AN5740 Navigation Watch | Watch Detail

← WATCH DETAIL

M.R.M.W. / WATCH DETAIL

One timepiece. Two ways to wear it.

AN5740 Master Navigation Watch

A recreation of the navigation pocket watch used by the U.S. Army and Navy in World War II. In AN5740, A represents Army and N represents Navy. A dedicated cover allows the timepiece to be enjoyed as both a pocket watch and a wristwatch.

Two Ways to Wear One Timepiece

Two Ways to Wear One Timepiece

Enjoy the AN5740 in its original pocket-watch form, or wear it on the wrist with our specially developed cover.

Attention to Detail

The AN5740’s design has been carefully recreated, with the diameter reduced by approximately 5 mm for a balanced fit on the wrist. A coin-edge outer rim gives the exposed edge texture and helps make small marks less noticeable.

Faithful Form, Thoughtful Construction

Coin edges run around both the front and case back, with roughly 200 individual teeth. A domed crystal creates a substantial, classical appearance. Fine details around the bow—the fitting surrounding the crown used to attach a chain—follow the original.

Particular attention went into the appearance on the wrist. The cover houses the watch without unnecessary bulk or obscuring its outline. It preserves the shape around the pendant and leaves the coin edge visible, while slender lugs frame the watch.

From Pocket Watch to WristwatchFrom Pocket Watch to Wristwatch

From Pocket Watch to Wristwatch

Men’s wristwatches developed in part from strapping pocket watches to the wrist, with military use helping to popularize a form previously associated mainly with women.

LEATHER CONVERTER STRAPS
Many leather covers were developed to hold a pocket watch. Such converters still exist, but the leather can lose its shape and grip with wear. They also tend to add bulk and conceal the pocket watch’s original silhouette.

WELDED LUGS
Welding lugs to a pocket watch can preserve its shape and let it take a strap. Once modified in this way, however, it can no longer be enjoyed in its original pocket-watch form.

The Character of a Pocket Watch, on Your Wrist

Military pocket watches include outstanding examples of both functional design and craftsmanship. It is natural to want to enjoy them beyond the pocket. Conventional leather covers can obscure the original shape, while welded lugs permanently change how a watch can be used. Our approach preserves both options. The result is a stylish wristwatch that sits naturally on the arm while remaining a pocket watch.

Navigation-Watch History

Navigation-Watch History

A period protective case made by J. H. Adamson was designed to withstand heat, humidity and vibration inside a tank. Four internal springs held the AN5740 centrally and absorbed shocks.

The background photograph shows an airman consulting an AN5740. At that time, American military aviation was part of the Army. These watches served navigators at sea and in the air. Developed during the 1940s, the AN5740 also served as a master watch: a reference used to synchronize the wristwatches of other personnel.

AN5740 Black — 24 Hours

AN5740 Black — 24 Hours

The AN5740 pocket watch was developed in the 1940s and used as a master timepiece by land, sea and air forces. This battery-powered quartz recreation reduces the original diameter by approximately 5 mm to 46 mm for practical wrist wear. The inner scale is numbered 1–24, with seconds marked in five-second increments around the outside. G.C.T. stands for Greenwich Civil Time. The large dial makes the 24-hour display easy to read.

AN5740 Night & Day — 24 Hours

AN5740 Night & Day — 24 Hours

This version recreates an exceptionally scarce dial, associated with a small number of pilots flying long-range strategic bombing missions. Its cream-and-black 24-hour display provides an intuitive distinction between day and night.

The quartz recreation has been resized to 46 mm for wrist wear while retaining a large, legible dial. The meaning of B.J.B. is still not known with certainty; one theory links the initials to “Berlin–Japan–Bomber.”

AN5740 Black — 12 Hours

AN5740 Black — 12 Hours

A simple, highly legible dial inspired by a small pocket watch issued to U.S. military nurses, adapted to the AN5740 case.

AN5740 Silver White — 12 Hours

AN5740 Silver White — 12 Hours

Early U.S. military watches also used white dials. While examples of the AN5740 case carried G.C.T. markings, this version looks further back, recreating a pocket-watch dial supplied to the United States Army Corps of Engineers in France toward the end of World War I. The result is a clear, practical display.

Lineup

See each product page for available models, prices, specifications and strap options.