What Airain does

Airain is a Swiss Made mechanical watch manufacturer operating as a brand under CDMLEC, a Netherlands-based holding entity. Originally founded in 1934, the brand was dormant for decades before being revived in 2020 around its heritage in French military aviation chronographs (Type 20 and Type 21). The company produces heritage-style mechanical timepieces in deliberately small production runs, typically 25 to 134 pieces per reference, and pairs each watch with a blockchain-based digital passport for provenance and anti-counterfeit verification.

The product line is organized around two pillars: aviation chronographs (Type 20 and Type 21 references) and the Sous-Marine dive watch family. Pricing spans approximately €2,050 to €3,850 per piece. Distribution is anchored on direct-to-consumer sales through the Airain website, supplemented by a curated authorized retailer network that now includes at least one Gulf-based partner in Kuwait. Special editions are developed through named collaborations with the EHRA 3 French military aviation unit and the seconde/seconde/ designer, and the Sous-Marine CoLAB program invites collectors to participate in design decisions for upcoming dive-watch releases.

The business model is built on scarcity, provenance, and collector engagement rather than volume. Revenue mechanics come from limited batch sell-through at premium ASPs, milestone anniversary editions, and royalty- or collaboration-driven marketing that lifts brand visibility across the watch enthusiast community. The company is privately held with a small team, no disclosed revenue, and no public funding history; growth is funded internally by CDMLEC.

Name

Airain

Legal name

CDMLEC

Website

https://airain.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Airain is a Swiss Made mechanical watch manufacturer, revived in 2020 under CDMLEC, that produces limited-edition Type 20 and Type 21 aviation chronographs and Sous-Marine dive watches priced from approximately €2,050 to €3,850 for collectors and watch enthusiasts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Mechanical Watches

SIC

Jewelry, Silverware & Plated Ware (3910)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Mechanical Watches (CRAKADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports/Dive/Aviation Tool Watches (CRAKADAE), Complications & Haute Horlogerie (CRAKADAG), Watch Manufacturing (Movements, Cases, Dials, Assembly) (CRAKADAJ)

Keywords

• Mechanical watches
• Aviation chronographs
• Swiss watchmaking
• Dive watches
• Heritage re-editions

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Luxury Mechanical Watch Sales: One-time hardware sales of Swiss Made mechanical watches. Core products include Type 20/21 aviation chronographs and Sous-Marine dive watches. Pricing ranges from €2,050 to €3,850 for primary models. Limited editions create scarcity and collector value.
2. Accessories: Accessories including watch straps (FKM rubber, suede, leather), buckles (single and double), bracelets (Fixoflex), Parmentier crown caps, and reproduction vintage posters. Pricing from €19 to €95.
3. Pre-orders and Deposits: Customers can pre-order timepieces by paying full amount or deposit. Balance payment requested four weeks before delivery. Type 20 70 ANS first batch sold out, second production batch available for pre-order registration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Airain manufactures and sells Swiss Made mechanical watches as faithful re-editions of its historic 1950s-1960s military timepieces. The portfolio comprises Type 20/21 flyback aviation chronographs (sold for €3,450-€3,850) and Sous-Marine dive watches (€2,050), plus limited editions, community-co-designed CoLAB variants, and accessories including straps, buckles, bracelets, and reproduction vintage posters. Watches are backed by a two-year global warranty and a blockchain-secured Digital Passport, with manufacturing in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland via Manufacture AMT (Sellita's high-end division).

