Sweden is one of very few countries in the world making their own fighter jets. With more than 80 years of experience developing and manufacturing military aircraft, Sweden has become famous for state-of-the-art aviation technology and supreme aerial defense capabilities.

Iconic, pioneering planes like the Lansen, Draken, Viggen, and Gripen speak to an enviable heritage, worthy of celebration and pride. This military design and engineering heritage has become the main source of inspiration for MALM, and the Dalton collection is our first contribution to the history of Swedish watchmaking and Swedish pilot watches.

Our plans to design and manufacture a Swedish pilot watch truly began to take off with the collaboration between MALM and the 212th fighter squad division, callsign 'Dalton'. The mission was simple, but challenging – the pilot watch needed to be tough, easy to read, and easy to use. It also had to be designed from scratch, without shortcuts, with all details and components having a reason and a story behind them. It needed to be available for all members of the squadron without a heavy price tag, and it needed a design that was beautiful to look at.

For inspiration we looked at different Swedish fighter jet cockpits, photographed the different gauges and instruments, and started to design a new font combining the different numbers and indices. The idea was to mix smooth lines and sharp edges, and give them different polishing and surfaces to create an exciting appearance – an exclusive yet discrete look. Furthermore, we studied the air intakes of the Gripen fighter jet, and designed the crown guards from these cues. Rugged metal surfaces we found on the joystick of the Viggen fighter jet, and different parts of its cockpit, became a grip surface on the bezel, crown, and pushers. The pushers are also inspired by the aerodynamic shape of an aircraft wing.

Regarding functionality and movement, we landed on the Seiko meca-quartz hybrid chronograph. Seiko offers
reliable movements with high durability, and the VK-series combines trouble-free use (thanks to its quartz technology) with a premium look and feel (its mechanical chonograph having a tastefully center-positioned sweeping second hand).

The minute and hour hands of Dalton 2 were designed to give the Swiss Super LumiNova C3 lume a large and luxurious space, making these hands easy to read even in darkness.

The painstaking work invested in the Dalton project turned out to be highly appreciated, word spreading quickly throughout the Swedish Air Force. In a short period of time since, MALM has launched new military watch projects together with pilots, flight engineers, divers, and soldiers of the Swedish armed forces. Today MALM manufacture and stock several different versions of the Dalton Choronograph, for various fighter jet squadrons in Sweden and abroad.