A new release of the renowned chronograph supplied to French fighter pilots starting in the 1960's, the Type 21 is the symbol of precision watchmaking craftsmanship in service to the armed forces.
montre-type21-3.png (425.924Ko)Full-fledged navigational instruments, these chronographs were designed on the basis of draconian specifications from the Ministry of Defence.
The technical qualities of the Type 21, combined with its reliability, have made it a truly renowned Masterpiece.
The distinctive features of the Type 21 provide a refined, authentic style, perfectly preserving the line and personality of the original watch that was the pride of generations of pilots.
This personalized limited edition is assembled in the Swiss Jura region, respecting age-old watchmaking traditions.
We reactivated the brand since 2001 in order to not let die out our clock making heritage while perpetuating family know-how. This rebirth, in all financial independence, constitutes for us a real challenge.
The “Montres Dodane SA” society was a great factory but it disappeared in 1995 due to non-refunding problems after the Iraq conflict, to bad French economic situation in the early 90’s and to the rise of quartz movement. We have continued to supply TYPE 211 chronometric instruments for aircraft for military and civil aviation and Anode is now a little company which currently grows following a human strategy, independently to financial and marketing purpose. We want to share our mechanic watches passion with our values of work and consumer respect. Since the launch of the new company, we ensured successfully the supplying and the maintenance of military aircraft chronometers and then we have developed a wrist watches on the basis of chronograph which we particularly feel affection for: the TYPE 21…
So we try to make the best quality at the lower price in order to supply instruments for watch passionate.
For Type 21, we design and develop the product in France and the watch is manufactured in Switzerland. For dashboard chronometric instrument, all the manufacturing is done in France.
These chronographs were designed to be an homage to the original TYPE 21 of 1956 based on the basis of draconian specifications from the Ministry of Defence. We respect these specifications but we didn’t want to make a copy; this is a esthétique evolution. We have also widely upgraded the movement, the water resistance, the accuracy and the finished.
As I said previously , our society is now a little company, with a “humain size”, we are less than 10 persons, thus with little capacity but we try to develop with passion some high quality product in that type of range.
Our products correspond to the manufacturing standards of the swiss made label. We design, develop and control our type 21 chronograph within our company in Besancon, (France, administration head of the Doubs department – and head of the French watchmaker-; from 100 km to Switzerland) and we sub-contract the manufacture and the assembly with a great society specialized in watches complications which work with most of famous Swiss watches brand manufacturers.
The movement which runs the TYPE 21 reissue is Dubois-Dépraz 42021 on a basis of an ETA 2892A2. This caliber is a great quality of realization and accuracy. Dubois-Depraz is an independent Swiss company, now centenary, specialized in the complications movements making intended to be integrated on a great number of prestigious brands models. It is equipped with a Incabloc system and shockproof.
The calibre ETA 2892A2 is used as a basis of engine and drive control, on which the watchmakers add a chronometric module and Flyback function.
This ETA base is part of the highest range among the movements suggested by ETA. This movement is very slimness and it realization is beautiful. Its accuracy is also interesting due to the 28800 vibration per hour of the oscillator. The movement, the ETA base + Module stopwatch flyback, completely is assembled and set within the Dubois-Depraz company.
The Flyback complication which Dubois-Depraz carries out is rare because it’s complex to develop and DD has an exceptional know-how.
The finish of our movements is it also very smart with the runner finished in "Côte de Genève" with the gilt engraving of the brand and the Bottomplate and bridges decored.
The movement Dubois Depraz 42021 is in the heart of a great number of watches of many prestigious marks which does not reveal the sources of their production.
These movements are often renamed to be more "marketing" attractive. (I cannot inform you about these models but you can find information very interesting on this site: http://www.orbita.net/pages/17101.htm )
We took the party of a sincere marketing respecting our family heritage. We also paid a detailed attention to the sealing of the watch which is of 10 bars (100m) in order to arrive at the highest standards in term of sealing (oil bath like Omega’s standards).
