The Waltham Aeronaval CDI takes its cues, and its moniker, from the Waltham Civil Date Indicator Aeronautical (CDIA) Clock, which was used by the U.S. Navy Air force for its aircraft during World War II, such as the F6F Hellcat and the emblematic B24 Liberator. The watch is powered by the automatic Caliber W.DB-002 (based on a Dubois-Dépraz 331). It features a 24-hour GMT hand as well as its distinguishing namesake feature, an innovative central date indicator; both the time zone and date settings can be adjusted easily by using the three buttons on the side of the case. Like the XA watches, the CDI has a 47-mm-diameter titanium G5 case, zirconium-oxide ceramic bezel, nonreflective sapphire crystal, an embossed “W” pattern and Super-LumiNova elements on the dial, and a vulcanized rubber strap with titanium G2 deployant clasp. The Waltham Aeronaval CDI collection is priced at $7,600 for the Pure, $7,850 for the Eclipse, and $8,200 for the Blackmatter. According to Waltham, an additional model with a chronograph, called the ETC, will join the lineup soon.
For those that want a modern shape of the case and dial would be pleased. But Waltham’s cashe lies in its historic designs of its timepieces.
It would absolute joy to see Waltham bring back old designs but slightly update them to today.
Such designs can be drawn from its industrial, to military to regular duty. Waltham would sell desired timepieces assuming the designs are drawn from its heritage.
Like HAmilton, Waltham arises out of the ashes to produce time pieces. But technically, Waltham never truly went out of production. USA plants shut down, Swiss office opens and obtains other clients to continue watch production. Gets further like through an Italian American businessman. My dream? This Waltham entity restarts ebauche production using the old WALTHAM movements as a template and resurrect the WALTHAM movements to be installed in Waltham watches.
Great looking watch
Great look
Big fan
I have a Waltham with a numer XC025-065 on the back. It needs a crystal. How much is the watch worth? Is it worth replacing the crystal/
Have a waltham serial number 932702
How is the price actuality?
I get the impression people who recognize the “Waltham” name in North America expect mainstream department store quartz watch prices competitive with the sub-$200 Seiko and Citizen quartz one finds inside their watch displays. Given the mechanical Dubois-Depraz complicated ETA (??) ebauche movements being used, among other aspects of them, I’m not surprised at the market price point. It’s clear these Waltham, as a brand, are not targeted to that market, but to a much more upscale and smaller one, competing with Tag Heuer, Ball, Longines, Rado and Omega. Some of the folks who have responded here would also complain about their prices being much too high. I’m no watch snob, and these Waltham are well above the price point of what I’m willing to pay for a mechanical watch. On the other hand, I comprehend full well its price point and target market and wish Waltham success with it.
Unfortunately the watch is available in only two stores in the world, and the website is difficult to find via a simple search.
As others have mentioned, the price is $4000 too expensive.
Finally, an email to customer service has been unsuccessful.
Waltham may be finished before getting started…
Dear MC, thank you for your comment that give us the opportunity to explain why we are celebrating our return in USA after decades starting from the 2 Cellini’s boutique in New York: Cellini is one of the most reputated jewlery in NYC and USA, but soon we will grow our presence in other cities of the States.
The price could appear expensive, but if you consider the high-end material combination, the overall performance, the peculiar angular design, the mechanical movements quality and the 5 years guarantee probably our new collection offer one of the best price/quality ratio within the market. As for our past, we work to give the market something unusual and valuable: Waltham is a legendary name, and the aim of this new sollection is to create a new important step ahead in our history.
If you want to get in contact with us for any other further question, don’t esithate to use my personal mail above.
Enrico, Marketing, Waltham International SA
Enrico, I don’t know if you will be able to read this, but I came across your post here, and there’s something I wanted to point out.
I recently came into possession of my great grandfather’s Waltham 610. The watch was made in 1889 (and was one of the first 1889 models off the line). It isn’t anything special – it’s a seven jewel movement, which makes it the most basic model. It’s been well used for at least 60 of the years it’s been around, and the case shows it. Assuming the prices from the mid-1910s are accurate, the movement would have cost less than $10 (around $100 today).
I had it restored, and it is right now ticking happily away beside me. My great grandfather was a tailor – he probably couldn’t afford a 17 jewel watch or a railroad grade watch. But he could afford this, and Waltham made it for him. And Waltham made it so well that it is still around today, around 116 years later – quite literally, my local watchmaker told me that it’s a high enough quality that it doesn’t need more jewels…it will just keep running fine regardless.
Waltham was a legendary name because it made the best watches in the world, and it made them for EVERYBODY. My great grandfather could not have afforded your watches now. Neither can I. You’ve made watches here for the high-end market, but not for the rest of us.
Where are the new Waltham watches for the tailors, I wonder?
Thank you for the interesting comment, Robert. Let’s see if Enrico reads it.
Robert, I really appreciated your comment, and thank you for that. You are right: Waltham became legendary thanks to its ability in combining unbeatable quality to affordable prices. When we took over the management of the Company, we considered this value – so strongly instilled within the brand’s DNA – with huge respect; the same we put in considering the incredible brand’s past and history, so unique for what it meant for an entire industry. That’s why we decided to avoid any temptation to change the course of the brand’s life and to ‘respect’ all the roads that led it until today: as, in example, the fact that Waltham became Swiss in late 1950 or that, since the beginning of the 1980, it was transformed into a luxury brand manufacturer by its at-that-time japanese owner Heiwado (in 2000 they produced the most expensive watch of that time: the ‘Radiant’, covered by 150 carats of diamonds). For these reasons, when 4 years ago we acquired the majority of the Company with the intention to bring the Waltham brand back to its Country of origin, we thought the best thing to do was to ‘continue the road’, while retrieving elements from the past: Waltham today is for high-end market but with a price really unusual for the excellent quality and performances it offers, and with a 5-years-guarantee that is not yet the ‘life-time’ Waltham used to apply to its watches but that is a first step in that direction. We are writing a new open future and who knows? perhaps this future will bring forth a new concept of Waltham luxury watch for you, tailors and many other. Thank you. Enrico
Personally I think they are crazy. The Waltham name means absolutely nothing except to older people and watch historians. It was a great name but to expect today’s buyers to spend 6-8k for a modern interpretation is unrealistic. At this point they just another old time brand charging thousands for another look a like watch.
I like it, it’s just a little different from other watches and the price range is reasonable.
Where all these hundreds of watch companies manage to sell their watches is anyone’s guess. However, it does mean those of us who love watches have plenty to choose from.
Try “Sinn” , “Hanhart”, ” Muhle” etc. They are still small watch companies that are not afraid to say that they use ETA movements, their watches cost from 1500€ to 3000€ max and they do exactly what they should. They keep the time and look great too!!!
Spiros, you gave me the occasion to talk about the heart of a Waltham watch (and forgive me if I don’t exploit every single element, in any case described on our website http://www.waltham.ch). Believe me, we aren’t absolutely afraid to describe our mechanical movements. On the contrary! We are very proud of the mechanism we built together with Dubois-Dépraz, probably the best Swiss watch complication manufacturer ever, that supported us in re-creating the 3 mythical clocks movements we choose to inspire the new aero-naval collection (as you probably already know, one of them was on board of the legendary Spirit of Saint Louis). This engines are nested into Titanium G5 cases, closed on the top by a 3mm sapphire glass to guarantee a 30bar/300mt water pressure resistance. Indubitably, the brands you mentioned makes very good watches that, as you said, “keep time and look great too”. Simply, for us this is not enough. Enrico