Ralf Tech
WRB 44th Infantry Regiment Military Watch - DGSE Action Service

RALF TECH WRB Black 44th Infantry Regiment reference WRB-1100, professional issue series produced exclusively for Action Service personnel attached to the 44th Infantry Regiment and the DGSE, limited and individually numbered edition of 150 pieces, 39 mm 316L surgical stainless-steel case with matte black DLC coating, specific black 44th Infantry Regiment dial featuring the Ace of Spades emblem, no-date three-hand display, strongly luminous hands and hour markers, unidirectional rotating diving bezel, sapphire crystal, protected screw-down crown, stainless-steel screw-down caseback carrying the RTA003 movement designation and individual XX/150 numbering, 20 ATM or 200-metre water resistance, RALF TECH RTA003 self-winding mechanical movement, operating at 21,600 vibrations per hour, 24 jewels, approximately 40-hour power reserve after full winding, professional watch whose caseback could, according to the serviceman’s choice, be engraved with his operational name — his “legend” — and blood group or deliberately remain free of personal information, 2022 Full Set example, inspected, authenticated and covered by Mostra’s 3-year warranty.

“In intelligence, a genuinely professional object rarely needs to explain what it is. It must work, remain discreet, withstand changing environments and be immediately available when circumstances cease to be ordinary. This black WRB belongs to that particular world: that of equipment whose real story begins precisely where communication ends.”

The RALF TECH WRB Black 44th Infantry Regiment WRB-1100 belongs to an extremely restricted category within contemporary French military watchmaking. It is neither a civilian watch subsequently decorated with a military emblem nor a commercial edition using the world of intelligence as an aesthetic argument. This black version was produced as an issue watch exclusively for Action Service personnel of the 44th Infantry Regiment, in a strictly limited and numbered production of 150 pieces. Behind the black dial, Ace of Spades and DLC-coated case therefore lies a story far rarer than that of an ordinary limited edition: a watch created for military personnel operating within the most discreet environment of French foreign intelligence, where an object is selected not to be recognised but to fulfil its function when terrain, weather or circumstances suddenly change.

The 44th Infantry Regiment occupies an unusual position within the French military structure, supporting military personnel assigned to the Directorate General for External Security — DGSE. Within that environment, the Action Service represents the operational component whose culture has historically relied upon discretion, preparation, autonomy and an ability to work across very different environments. It would of course be inappropriate to associate an individual watch with a particular operation without personal provenance demonstrating such a connection; the significance of this WRB lies elsewhere. Its membership of a series specifically reserved for the Action Service is already exceptional enough. It represents a tangible element of contemporary French military material culture, much as pilots’ watches, combat-diver watches and specialist-unit instruments of earlier decades subsequently became important milestones in military horological history.

It is essential to distinguish this WRB Black precisely from the two other limited series produced for the 44th Infantry Regiment. Three different limited editions existed. The present black DLC-cased WRB, reserved for the Action Service, was numbered to 150 examples. A second WRB with an uncoated stainless-steel case was produced in 100 examples for administrative personnel. Finally, a RALF TECH Académie, also limited to 100 examples, was created for the Action Service. This distinction is fundamental to collectors because it places each watch within its correct issue context and avoids confusing the steel administrative WRB with the considerably more specialised Black Action Service WRB /150. The black DLC treatment is therefore not merely an aesthetic variation: it is an identifying feature of the series itself.

Its 39 mm 316L steel case with matte black DLC coating perfectly illustrates the philosophy of the watch. The WRB avoids unnecessary size in favour of proportions large enough for excellent legibility yet compact enough for prolonged wear. Beneath a sleeve, technical clothing or equipment, its 39 mm diameter avoids unnecessary bulk; on the wrist, it leaves enough surface for the dial to deliver information immediately. The black DLC coating simultaneously reduces the visual presence of the steel and gives the watch its almost monochromatic field-instrument appearance. It is not designed to capture light: it is designed to remain readable whenever its wearer requires it.

The specific 44th Infantry Regiment dial follows exactly the same principle. Black dominates, secondary information disappears and the eye immediately encounters the hands, large luminous markers and the Ace of Spades, historically associated with the regiment. The absence of a date is not an omission but contributes to the clarity of the whole: hours, minutes and seconds remain the only essential indications. On a field watch, this visual hierarchy has considerably more meaning than an accumulation of complications. The seconds hand also provides an immediate indication that the movement is running, while strong luminescence maintains legibility as ambient light disappears. On this WRB, military aesthetics therefore emerge directly from function rather than from styling.

Its second personality appears when dry land ends. The 44th Infantry Regiment WRB Black is also a genuine diving watch, water-resistant to 200 metres, fitted with a screw-down crown, sapphire crystal, screw-down caseback and unidirectional bezel for monitoring elapsed time. This dual field-and-diving vocation is one of the most coherent aspects of the model. A professional instrument becomes more useful when it remains operational as its environment changes: rain, immersion, nautical activity, travel and everyday use can all be approached with the same watch. Underwater, the bezel monitors dive time; on land, it becomes an extremely simple analogue timer for measuring any interval without relying on an electronic device. This versatility is precisely what makes the WRB more than a tactical-looking watch: it genuinely possesses the architecture of a professional diver while retaining the dimensions and discretion of a field watch.

