{"product_id":"wittnauer-professional-chronograph-as01831","title":"Wittnauer Professional Chronograph","description":"\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story of the A. Wittnauer Company--and the man who founded it--is so inspirational that it could, nay \u003cem\u003eshould,\u003c\/em\u003e be a film by Ron Howard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlbert Wittnauer immigrated to New York City in the 1870s, a lad of sixteen with ambitions as wide as the Atlantic. He came to work for his brother-in-law, Eugene Robert, an importer of fine Swiss timepieces from brands such as Jaeger LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin. His experiences working for his brother-in-law inspired him to make watches of his own, with the reliability and craftsmanship of Swiss watches at a lower price point to appease the thrifty American public. He established the A. Wittnauer Company in 1885, at the age of only thirty-one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAround that time, Wittnauer became the distributor for Longines watches in the United States, and would begin producing Wittnauer-branded cases that housed Longines movements. Through the collaboration with Longines, Wittnauer gained a reputation for their excellent aviation instruments and chronographs. Amelia Earhart piloted her planes with instruments made by Wittnauer, and daredevil aviator Jimmy Mattern wore a Wittnauer AllProof in his aborted flight around the world in 1933. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLongines formally bought Wittnauer in the 1950s, and the brand continued to produce exceptional chronographs at a more competitive price point than their Swiss contemporaries. But, like so many watch brands, Wittnauer folded in the face of budget crises in the mid-1980s, causing Longines to dissolve their relationship with Wittnauer. Their watches remain, a testament to their ingenuity and elegance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDating from the 1960s, this Reference 7004A Chronograph was marketed by Longines-Wittnauer as a professional-grade timepiece and fitted with the redoubtable Landeron 248 manual winding movement. The matte black dial features twin subsidiary registers (sweep seconds at 9:00, and a 30 Minute Counter at 3:00 with the 5 minutes countdown in red). The rotating outer bezel has aged over the years to a lovely mulberry hue. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe reference 7004A has everything you could want in a vintage chronograph. It captures the look of the classic 1960s chronographs like the Heuer Autavia, but without the price tag that usually comes with an Autavia. \u003c\/span\u003eWith great colors, a terrific movement and a perfectly-sized steel case, you'd be hard-pressed to find a cooler vintage chronograph for the money.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Wittnauer","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":30112780545,"sku":null,"price":3100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0809\/1255\/products\/Wittnauer_Professional_Chronograph_AS01831_2.jpg?v=1490050476","url":"https:\/\/www.analogshift.com\/products\/wittnauer-professional-chronograph-as01831","provider":"Analog:Shift","version":"1.0","type":"link"}