Praesidus
Created Wednesday 03 September 2025
Praesidus A-11 Type 44
Praesidus on Bonklip style bracelet
Praesidus A-11 Type 44
Praesidus
meaning: Guardian, Protector, Defender.
A-11 Type 44
Originally produced by Waltham during WWII, the A-11 became a standard-issue timepiece for U.S. servicemen and earned the nickname “The Watch That Won the War.”Our A-11 Type 44 carries that legacy forward—steeped in American military history and available in an ultra-authentic 32mm or a modern 38mm size. Paired with a 1940s-style Bonklip bracelet, it’s a faithful WWII revival built for the 21st century.
Manufacturing and Assembly
All Praesidus watches are assembled in Pennsylvania, ensuring quality and authenticity. The brand emphasizes a connection to history, making each timepiece not just a watch but a part of living history.
For our A-11 Type 44—we chose the Landeron L21 automatic movement. While true to the original A-11’s simplicity and function, the L21 offers enhanced durability, a smooth sweeping second hand, and accuracy with minimal maintenance.
Bonklip Field Bracelet
First developed in the 1920s, the Bonklip Bracelet became popular for its hollow link design—lightweight, breathable, and easily adjustable like a leather or canvas strap.
It gained traction in the 1940s thanks to its affordability and was later issued to RAF aircrews in the ’60s. During our early research, we learned that Bonklips were used on WWII A-11s for their rugged yet practical design.
Designed and patented by the British company C.W. Dixey & Son, the Bonklip quickly gained a reputation for being an innovative and practical alternative to traditional leather straps.
B.H. Britton and Sons Produced the Bonklip strap in Birmingham and equipped RAF aircrews and countless military personnel, ended production in about 1973. The British Ministry of Defense officially dropped the Bonklip from their stock-lists about this time, replacing it with a nylon strap, the now famous "G-10 NATO".
Landeron Swiss Movements
Our work was inspired by the proven elegance of the ETA 2801-2 movement. Following an intensive analysis in collaboration with our customers, we have made some adjustments. A particular detail is the additional rolling stone in the barrel, bringing the total number of rolling stones from 17 to 18 - a subtle refinement without exceeding the respected origin.
Cal. L21 is a compact hand-winding watch movement with date produced by Landeron Swiss Movements. The 11.5 ligne movement operates at 28,800 A/h and offers 36 hours power reserve. A date complication is positioned at 3:00 on the dial.
Cal. L21 is similar to the ETA 2804-2 or Sellita SW210-1, which have similar specifications and very similar appearance.
Diameter: 26.00mm
Height: 3.36mm
Stones: 18 pieces
Power reserve: 36 hours
Frequency: 28,800
We are therefore on the basis of a clone of the 2801, which takes up its specificities and its dimensions.
1 USD = 0.75 GBP (3 Sep 2025)
$595 = £444.78
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