Inside works the RALF TECH RTA003 automatic calibre, entirely consistent with this philosophy. It operates at 21,600 vibrations per hour, uses 24 jewels and provides an approximately 40-hour power reserve after full winding. Its 3 Hz frequency favours proven mechanics, sensible energy consumption and an architecture designed for robust everyday operation. Automatic winding maintains energy through wrist movement, while manual winding allows the movement to be restarted rapidly after a period of rest. Nothing is displayed merely for visual effect: the calibre remains protected beneath a solid screw-down caseback, as suits a watch whose mechanics exist first and foremost to perform a function.

The caseback is probably one of the most interesting features of the series from a collector’s perspective. In addition to its technical markings — RTA003 Automatic Movement, 316L stainless steel and 20 ATM water resistance — it bears the individual XX/150 numbering, immediately identifying the Action Service series. Its particularity went further: the serviceman could choose to have his operational name, or “legend,” and blood group engraved, or alternatively request that the caseback remain free of such personal information. This choice gives surviving examples an additional dimension. Two watches from the same series may therefore present different casebacks depending upon the decision of their original recipient, and this variation belongs to the watch’s issue context rather than representing later decorative personalisation.

This characteristic also reflects the broader philosophy of equipment associated with the Action Service. In that world, visible identity is never an objective in itself. The decision to engrave a legend and blood group or to leave the caseback neutral belonged to the wearer, allowing the watch to be adapted to his individual situation. For today’s collector, this reality requires a more careful reading than with a conventional limited edition: number out of 150, case configuration, dial, caseback engraving and documentation must be considered together. The confidentiality naturally surrounding such an issue should never become an excuse to invent provenance that cannot be established; on the contrary, the strength of this watch lies in what its physical elements genuinely allow us to document.

The 2022 Full Set therefore takes on considerably greater importance than it would on a large-production civilian watch. It does not simply complete the commercial presentation of the piece; it helps preserve coherence between the individual watch, its number, its date and its delivery context. In military watch collecting, where straps and equipment are naturally subject to use and components can later become separated, retaining the original associated material maintains a historical continuity that becomes increasingly important. A black WRB remains an excellent professional watch without documentation; a 2022 Full Set WRB Black 44th Infantry Regiment /150 becomes a considerably more significant ensemble.

For collectors of French military watches, the piece also represents an interesting evolution in the very concept of the issue watch. Type 20 chronographs, military diving watches and twentieth-century pilots’ watches belonged to an era when the mechanical watch formed part of the essential instruments of a profession. In the twenty-first century, military personnel naturally have access to far more electronic equipment, yet the mechanical watch retains particular qualities: autonomy, immediate readability and independence from a network or daily charging. The 44th Infantry Regiment WRB belongs to this continuity. It represents a contemporary generation of instruments created for actual users, and it is precisely this direct relationship with use that may ultimately give the watch far greater historical significance than that of a conventional limited edition.

Its interest is reinforced by the fact that this Action Service /150 version was not originally available for normal retail purchase by the public. Its rarity was therefore not artificially created to stimulate collector demand; it resulted from a deliberately restricted population of recipients. One hundred and fifty pieces already represent an extremely small horological production, yet the number of examples likely to enter the secondary market later in coherent condition and accompanied by their Full Set is inevitably smaller still. This is where the genuine rarity of the RALF TECH lies: not merely in a number printed on a marketing document, but in its original exclusively professional distribution.

Choosing this RALF TECH WRB Black 44th Infantry Regiment Action Service from Mostra has particular meaning because our house has worked for more than forty years with collectible, military and professional watches, operates a highly regarded integrated watchmaking workshop in Aix-en-Provence and offers one of the largest selections of high-end pre-owned watches in the South of France. With an issue watch, our work never stops at the emblem printed on the dial: DLC case, reference, caseback, /150 numbering, dial, hands, RTA003 movement, crown, bezel, strap, operation and Full Set consistency are examined together. This level of scrutiny is particularly important in distinguishing the black Action Service series from the other WRB watches made for the 44th Infantry Regiment.

Since 2025, Mostra has also been the first Certified RALF TECH Technical Centre dedicated to pre-owned watches, providing a particularly appropriate environment for the acquisition and long-term support of this piece. Mostra’s verified customer reviews carry a 5-star rating, our workshop inspects the watch before sale and its future owner receives a Mostra Certificate of Authenticity together with a 3-year Mostra warranty. This WRB is offered with its 2022 Full Set, bringing together the watch, its recent history and the security of specialised technical support.

The RALF TECH WRB Black 44th Infantry Regiment WRB-1100 /150 ultimately tells a rather rare story in contemporary watchmaking: that of a watch whose legitimacy comes first from the people for whom it was designed. Its black case is not attempting to look military; it identifies the Action Service series. Its restrained diameter is not intended to impress; it facilitates use. Its 200-metre water resistance is not a decorative figure in a specification sheet; it makes the watch a genuine diver. Its black dial does not seek to create a tactical image; it prioritises reading. And its XX/150 number reminds us that before becoming a collector’s object, the watch belonged to an exceptionally restricted circle of users. A field watch, a diving watch, an issue watch and one of the most discreet contemporary horological witnesses to the relationship between RALF TECH, the 44th Infantry Regiment and the DGSE Action Service.