Watches with 24-hour displays are common enough, but certain methods for displaying ‘military time’ are more innovative than others. 

Take, for example, the Gruen Airflight; A unique dial features cut-out indices with numerals 1-12 visible beneath; as the watch strikes noon, these indices shift to numerals 13-24, indicating the transition to the afternoon/evening. Pretty clever! Well known for its simple dress watches, Gruen was once the largest and most prosperous American watch company; the Airflight is among its more unusual, complicated designs. 

This particular Airflight is housed in a 34mm 14K yellow gold case with faceted, stylized lugs, a signed crown, an acrylic crystal, and a smooth bezel. It features a domed, satin silver dial with a rotating 12-24 hour disc beneath the 12 apertures, an outer, black minute track, and a combination ring-dauphine handset. 

Dating to the 1950s and powered by the hand-wound Gruen Calibre 510, it comes paired to a brown, two-piece alligator leather strap from I.W. Suisse. With its unique complication, fancy lugs, and excellent size, this vintage stunner from a historically significant American company would make an excellent addition to any budding watch collection.

Watches such as this one are fun and wonderful timepieces, and there's no telling if and when one of these in any condition, let alone excellent condition such as this example, will surface again.

Snap it up before somebody else gets the same idea!