Dodane Type 23 Owner Review : Precise, legit and professional

This Dodane 1857 Type 03 AF (after the Dodane brand was relaunched by Anode) is one of three models offered to Air France employees by subscription to mark the airline's 80th anniversary in 2013. Since the caseback can be engraved, I chose to have my first and last name, as well as the year I joined the company, engraved on it. This Dodane Type 03 therefore holds a particularly strong sentimental value for me, since every time I wear it, it takes me back to my early days at the airline I wanted to work for. It is particularly easy to use, as all functions are controlled by simply turning the crown, which features the engraved Air France logo instead of the Besançon coat of arms on standard Dodane models. The caseback also features an engraving of the winged seahorse inherited from Air Orient, but in a stylized version, which can be found at 9 o'clock on the dial. This logo is now exclusively dedicated to the La Première brand and will likely never again be used on items not exclusively dedicated to it. The dial's text is completed by Dodane 1857 at noon and the AIRFRANCE brand with its accent and TYPE 03 at 6 o'clock, just above the second LCD display. Finally, a very discreet Besançon France appears on either side of the 30-minute inscription on the flange. The 120-click bidirectional bezel with a black anodized aluminum insert is a 60-minute countdown timer, and an online configurator offered several types when the subscription was made. Likewise, in addition to the black leather strap with folding clasp, other options were available, from steel strap to rubber, including the black NATO Phenix strap, which I opted for both for its economic aspect and to highlight the brand's military heritage. It's a watch dear to my heart for what it signifies professionally, and I still enjoy wearing it even if its lug-to-lug dimensions and significant thickness don't make it my everyday watch.