French military heritage, revived. Airain's story starts in 1950s France, strapped to the wrists of military helicopter pilots who needed a chronograph that could keep up: accurate, legible, and a flyback function for split-second timing at altitude. Only a handful of manufacturers made the cut. Today, the brand continues that legacy with faithful re-editions built to the original specifications.
Montres Airain was a brand created by the Dodane family in 1934, a family synonymous with French watchmaking. During the 1950s and 1960s, Airain became one of the official suppliers of the Type 20 chronograph to the French Army—a pilot's watch specification issued by the French Ministry of Defense. Only a handful of manufacturers, including Breguet and Dodane, were entrusted with this contract.
Beyond military aviation, Airain produced notable civilian models: the Sous-Marine dive watch and the Airain 77, both from the 1950s, remain collectible references today.
The brand's modern chapter began after the 2014 relaunch of its sister company, Lebois & Co. The current owners subsequently acquired Airain, reuniting both brands under one roof—as they were at the founding. The revival started with the reintroduction of the Type 20 Flyback Chronograph.
The Type 20 is a French Ministry of Defense specification for military pilot chronographs, established in the early 1950s. The design drew heavily from German Luftwaffe chronographs of the 1940s, particularly those made by Tutima and Hanhart.
The specification required: a black dial with luminous Arabic numerals, two registers (typically a 30-minute counter at 3 o'clock and running seconds at 9 o'clock), a bidirectional rotating bezel, minimum 35-hour power reserve, accuracy within 8 seconds per day, and—critically—a flyback function. The flyback allowed pilots to stop, reset, and restart the chronograph with a single button press, essential for timing successive navigation legs in flight.
Breguet and Vixa were the first approved suppliers. Auricoste and Dodane (producing watches under the Airain, Chronofixe, and Dodane names) joined short there after. Military-issued examples can often be identified by "FG" (Fin de Garantie) engravings on the caseback, indicating service dates.
The Type 21 was issued in 1956 (most likely) as an updated specification, intended to improve the durability and serviceability of the original Type 20. The core design remained similar—black dial, flyback chronograph, rotating bezel—but with refinements for greater reliability.
Dodane became the sole supplier of Type 21 chronographs, using Valjoux 720 movements (compared to the Valjoux 222 used in most Type 20 models). Production continued into the 1970s. Like the Type 20, Dodane produced Type 21 watches under multiple brand names, including Airain.
In 1962, Airain launched the original Sous-Marine—a dive watch built for the era's growing appetite for underwater exploration. The current Sous-Marine Re-Edition stays faithful to the original design: case shape, dial layout, and the distinctive Parmentier crown locking system developed by Jean-René Parmentier in 1962. This ingenious construction, featuring a protective cap and integrated seal, provided exceptional water resistance for its time.
The Re-Edition updates materials and lume for modern reliability while retaining vintage authenticity. It houses a Swiss automatic movement and is rated to 200 meters. Period-correct details include 18-karat gold-plated hands with 'Old Radium' Super-LumiNova and a custom roulette datewheel with alternating red and black numerals.
Two seconds hand variants are available—the Lollipop (with a classic round lumed tip) and the DNA Strand (a split design referencing Airain's visual identity). Both styles appeared on the original 1962 models.
We are proud to say that we are the only authorized Airain dealer in Scandinavia. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions, we're here to help.
All the best,
Anders
Founder of Sekvens
