UNIVERSAL GENEVE, STEEL, SPLIT SECONDS CHRONOGRAPH, MADE FOR THE ITALIAN AIR FORCE

This extremely rare steel oversized split seconds chronograph wristwatch for the Italian Air Force (Areonautica Militare Italiana) is considered by collectors to be one of the rarest military wristwatches ever made. Furthermore, the present watch is an extremely well preserved and original example of this very rare model.
Featuring a 24 hour dial and a 16-minute chronograph register, these rare and unusual functions on a split-second chronograph were especially designed for astronomic navigation (course determination through the stars) for the aircrews of anti-submarine reconnaissance aircraft in the Mediterranean Sea.

The retailer A. Cairelli were, along with Panerai, the official suppliers to the Italian Ministry of Defence.