French military watches: the brands that have actually worked with the armed forces
The term "French military watches" encompasses a wide range of realities. A watch with a black dial, luminous markers, and a khaki strap can boast a military aesthetic without having any connection to the armed forces. Conversely, some watches were genuinely designed according to military specifications, purchased by the state, tested by units, or developed directly with French military personnel. The history of French military watchmaking is particularly rich. It spans two major areas: military aviation, with the famous Type 20 and Type 21 chronographs, and diving, where the needs of the French Navy contributed to the development of several watches that have become iconic. Names like Breguet, Tudor, and ZRC are thus associated with French brands such as Dodane, Auricoste, and Yema. More recently, direct collaborations with military units have also revitalized this tradition.
Type 20: when the French army defines its own watch
To understand the history of French military watches, we must go back to the early 1950s. The French Ministry of Defense then wanted to have a chronograph intended for air force crews. Rather than selecting an existing watch, the administration established a program sheet defining the characteristics of the Type 20. The chronograph must in particular be robust and have a return in flight – or flyback – function. This allows you to instantly reset the chronograph to zero and restart a new timing with a single press. Type 20 therefore does not initially designate a particular brand or model, but a French military specification. Several manufacturers will produce chronographs meeting these requirements. Among the names historically associated with the Type 20 are Breguet, Dodane, Auricoste, Vixa and Airain.
Breguet Type 20: 1,100 chronographs for the Air Force
Breguet's case is one of the best documented. After the approval of its chronograph in 1953, the house obtained contract n°5101/54 from the Air Ministry in 1954. The order concerns 1,100 Type 20s intended for the French Air Force. Deliveries then took place between 1955 and 1959. These watches were not simply offered to military pilots: they were real endowment watches belonging to the French state. Breguet also supplied chronographs to the Flight Test Center in 1956-1957 and then to Naval Aeronautics in 1960. This story explains why the Type XX still occupies a central place in Breguet collections today.
A contemporary Breguet Type 20 and its ancestor “CHOCOLATE” from 1960 (Estimate €85,000)
Dodane, Auricoste, Vixa, and Airain: Other Names of the Type 20
Breguet is far from being the only manufacturer linked to this venture. Dodane, a French company founded in the 19th century, has become one of the names most closely associated with the Type 20 and especially the Type 21 military chronographs, an evolution of the specifications introduced in the second half of the 1950s. Auricoste is also a major player in French military watchmaking. The company supplied Type 20 chronographs and also has a long history with the French Navy. More atypically, Vixa also delivered Type 20 watches to the French armed forces in the 1950s. These watches notably use Hanhart movements, making these chronographs particularly interesting pieces in the post-war industrial context. Finally, Airain belongs to the circle of historical suppliers. The brand states that its Type 20 watches were notably used by pilots of the French Army Light Aviation (ALAT). These watches thus form the historical core of the French military pilot's watch.
Blancpain Fifty Fathoms: military diving takes on a new dimension
Underwater, the story takes a different turn. In the early 1950s, the development of French combat swimmers highlighted the need for a true watch capable of accompanying underwater operations. Captain Robert "Bob" Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud played a pivotal role in defining this new instrument. Their research culminated in one of the most important diving watches in horological history: the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. Its introduction in 1953 is closely linked to the needs of French combat swimmers. Water resistance, high legibility, and a bezel for monitoring dive time laid the foundations of the modern diving watch. Even though Blancpain is a Swiss company, the Fifty Fathoms holds a unique place in the history of French military watches.
A 1960s Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and its contemporary version
Tudor and the French Navy: a legendary collaboration
The other major Swiss name associated with French military divers is Tudor. The relationship officially began in 1956, when the Toulon Underwater Research and Study Group received Tudor Oyster Prince Submariner references 7922 and 7923 for evaluation. The results led to a lasting partnership between Tudor and the French Navy. The service Submariners bearing the famous "M.N." engravings followed by the year are now highly sought after by collectors. They also perfectly exemplify what distinguishes a true military watch from one simply inspired by the armed forces. This story continues today: Tudor has officially renewed its partnership with the French Navy, notably giving rise to the Pelagos FXD family. This model features fixed lugs and a construction designed around the needs of military divers.
