Movado M95 U.S.A.A.F. Issued Chronograph

Today, Movado is best known for its sleek Museum Watch and accessible fashion designs. But from the 1930s through the 1960s, the brand was a serious player in Swiss watchmaking, producing rugged, precision-built timepieces that could easily hold their own against the likes of Omega or Longines. Among the most coveted models from that golden era are the chronographs powered by Movado’s Calibre M90 and M95—modular movements developed by Frédéric Piguet that earned a reputation for their reliability and refined engineering. These watches came in countless configurations, from sporty steel cases to elegant multi-scale dials, and remain beloved by collectors today. This particular example, dating to the 1940s, is a rare M95 issued to the U.S. Army Air Forces. The 33mm stainless steel case features an onion crown, square pushers, an acrylic crystal, an engraved caseback, and a stepped bezel that adds a touch of dimension. The white dial is beautifully preserved and has taken on a cream tone, with an outer 1/5th-seconds track, applied Breguet-style numerals, three recessed chronograph registers, and an 'alpha' handset paired with black sub-dial hands. Powered by the manual-winding Calibre M95 movement, this is a Movado that reflects the golden age of 1940s Swiss craftsmanship and the ingenuity of 1940s watchmaking. Compact, charismatic, and mechanically sound, it’s a Movado with a story to tell—and one that’s still running strong after eighty years.