Montres Airain began in 1934 and quickly became well known for producing reliable, high-quality timepieces. During the 1950s and 1960s, they were among the chosen suppliers of the Type 20 Chronograph for the French Army, alongside Breguet and Dodane. In 2020, Airain was revived after being purchased from a French entrepreneur and watch enthusiast. The brand has been thriving ever since with a string of aviation inspired releases, starting with their new version of the highly sought-after “Type 20” Flyback Chronograph. New for 2024, in a surprise collaboration, Airain has teamed up seconde/seconde/ to add a touch of whimsy to the austere Type 20 design.
The new Airain Type 20 x seconde/seconde/ “Up in the Air” limited edition is based on the original Flyback Chronograph design. Romaric André, the designer otherwise known as seconde/seconde/, envisioned bringing back this iconic piece to its rightful place in the sky and in France. Hence, the subdials create the illusion of airplane portholes looking out on pixelated 8-bit clouds, with the left subdial offering a glimpse of the tip of the Eiffel Tower. He explains his intentions on the case back, and the inclusion of the Eiffel Tower serves as a reminder of the watch’s heritage and its connection to French aviation.
This flyback chronograph’s stainless steel case measures 39mm in diameter (39.5mm across the bezel), 14.77mm to the top of the double-domed sapphire crystal, and 47.7mm from lug tip to lug tip. The case back is screwed down and it is water-resistant to 50m. The movement inside is the Swiss-made caliber AM2, manufactured by AMT, the special projects division of Sellita. It is a manually wound, column-wheel chronograph with flyback functionality, allowing the user to simultaneously reset and restart the timing function with the push of a single button.
The Airain Type 20 x Seconde/Seconde “Up in the Air” will come on a black leather strap with contrasting white stitches and a signed double buckle. The “Up in the Air” is a limited edition of just 88 pieces. Delivery will be staggered, with the first batch of 44 watches shipping in August, and the remaining 44 in September. The price is €3450 and will be available on Airain’s official website starting July 14, and through selected retailers.
