Original Item: Only One Available. The Type A-8 was a navigation stopwatch designed for timing ground speed meters for determining the velocity of aircraft relative to the ground. One revolution of the Type A-8 hand was equivalent to ten seconds. The dial was white on early Wittnauer Type A-8 watches and black on Elgin watches produced from 1940 onward. Elgin, Waltham, the Federal Television Corp. and Aristo Import Co. manufactured Type A-8 stopwatches under military specification MIL-W-6510. Under MIL-W-6510, continuous running movements were required to have not less than 15 jewels and the non-continuous movements were required to have not less than 9 jewels.

This is a wonderful condition fully functional 100% authentic 1942 dated aircraft navigator's Watch, Navigation (Ground Speed) Stopwatch, Type A-8, made by ELGIN for the U.S. Army Air Corps. Type A-8 stopwatches were used in any WWII aircraft with a navigator, such as heavy (B-17, B-24, B-29) and medium bombers (B-25, B-26) and large transports (C-46, C-47, C-54).

Once wound, the movement Elgin A-8 continues to run until the mainspring is out of energy, even though the hands are not moving. With A-8's of other manufacturers, the mainspring would stop when the crown is pressed after running.

The outer ring of the dial counts up to 10 seconds and the inner dial located at the standard 12:00 position count up to 10 minutes of the 10-second revolutions. The A-8 was known as the jitterbug because of the loud and fast ticking of the balance at 144,000 beats per hour. Yep, just try to hear that over the cacophony of multiple radial engines.

The back is nicely but faintly marked:

TYPE A-8
SPEC. NO. 94-27749
SER. NO. AC-42-5589
MFRS. PART NO. 1778
ORD NO. W535AC-28071
ELGIN

Serial # AC-42-5589 indicates year of manufacture as 1942, and that it was placed under the U.S. Army Air Corps. Later watches would have AF for the U.S. Army Air Forces.

Also included is an original cardboard box with manufacturer's label and U.S. Army inspection and testing stamps. Unfortunately, the box is not matched to the watch, and is actually for an AN5740 Navigator pocket watch. Also included the original fabric protection bag. The box is in good condition, though the top has broken away.

Genuine WWII Navigator’s stop watches in such nice fully functional condition are tremendously rare!

There is no warranty for this watch and returns for a non-working watch will not be honored. Please note all watches are wound and tested then recorded on video before shipment. We are not in the watch repair business- ALL SALES ARE FINAL.