A 1960s Tudor Submariner MN and its contemporary Pelagos FXD version
ZRC Grands Fonds 300: a watch transformed by the navy's requirements
ZRC's history with the French Navy is equally interesting, as the military directly influenced the watch's design. After the first Grands Fonds 300 was approved in 1960, the French Navy pointed out that the traditional crown positioned at 3 o'clock was too exposed during underwater operations. They asked the manufacturer to find a solution. ZRC then developed the feature that would become the signature of the Grands Fonds 300: a crown positioned at 6 o'clock, protected between the two parts of the bracelet. The watch was specifically designed to meet the demands of mine clearance divers. Its case also utilizes a special molybdenum-reinforced steel with the antimagnetic properties required for this purpose. Here, the military collaboration is not simply a matter of logo: it directly alters the watch's architecture.
A 1960s ZRC Grands Fonds 300 and its contemporary version
Yema: the return of a french brand to the French Navy
The story continues today with Yema. The French watch manufacturer is currently the official watchmaking partner of the French Navy and is developing several watches with them, notably within the Navygraf family. The Navygraf Marine Nationale CMM.10 is an interesting example of this new generation. Yema states that the watch was developed in collaboration with French Navy personnel and that it meets specifications geared towards military use. It notably offers 300 meters of water resistance and an in-house movement with a 70-hour power reserve. In 2026, the year of the French Navy's 400th anniversary, Yema continues to highlight this official partnership. The situation differs from the supply contracts of the 1950s: today it is more of an institutional and technical partnership, with models also offered to the general public.
Airain: a military connection revived
Another particularly interesting case is Airain. The brand is no longer content with simply reissuing its old Type 20. It recently developed a watch directly with EHRA 3, the 3rd Reconnaissance and Attack Helicopter Squadron of the French Army Light Aviation (ALAT). The Type 20 EHRA 3 incorporates the unit's colors and some of its graphic elements. The case back notably features the pilots' individual flight license numbers. This collaboration creates a rather rare bridge between two eras: Airain was among the manufacturers associated with historical French military chronographs and is working with the French military again several decades later.
Bell & Ross and contemporary aeronautical collaborations
In a different vein, Bell & Ross has long maintained an identity linked to aeronautical instrumentation. The Franco-Swiss company has notably developed an official partnership with the Patrouille de France, an iconic unit of the French Air and Space Force. Several BR 03 editions have thus adopted the colors and graphic identity of the formation. However, this is a different approach from that of the Type 20 of the 1950s. It is primarily a contemporary partnership with a military unit, and not a procurement contract comparable to the one that led the French government to purchase Breguet chronographs. This distinction is important for maintaining a historically accurate perspective.
What are the main French military watch brands?
If we consider only those brands with which a significant and documented French military connection can be established, several names stand out: Breguet, Dodane, Auricoste, Airain, and Vixa for historical military aviation; Blancpain, Tudor, and ZRC for the golden age of military diving; and Yema, Tudor, Airain, and Bell & Ross for certain contemporary institutional or military collaborations. This list is not exhaustive. Other manufacturers have produced instruments for the French armed forces or developed specific series for certain units. However, these projects, sometimes confidential, must be distinguished from the large, documented contracts for military equipment. The history of French military watches primarily demonstrates that the armed forces have sometimes played a genuine role in the technical evolution of watchmaking. The flyback function of the Type 20 met the needs of aviators. The Fifty Fathoms was developed for combat swimmers. The unique configuration of the ZRC Grands Fonds is directly linked to observations made by the French Navy. As for the standard-issue Tudor watches, they bear witness to several decades of use of mechanical watches by French military divers. More than seventy years after the first Type 20s and the beginnings of modern military diving, this relationship between watchmaking and the French armed forces continues. It has simply changed form: large government contracts and standard-issue watches have gradually given way to technical partnerships, series developed with specific units, and military models also available to civilian collectors.
The content published on Montre-Plongée-Militaire.com deals with the history of civilian and military dive watches, military watches, their users, and sometimes the units with which they are associated. References to the armed forces, special forces, commandos, or conflicts are intended solely for informational, historical, and horological purposes. They aim to document the origin and evolution of these timepieces without expressing any support, judgment, or position regarding the organizations, doctrines, or events mentioned.
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Editor: Éric Barse
Journalist, entrepreneur, and founder of the websites www.cafe-racer-only.com and www.scooter-3-roues.com, Eric Barse divides his time between his passions: motorcycles, travel, and watches. A graduate of the Saint-Cyr military academy and the 2nd RPIMA (Parachute Regiment) before pursuing a career in communications and digital media, he has a true passion for authentic watches that have accompanied his two-wheeled adventures for many years, from the Indian Ocean to Africa and Latin America!