The characteristics of TYPE 21 also make it possible to make the watch certified as a “chronometric instrument” by the only independent (due to the national university statue) official observatory of time measurement and verification, the observatory in Besancon which is the only university organization independent of control in the world. Whereas the swiss COSC which tests only the movement, the Observatory of Besancon test the watches all finished. This is very different and the certificates are very harder to obtain.
But currently, the special series of “chronometer” (despite chronograph) are sold out. The next series of type 21 will be tested in the next months.
We are very proud to arrive to reopen that service which was, in past time, a more prestigious certification than the cosc. The original type 21 were tested and certified in that observatory, and is a sort of honour to have the observatory agreeing to reopen, relunch, that service for us. It require for them to be present during the weekend, 2 weeks consecutive and people need to be agree to do that time of tasks because they are all university researcher doctor (highest level of French research…). They really sustain us to supply an exclusive product to passionate.
We have also keep the same paper certificate and the punch on the watches is also the same!
A chronograph can be indicated as a "chronomètre d’observatoire" (observatory chronometer) if it respects very strict criteria, preset and universal, of precision in order to receive an official certificate of chronometer (ISO 3159 standards). The watch is tested during 15 days in extreme operating conditions: it must preserve a margin of precision raised at various temperatures, positions and a series of shocks.
This certification requires a detailed attention of our clock makers since the esthétique then the manufacture and the setting of the watches.
Some of our collection TYPE 21 chronometer (which are more than thirty years aged) still reach this standard, thanks to its manufacture quality.
It is also the assembler (the finisher) which makes it possible to obtain a quality of precision and a sealing of this level. this manufacture assemble all the finished parts of the watches: put the movement in the case, the push button, the screw, the glass, the bezel. The movement is fixed by "clefs de fixe" screwed. They also assure the high water resistance, finishes to set the movement and make a first test. This Swiss subcontractor is also specialized in complication movement (like the fly back etc..) and are very discreet . They are also suppliers of very many large brands of the sector.
Then we carry out the checking, the test of the watch (water resistance, accuracy) and make a final setting if necessary.
The case is in all stainless steel 316 L and It is supply by a little Swiss society which collaborate with my father for more than ten years. This case insure the antimagnetic safety for the parts of movement.
In another hand, the leather bracelet of the chronograph is in black colour in order to respect the original type 21 Ministry of Defence specifications. We also supply on demand a very very beautiful alligator brown wristlet. It come form a French supplier of Besancon.
Concerning the leather bracelet of the Type 21, it was made in France by a French band manufacturer, located near to our society, which provided other very well known watch and jewellery brands. It's a high quality product that we want to propose to the impassioned and collectors. We have designed this bracelet which was manufactured to measure in small series for the Type 21.
It's complete plain 316 L ,solid stainless steel links made by CNC (Numerically controlled Machines) and fixed by special hardened pins (it's not stamped links). This is a point - the choice of screws or pins- that we have discus with our supplier who has decided us to choose the pins. According to its "savoir-faire" he assures us that this is the most process for a very solid bracelet. (We propose it at a low price comparing with the quality of it manufacturing. Other brand price for that quality can be more than twice of our price but we don’t do discount, it just for be sure that passionate can reached that quality and by the watch with a stainless teal bracelet) The hands are also made in Besançon and the dial are made in swiss.
As our another suppliers, all those societies work for prestigious other brand, and we are proud to be able to work with them.
Thanks to our relations with all these actors (sometimes decennial), we could supply products of high quality in very little series intended for impassioned of beautiful chronograph mechanics. Our passion, our family know-how, our knowledge of the watchmaking industry have permit us to create positive partnership. This is their support, the fact that they accepted to make for us very little serial, their know-how, which permit us to re-launch the TYPE 21 as an attractive time piece.
Here is our challenge…. !
Dodane 1857 - The Type 21 Watch Chronograph : A Full-fledged Navigational Instruments
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