Product overview

Airain is a Swiss watch manufacturer offering two main watch collections: Type 20/21 aviation chronographs and Sous-Marine diving watches, both as faithful re-editions of historic 1950s-1960s models. The Type 20/21 Collection includes the core Type 20 and Type 21 re-editions, plus limited editions like the 70 ANS anniversary, ACE (with Ace Jewelers), Up in the Air (with seconde/seconde/), and Furtivité. The Sous-Marine Collection features Re-Editions in Lollipop and DNA Strand variants, plus four CoLAB community-designed limited editions (Ocean Green, Tropical, Faded Black, Deep Blue). All watches are powered by Swiss movements (caliber AM2 for chronographs, caliber AM5 for divers) manufactured in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The accessory portfolio includes Fixoflex expansion bracelets, leather and suede straps in various colors, buckles, and reproduction vintage posters. Every watch comes with a Digital Passport stored on blockchain and a two-year global warranty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Type 20 Re-Edition Re-edition of the iconic 1950s pilot's flyback chronograph with 39.5mm stainless steel case, black dial, Super-LumiNova markers, domed sapphire crystal, and Caliber AM2 hand-wound column wheel movement with 63-hour power reserve, priced at €3,450. Designed for watch collectors and aviation enthusiasts seeking authentic heritage timepieces.
• Type 21 Re-Edition Re-edition of the 1960s Type 21 with glossy black dial, 'Old Radium' Super-Luminova lume, Airain crown logo, and Caliber AM2 movement updated to 1956 French Ministry of Defence specifications. Intended for collectors valuing vintage-inspired military chronographs.
• Type 20 Furtivité Limited Edition Stealth-inspired limited edition Type 20 with anthracite Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating on stainless steel case, Caliber AM2 movement with flyback function, 63-hour power reserve, limited to 134 pieces, priced at €3,650. Targeted at design-conscious collectors seeking exclusive variants.
• Type 20 'Up in the Air' Limited Edition Artistic limited edition Type 20 in collaboration with watch artist seconde/seconde/, featuring pixelated 8-bit cloud subdials, Eiffel Tower motif, rhodium-polished edges, limited to 88 pieces, priced at €3,450. Designed for design-conscious luxury consumers seeking artistic, conversation-starting pieces.
• Type 20 ACE Limited Edition Limited edition Type 20 collaboration with Ace Jewelers of Amsterdam, featuring silver white dial, bold orange hands, and Super-LumiNova lume, with Caliber AM2 movement. Built for collectors seeking cross-cultural Dutch-French heritage collaborations.
• Type 20 70 ANS 70th Anniversary Edition 70th Anniversary Type 20 celebrating aviation heritage, featuring Horizon Blue grained dial, transparent caseback revealing column-wheel flyback chronograph movement, priced at €3,850, limited production with first batch sold out. Targeted at collectors marking the 70-year anniversary of the original Type 20 specification.
• Sous-Marine Re-Edition - Lollipop Re-edition of the 1962 Airain diver with classic round lume-tipped seconds hand, 37.5mm stainless steel case, Parmentier crown cap system, roulette datewheel, Caliber AM5 automatic movement with 68-hour power reserve, 200m water resistance, Fixoflex bracelet and reproduction 1962 poster included, priced at €2,050. Targeted at recreational and professional divers and vintage dive watch collectors.
• Sous-Marine Re-Edition - DNA Strand Faithful re-edition of the 1962 diving watch with DNA strand-style seconds hand, Parmentier crown cap, roulette datewheel, Caliber AM5 automatic movement, 200m water resistance, includes Fixoflex bracelet and reproduction 1962 poster, priced at €2,050. Built for divers and collectors valuing vintage aesthetics with modern reliability.
• Sous-Marine 'Ocean Green' Limited Edition Community-co-designed CoLAB limited edition Sous-Marine with vibrant green dial, 1962-inspired case, Parmentier crown, Caliber AM5 movement, and 200m water resistance. Designed for collectors seeking community-influenced limited editions.
• Sous-Marine 'Tropical' Limited Edition Limited edition Sous-Marine with warm brown tropical patina dial, bronze-colored hands with Light Old Radium Super-LumiNova, selected by community vote through the CoLAB project. Intended for vintage dive watch collectors.
• Sous-Marine 'Faded Black' Limited Edition Limited edition Sous-Marine with matte black weathered dial, C1 Super-LumiNova and silver polished hands, community-selected through the CoLAB collaboration. Targeted at vintage-style dive watch collectors.
• Sous-Marine 'Deep Blue' Limited Edition Limited edition Sous-Marine with rich matte blue dial, BGW9 Super-LumiNova, and blue rubber strap, community-selected through the CoLAB program. Built for vintage-style dive watch collectors.
• Fixoflex Bracelet Standalone Airain stainless steel expansion bracelet with vertical brushed finish, 20mm width, adjustable length up to 15cm via spring bars, priced at €65. Sold to Airain watch owners as an accessory for compatible models.
• Parmentier Crown Cap Replacement cap for the proprietary 1962 Parmentier crown system, compatible with Sous-Marine Re-Edition and Limited Series models, priced at €25. Sold as an after-sales accessory for Airain dive watch owners.
• Airain Double Buckle 316L marine-grade stainless steel signature double buckle with polished and brushed finishing, 32mm x 21mm, priced at €40. Sold as an accessory for Airain suede and leather strap owners.
• Airain Single Buckle 316L marine-grade stainless steel signature single buckle, 19mm x 21mm, priced at €35. Sold as an accessory for Airain rubber strap owners.
• Airain FKM Rubber Straps FKM fluoroelastomer rubber straps in twelve colors (Black, Brown, Red, Yellow, Orange, Olive, Navy, Grey, Sand, Ocean Green, Light Blue, Deep Blue), 20mm width with single pin buckle. Sold as after-sales accessories for Airain watch owners.
• Airain Suede Straps Suede leather straps in Cognac, Hickory Brown, and Aegean Blue with beige stitching and Airain double buckle, priced at €95. Sold as after-sales accessories for Airain watch owners.
• Airain Leather Straps Leather straps in Cognac and Midnight Navy with beige stitching and Airain double buckle. Sold as after-sales accessories for Airain watch owners.
• Sous-Marine 1962 Reproduction Poster High-resolution reproduction of the original 1960s Airain Sous-Marine retailer poster, dimensions 595mm x 420mm, priced at €19. Sold as a heritage-themed decoration/collectible.

