THE D-DAY
THE 81st ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY
COMMEMORATION
THE 81st
ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY
COMMEMORATION
TWO NEW RELEASES
THE COMEBACK
Last year, in commemoration for the 80th Anniversary of D-Day, we released an Utah Beach A-11. We had the opportunity to work hand in hand with the mayor of Sainte-Marie-Du-Mont & the neighboring Utah Beach museum to offer a creative commemoration piece. Following the success of the UB A-11, we went back to Utah Beach and we’ve collected sand to apply directly onto a new bronze watch.
Onto a new bronze watch and a special “Higgins Boat Blue” dial on stainless steel.
Utah Beach A-11
BRONZE
Utah Beach A-11
Higgins
Utah Beach A-11
BRONZE
Utah Beach A-11
Higgins
UB A-11 MK2
THE SPEC SHEET
Case:
38mm Bronze10 ATM Water Resistance
Hands:
Sword Hands w/
Super Luminova
Dial:
Triple Layer Dial with
UTAH BEACH Sand
Glass:
Double Domed Acrylic Crystal
Movement:
Miyota 9039 Automatic
Straps:
Blue/Black Tropic
Rubber Strap
Green Two Piece
NATO Strap
READING FOR ADVENTURE
Legibility is paramount in a field wrist watch, particularly one with a busy dial. Our designers stressed the shape and profile of the new Utah Beach A-11 Sand Dial and Arabic numerals to ensure rapid reference.
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The ‘Higgins Boat’ Blue
The ‘Higgins Boat’ blue is inspired by the Higgins Boats that carried Allied troops to the beaches of Normandy on D-Day, June 6th, 1944. This muted, resilient blue reflects the grit and purpose of those landing craft—icons of bravery and sacrifice.
More than just a color, it’s a tribute to history, captured in each of our dials.
THE MISSION
Each year, the D-Day commemoration stands as a stark reminder of the sacrifice, grit, and resolve that turned the tides of history on Utah Beach. For Praesidus Watch Co., this isn’t a ceremony—it’s a duty. We return to the ground where heroes fought, restoring their legacy and honoring the field watches that stood with them in war. These timepieces weren’t accessories—they were tools of survival, forged in the chaos of combat. In the watch community, they remain icons of function, endurance, and unyielding purpose.
THE RESULT :
MEANINGFUL WEAR & TEAR
This commemorative timepiece features watch cases submerged in the TIDES of UTAH Beach (Normandy). Each scratch is the result of the tides; the same that saw the Allies on June 6, 1944.
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Our pre-production case sample, featuring the Praesidus Neptune 44 “Hallmark” Stamp
Iwo Jima a-11
Pacific Memorial
Each dial on the Neptune 44 will feature real patina; a process we initially developed on our DD-45 Collection and applied here
Iwo Jima a-11
Victory Sands Orange
A brown patina dial with aged indexes developed especially for this collection
Iwo Jima a-11
Victory Sands Cream
THE MANEUVER
Inspired by traditional oyster farming methods, select watch cases are deployed off Utah Beach—secured in oyster nets and left to face the same exact elements that the Allies have encountered on their landing.
Salt, water, sand, and sun work in unison to scar, shape, and darken each case. This is not decoration; it’s transformation by exposure. A case finishing earned, not applied.
REVIEWS
PRESS & CUSTOMER
Given the attention to detail that Praesidus has put into this Dirty Dozen-inspired model, it feels like a very fair deal.
Balanced, elegant, and surprisingly artful for a piece of military-issued field equipment.
Sizing & Finishing
This year, a percentage of all sales from the D-Day Neptune-44 commemoration piece will be donated to the UTAH Beach Museum.
The funds will support exhibition programs and facility maintenance—contributing directly to the museum’s mission of preserving and sharing the story of what took place on UTAH Beach on June 6th, 1944.
Copyright © 2025 Praesidus. All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2025 Praesidus.
All Rights Reserved