Recently the owner of Hager watches was able to organize
an evening in Las Vegas that brought two of the five surviving
Oxcart aviators together to honor their high-flying accomplishments with their own edition of this release timepiece.
Pictured here: Ken Collins, A-12 Oxcart pilot - call sign “Dutch
21”, Pierre Brown, owner of Hager Watches, Frank Murray,
A-12 Oxcart pilot - call sign “Dutch 20”, Chris Becker, Dubois
Depraz Americas business development manager.
by the invitation and dining experience.” Ken Collins aka “Dutch
21” offered his own thoughts after wearing the watch for a few
weeks “The Hager Skymaster A-12 Cygnus watch is the professional watch for the professional aviator….multi-functional, precise,
handsome. It has the classic look and feel of the triple-sonic A-12
Black Bird. When wearing my watch, it captures a lot of attention”.
Located in Hagerstown Maryland, Hager watches are designed in the USA by Pete Brown and have been offering a variety
of military-esque mechanical watches designed and assembled
locally from top quality cases, dials, bracelets and movements
sourced from suppliers around the world. This latest addition to
the Hager Professional series, the Skymaster Roadrunner Limited Edition Chronograph is a substantial step up for the nascent
brand and boasts a 62 jewel Swiss Made movement custom built
for Hager by the famous Dubois Depraz manufacturer. The Calibre DD 2016 was modified to create an eccentric sub dial layout
within the robust 44 mm x 14 mm brushed/polished stainless steel
case and offers a new take on the bi-compax display. Tested as
water resistant to 10 atm, the Hager Skymaster A-12 is capped
with a domed sapphire crystal surrounded by a luminous ceramic
24-click bidirectional 12-hour countdown bezel that also func-
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tions as a GMT. Integrated chronograph pushers and a partially
inset screw-down crown also highlight the unusual integrity and
thoughtfulness of the construction. The front the stadium dial sports
the Road Runners International logo under lumino us hands, on
the back is a sapphire disk imprinted with the unofficial Cygnus
patch from the fabled fliers. Another subtle nod to detail is the slide
lock extender on the deployant buckle that allows for a perfect fit
and an easy finite adjustment—without the need for any tools.
Retail price has yet to be confirmed but is expected to land
in the $3,700-$4,200 range for the first limited edition of 250
pieces, with a black DLC version scheduled to follow. Each watch
will be numbered on the case back and Certificate of Authenticity to show its position within the run of 250. This timepiece will
also come with a museum-quality 1/72 scale die cast model, a
poster of the A12, a “Remove Before Flight” keychain, an A-12
Article 128 CIA coin and Cygnus flight patches. As part of its
partnership with the Roadrunner’s Association, Hager will donate
a portion of the proceeds from each sale of this limited edition
to the Roadrunners Association so they can continue to preserve
the history and heritage of the U-2, A-12, YF-12, and SR-71
programs for others to enjoy. www.hagerwatches.com