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, 100% authentic 1944 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. AF44-512
MFRS. PART NO. 1778
ORD NO. W11-107AC-112(45)

Serial # AF044-512 indicates the year of manufacture as 1944, and that it was placed under the U.S. Army Air Forces. Earlier watches would have AFC for the U.S. Army Air Corps.

Also included is an original cardboard box with manufacturer's label and U.S. Army specification stamps. The box is not matched to the box and has a different serial number.

The inside covers of the case are both engraved with SIDABRAS / 24138069 / WEST ALLIS, WISC. We were able to identify the soldier as Technician 5th Grade Gustave Constantine Sidabras, who enlisted out of Allis, Wisconsin on March 26, 1941 and received his discharge on September 24, 1945. We have not been able to locate any service information on T/5 Sidabras, making for a wonderful research opportunity.

Genuine WWII Navigator’s stop watches in such nice condition are tremendously rare! Comes more than ready for further research and display.

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.