in use within the fighter and bomber squadrons of the French Air Force. All components of this chronograph are original and in perfect working condition.

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