Type 20 - French Military Flyback 5.099-54 - Watch Only (ca. 1954)

J.Auricoste Type 20 - French Military Flyback 5.099-54 - Watch Only (ca. 1954)

A genuine French military-issue Type 20 flyback chronograph delivered under contract 5.099-54, one of roughly 2,000 pieces J.Auricoste supplied to the French Ministère de l'Air between August 1954 and March 1955. Powered by the Auricoste Caliber 2040 based on the Lemania 15TL, this is a foundational piece of military chronograph history and a direct ancestor of every modern Breguet Type XX.

Details:

• Reference: Type 20 (Contract 5.099-54)
• Year: ca. 1954
• Case Size: 38mm, steel with chrome-plated finish
• Bezel: Bidirectional rotating 12-hour bezel with knurled coin-edge grip
• Dial: Matte black with cream-aged luminous Arabic numerals, 30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o'clock, small seconds at 9 o'clock
• Crystal: Domed acrylic (plexiglass)
• Movement: Auricoste Caliber 2040 (based on Lemania 15TL), manual-wind flyback chronograph, 17 jewels, 18,000 vph, approximately 36-hour power reserve
• Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, flyback ("retour en vol") chronograph with 30-minute totalizer
• Strap: Green NATO on steel hardware
• Caseback: Snap-on steel back engraved with French military markings including contract number 5.099-54 and date code 11-54 (November 1954)

Set Includes:

• Watch only

Condition:

• Very good condition, signs of normal wear and age
• Dial patinated evenly with cream-aged luminous markers, hands matching in tone
• Case retains its coin-edge bezel definition and factory silhouette
• Crystal free of significant scratches
• Movement running, chronograph and flyback functions operating

The Type 20 was commissioned by the French Ministère de l'Air under a strict cahier des charges requiring flyback capability, a rotating bezel, and a minimum 35-hour power reserve, and it remains one of the most historically significant military chronographs ever produced.