Another Praesidus A-11 review? Yes, another Praesidus A-11 review. The brand has gone deep into the A-11, and they keep introducing more interesting variants, like the Type 44 I have today.
Back in March, when I reviewed the A-11 Tom Rice, I said the 38mm was great but not a period-correct size. “I mean, really, how big do you think the market is for 32mm military watches?” I said. Then they released the 32mm A-11 Combat, and thought that was pretty cool but complained that the Ronda quartz movement and K1 mineral crystal were not period-correct and, sure enough, they released the Type 44 with a proper mechanical movement and acrylic crystal. Honestly, how could I resist?
The A-11 Type 44 is the most faithful A-11 homage Praesidus has released; quite possibly the most faithful anyone has released. They pulled out all the stops, buying an original, taking it apart, and analyzing every millimeter. They went ever so slightly larger on the case (32mm vs 31.5mm) and 39mm long, but one can hardly call that “oversized.” The case also mimics the original’s coin-edged bezel and bright finish, albeit in modern polished stainless steel and not the original’s chrome-plated brass. No arguments with that call. Some modern developments are just objectively superior. I’m happy to leave pitting and flaking in the distant past. Similarly, the old watches had no real water resistance while the Praesidus is sealed for 100m.
I love a tall acrylic crystal, especially on smaller watches, and Praesidus came through. This one is doubled-domed and anti-refective coated. That dome takes the overall thickness to 14mm, making the Type 44 a stout little bastard, imbuing a pugnacious quality that befits its military heritage.
The dial’s layout is similar to that of previous Praesidus A-11s, but even closer to that of the source watch. It has the same style numbers, the same index, and the same leaf hands. The version I reviewed had vintage lume the color of old radium but the company offers white lume for those who prefer the factory-fresh look. Both are bright SuperLuminova.
For the mechanical movement, Praesidus went with a Swiss Made Soprod P024 automatic movement, modified at the factory to be a true manual. It is about as close to the wartime model as you are likely to get. It has a 40-hr power reserve, and it hacks, of course, just as the A-11 specs required. The biggest difference is that with ETA 2824 architecture, 28.8k bhp, and 26 jewels it is arguably a better movement than the 15-jewel units fitted back in the day. You will note, however, that there is no “Swiss Made” label on the dial. All A-11s will be assembled in Oklahoma.
Like the similarly-sized A-11 Combat, the Type 44 wears exactly the way watches our grandfathers’ and great-grandfathers’ watches did. It is small, showing a fair bit of strap topside, even on my 6.75″ wrist. I know many men will consider 32mm to be a children’s or ladies’ size, but unless you have a huge wrist, I think you might be pleasantly surprised. Once I got past my expectations of how large a watch needed to be, I found it to be a natural fit.
That said, I know many folks would prefer a larger watch and Praesidus does too. That’s why they went ahead and built a 38mm variant that has all the same features and options as the 32mm in a more contemporary size.
The review sample arrived on a distressed 16mm leather strap that tapers to a mid-century style loop buckle. Buyers can also opt for an Army Green canvas. If you go for the 38mm, you can also select a Bonklip bracelet. I’m curious about the Bonklip. People swear by them for comfort, but one of their key elements was the size-adjustment feature that allowed it to fit multiple lug widths. I have only seen the bracelets on modern-sized watches, and I think they look weirdly narrow, but on a smaller watch, the bracelet looks properly proportioned.
The first 100 customers will get theirs delivered by Christmas (in case you were wondering what to get me) and a free gift. Prices start at $545 for the 32mm or 38mm on a strap, and $595 for a 38mm on a Bonklip. As I said at the outset, Praesidus has made each new incarnation of its A-11 better than the past and the Type 44 is the best yet. Praesidus will take orders for the Type 44 starting September 22. Until then, you can peruse the project page here and sign up for an alert.
