The Battle of Iwo Jima is one of the most important moments in U.S. Marine Corps and American history. Early in the campaign, the iconic flag-raising on February 23, 1945 marked the first time that a foreign flag was flown over Japanese soil. Moreover, the famous photo of the second flag-raising taken by Joe Rosenthal reinvigorated support for the war effort in an American public that was weary after years of the two-front conflict. The bloody battle claimed the life of the first Marine to earn the Medal of Honor during the war, Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone, and saw another 22 Marines (12 posthumous) earn the Medal; this accounts for over a quarter of the 82 Medals of Honor awarded to Marines during WWII. Near Washington, D.C., in Arlington, Virginia, the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial depicts the famous flag-raising on Iwo Jima. To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the battle, Praesidus Watch Co. released a truly unique line of watches that contain black volcanic sand from Iwo Jima.
In 2024, Praesidus honored the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France with a line of commemorative watches containing sand from Utah Beach or a piece of metal from a D-Day C-47 Skytrain. The Iwo Jima A-11 watches build the collection with a shift in focus to the Pacific theater. To obtain the infamous black sand from the sulfur island, Praesidus worked with a Marine who collected the sand during a ceremonial visit to Iwo Jima. Inspired by the Marine’s generosity, Praesidus designed three watches to commemorate the battle and honor the Marines who served there with uncommon valor: the Pacific Memorial, Victory Sands Orange, and Victory Sands Cream.
The Pacific Memorial model of the Iwo Jima A-11 proudly displays a detailed embossing of the famous flag-raising atop Mount Suribachi on Iwo Jima; the black volcanic sand is visible above it through a transparent dial. A double-domed sapphire crystal ensures clear visibility with its high level of scratch resistance. C1 lume on the hands and indices allows for low-light legibility, but this watch was designed as a tribute piece moreso than a practical daily driver. Still, the movement inside is a Swiss-made Landeron L21 with automatic winding and it comes on a black leather strap. Like other Praesidus watches, the Pacific Memorial is assembled in Arizona; retail price is $695.
To honor the five-week Iwo Jima campaign, the Victory Sands models of the Iwo Jima A-11 depict a map of the island with the progress of the Marine Divisions from February into March 1945. The black sand dial beneath the map provides contrast to both the orange and cream variants and is clearly visible through a double-domed sapphire crystal like on the Pacific Memorial model. Unlike the Memorial model, the Victory Sands watches are powered by an American-built Ameriquartz 6130 movement. While not as refined in horological terms, the quartz movement is certainly more accurate. More importantly, Praesidus notes that the 6130 was “a conscious choice given the nature of the project & our mission to help revive the once thriving American Watchmaking Industry.” The orange variant features orange lume while the cream variant features green lume. Both Victory Sands watches can be had on a rubber or leather strap and are priced at $320.
All three Iwo Jima A-11 watches feature a 38mm stainless steel case with a strap-friendly 20mm lug width (the straps are mounted on quick-change spring bars for easy removal/installation) and wrist-friendly 45mm lug-to-lug and 12.5mm thickness including the domed sapphire crystal. The Pacific Memorial and Victory Sands Orange models use a black case a brushed caseback while the Victory Sands Cream model features a bead-blasted case with a black caseback. On the caseback of the Pacific Memorial model is the map of Iwo Jima depicted on the dial of the Victory Sands watches. Inversely, the casebacks of the Victory Sands models feature the flag-raising seen on the Pacific Memorial watch.
With Iwo Jima under the control of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, access to Iwo Jima is heavily restricted. Outside of military access, civilian access is mainly limited to organized tours and memorial services. With genuine volcanic sand from the sulphur island, the Praesidus Iwo Jima 80th Commemoration A-11 watches offer a rare chance to own a piece of history.