The Lost Watch of D-Day: How One Paratrooper Inspired an Entire Brand

This week on the No Lowballers Podcast, we step slightly outside the gun safe — but not far. Because if you know anything about collectors, you know the Venn diagram between gun guys and watch guys has a lot of overlap. Logan Metesh of High Caliber History and Allen Forkner from GunBroker sit down with Oscar Chabrat of Praesidus Watch Company, a brand built around honoring American veterans through historically inspired timepieces that incorporate real battlefield materials. And yes — we’re talking actual sand from Normandy and Iwo Jima, aircraft aluminum and more. 🔹 The Lost Watch of D-Day Praesidus began with a story. World War II veteran Tom Rice — who famously re-jumped into Normandy at 97 years old — had lost his A-11 service watch during his original D-Day jump. Praesidus recreated that watch, launching the brand with a faithful homage to the U.S. military’s A-11 specification timepiece. From that first collaboration grew a company dedicated to honoring veterans through meaningful design. 🔹 Watches with Real History Embedded Praesidus doesn’t just replicate history — they integrate it. Some of the standout pieces discussed in this episode include: • Utah Beach 80th Anniversary Watch o Dial split between a Normandy invasion map and real sand from Utah Beach o One of the brand’s most iconic designs • Iwo Jima & Pacific Front Collection o Volcanic black sand from Iwo Jima embedded into the dial o New “Pacific Front” version features a mapped progression of the entire Pacific campaign, from Pearl Harbor to Okinawa • C-47 Skytrain Edition o Dials punched directly from authentic C-47 aircraft aluminum o Offered in varying levels of patina • Neptune 44 o Watch cases submerged in the tides off Utah Beach for 60 days o Naturally aged by salt, sand and surf • Veteran Tribute Pieces o Bud Anderson (P-51 “Old Crow”) o Diz Laird (Ace of Two Oceans) o Vince Speranza (101st Airborne, Bastogne) Each piece balances commemoration with responsibility — something Oscar emphasizes repeatedly throughout the conversation. 🔹 Why Watches Matter in Military History We talk about rifles, machine guns and sidearms all the time. But battlefield coordination depended on accurate timekeeping. The A-11 specification watch was critical to synchronizing attacks, artillery and navigation across land, sea and air. Praesidus is shining a spotlight on that often overlooked but essential tool of war. 🔹 What’s Coming Next? Oscar shares some exciting developments: • Hand-painted Utah Beach dial scenes • A Willys Jeep hood project in development • Potential B-17 and B-25 aircraft collaborations • Official U.S. Army licensed watches • Modern field watch concepts designed with active duty use in mind The challenge now? How do you top D-Day sand and Iwo Jima volcanic ash? Praesidus is trying. If you appreciate military history, collectible firearms, aviation lore or meaningful craftsmanship, this episode is right in your wheelhouse. 👉 Check out the latest Pacific Front collection at Praesidius 👉 Drop a comment and tell us: Which design is your favorite? 👉 What historical material should they work with next? Listen, Watch and Subscribe If you appreciate thoughtful conversations about firearms history, hunting culture and the stories behind iconic guns, be sure to subscribe to the No Lowballers Podcast. New episodes feature collectors, historians, writers and industry insiders who care about more than just specs and trends. And as always: 👍 Like the episode 💬 Leave a comment 🔁 Share it with a fellow firearms enthusiast 📲 Subscribe and follow ⭐ Leave a review wherever you listen Every rating, review, and share helps us bring more firearms history and industry insight each week. Follow No Lowballers on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ for behind-the-scenes content, historical deep dives and weekly drops every Thursday. Find Logan at ⁠⁠High Caliber History⁠⁠ and Allen at ⁠⁠GunBroker⁠⁠.