Quantifiable outcome

• Two-year global warranty on all watches
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Ace JewelerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch watch and jewelry retailer based in Amsterdam, led by CEO Alon Ben Joseph. Collaboration on Type 20 ACE limited edition watch. Shared journey rooted in friendship between Tom van Wijlick (CEO of Airain) and Alon Ben Joseph. Clean silver white dial with orange hands, blending Dutch craftsmanship with French aviation heritage.
• seconde/seconde/coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench watch artist led by Romaric André. Known for playful modifications of vintage watches using 8-bit pixel art. Collaboration on Type 20 'Up in the Air' limited edition (88 pieces, €3,450). Subdials designed as airplane portholes with pixelated 8-bit clouds and subtle Eiffel Tower glimpse.
• EHRA 3 (Escadrille d'Hélicoptères de Reconnaissance et d'Attaque)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Reconnaissance and Attack Helicopter Squadron of French Army Aviation (ALAT). Founded July 1, 1968. Airain issued 25 personalized Type 20 EHRA 3 watches featuring squadron's signature fonts and colors. Caseback engraved with pilots' individual flight license numbers. Celebrates 55th anniversary of the squadron.
• Manufacture AMTcoreTechnology or IntegrationHigh-end division of Sellita, located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Develops and manufactures caliber AM2 hand-wound column wheel chronograph movement with flyback function. Powers Type 20 and Type 21 watches.
• La Joux-PerretcoreTechnology or IntegrationSwiss movement manufacturer. Caliber AM5 automatic movement based on La Joux-Perret G100. Powers Sous-Marine dive watches with 68-hour power reserve, tungsten rotor, and Geneva stripe decoration.
• CDMLEC (parent company)flagshipOthersAirain is a brand of CDMLEC. Parent company also publishes Horological Herald. KVк: 73884138, VAT: NL859698257B01.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Broad incumbents

• IWC Schaffhausen: Swiss luxury incumbent with the Pilot's Watch collection (Mark XX, Big Pilot, Spitfire), competing for the same aviation watch buyer at significantly higher price points and global scale.
• Bremont: Established British aviation/military watchmaker with broader model range, larger distribution, and stronger commercial scale, occupying the next tier above Airain in the aviation heritage niche.
• Longines: Heritage Swiss brand with the Spirit and Avigation Type A-7 lines, addressing aviation heritage buyers at mid-to-premium price tiers with much broader retail reach.

Direct peers

• Doxa: Swiss heritage dive watch brand (SUB, Shark) revived around authentic re-editions of 1960s models, mirroring Airain's strategy of faithful continuation rather than homage.
• Bell & Ross: French-designed aviation watch brand (BR 03, BR V2-94) drawing on military cockpit instrument aesthetics, operating at similar and slightly higher premium price points with broad global retail.
• Squale: Swiss dive watch specialist rooted in 1960s skin diver heritage (Von Specht, Master, 60 Atmos), closely comparable in positioning, scale, and collector focus to Airain's Sous-Marine line.
• Hanhart: German chronograph specialist with strong aviation and military heritage (e.g., Pioneer One, Flieger One), targeting enthusiast collectors with mechanical flyback chronographs at similar price ranges.
• Yema: French heritage watchmaker with parallel military and dive watch heritage (e.g., Superman, Navygraf), reviving historical models with in-house calibers at comparable premium price points.
• Laco: German heritage pilot watch maker historically producing Type A and B flieger chronographs for the Luftwaffe, now reissuing classic pilot and dive models in a directly comparable niche.

Emerging players

• Baltic: French micro-brand producing vintage-inspired mechanical watches (HMS, Aquascaphe) at accessible enthusiast price points, overlapping in re-edition philosophy and target collector.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/airain-watches

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Airain