Waltham Lone Eagle

Since the establishment of Waltham Watch Company in 1850, the brand’s Timepieces have been used extensively during many flying missions, scientific researches and expeditions.

For example, when the legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh completed the record breaking first solo, non-stop flight from New York to Paris on May 21st 1927, his famous silvery custom-made Spirit of St. Louis monoplane was equipped with a Waltham eight-day clock. In parallel with thus partnering the conquest of the airs, Waltham also played a prime role in the history of railways.

After its relocation to Switzerland from United States, the brand remains committed to preserving its rich historical and ethical heritage through smaller series and limited editions focusing on exclusivity and horological innovation. Whichever way one looks at it, quality and concern for details are the golden threads running through the rich tapestry of the brand history, and these attributes are vividly displayed in its latest models. In 2007, Waltham unveiled a new large pilot’s watch that will inspire the man who wears it to show the same audacious and “the sky’s the limit” attitude: the Waltham Lone Eagle.

Almost as if time stood still when Waltham left its birthplace in America, a number of subtle touches in this new model serve as visual reminders of the 1950s style in general, and that of pilots and their watches in particular. These aesthetic details include the design of the crown; “technical” features such as the font used for the numerals and the shape of the hour hands that meet official USA pilot’s watch specifications; and even the rugged strap crafted from the type of buffalo leather typical of pilot’s jackets of the era, complete with studs that reinforce this association.

The sturdy steel 45mm-diameter case features the brand’s signature fan-shaped lug arrangement, while its back carries the circular seal depicting the eagle symbol traditionally used by Waltham. Despite the wide range of information they provide, the dials remain ultra-readable and come in an attractive choice of black, blue and chocolate brown, while the cambered sapphire crystal is given an anti-reflective treatment on the inside to guarantee the clarity and visibility that are all important virtues for a watch of this kind.

This high-performance timepiece is powered by the Dubois-Dépraz Calibre 31342, officially chronometer-certified by the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute). The latter smoothly and efficiently drives central hour and minutes hands, small seconds at 3 o’clock, as well as a central seconds chronograph counter, 30-minute chronograph counter at 9 o’clock, flyback function, date display at 6 o’clock, as well as a central 24-hour GMT hand.

Thereby implicitly and explicitly recalling the spirit of adventure that spurred Lindbergh (aptly nicknamed the Lone Eagle) and many other such pioneering individuals to heroic achievements, the new Waltham Lone Eagle pilot’s watch from Waltham is a distinguished and distinctive model imbued with a nostalgic charm that in no way detracts from its decidedly contemporary appeal.

Technical details

WALTHAM – Waltham Lone Eagle SW45
Reference SW45-02024STM

Movement
Self-winding Dubois-Dépraz 31342, officially certified chronometre (COSC)

Function
Hours, minutes, small second counter, date, chronograph: sweep second, 30 minutes counter, fly-back function, central 24-hour GMT function.

Case
Stainless steel, cambered sapphire crystal glareproofed inside, GMT corrector at 10 o’clock, water-resistant 50m.

Dial
Black center, silver counters and internal bezel, luminescent Arabic numerals, date at 6 o’clock.

Strap
Black buffalo leather with a stainless steel folding buckle and four studs.

Other versions
With a dark navy blue dial and matching buffalo strap (SW45-02028STM)
Limited edition of 100 watches with a chocolate brown dial and matching buffalo strap (SW45-02026STM)