U-2 Dragon Lady

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and nowhere is this expression more relevant than in aviation and the world of watches. The heritage of horology and aviation dates back to the pioneering days of aeronautical exploration.  It's relationship was born of practicality and utility, propelled by rapid achievements in aeronautics and the demand for hyper-efficient tools for navigation, calculations of speed, distance, fuel consumption, and timing, much like the U-2 Dragon Lady. The three key elements of a pilot's watch, which must be emphasized to make it worthy of the name, are accuracy, legibility, and utility.  By those criteria, the Hager U-2 is an unqualified success, bringing to the table all the visual clarity needed in whatever you are doing.  The Hager U-2, is no ordinary watch it's a tactical wrist instrument that incorporates a number of features that were directly inspired by military pilots. However, this watch just isn’t for pilots. It’s also for those who love chronographs.

Most of us avoid complications in our lives at all costs, but watch complications, enables us to track time, and air speed at the push of a button and helps us navigate our lives. The surest sign that a watch is meant to be used - as opposed to merely glanced at when you want to know the time- is the presence of those twin pushers above and below the crown that distinguishes it as a chronograph. Beating beneath the U-2's 41mm sleek case is a Seiko VK64 movement with a date window at 6 o'clock, a 60-minute counter at 9 o'clock, and a 24-hour counter at 3 o'clock.  The red tachymeter airplane shaped hand allows the wearer to measure ground speed over a known distance.  The hour and minute subdials are slightly inset and are located at the 6 and 9 o'clock position to help pilots' measure the elapsed time when they are flying through different time zones.  The caseback features a custom color imprinted caseback with the U-2 insignia. So whether you fly a dragon or push papers, the U-2 chronograph is a stylish watch that suits any need.

Please take a minute before you look at the Technical Data below and visit the Roadrunners Internationale website to learn more about the extraordinary people who, along with the genius of Kelly Johnson, are behind this technological marvel that is amazingly still being flown today by the USAF, NASA and Lockheed Martin. Up until recently this group has remained in the shadows due to the classified nature of the platforms they flew and supported. They met every year in secrecy in hotels in Las Vegas to remember those they have lost over the years and the platforms and programs they supported. We take great pride in knowing these Cold Warriors. Want to know more about these programs check out The Angels- Book 1 The CIA Area 51 Chronicles by TD Barnes Also check out CIA’s Study of Intelligence article titled “The CIA and the U-2 Program, 1954-1974”.