Here is a selection of some of the most interesting new pilot’s watches launched for 2018. They are in ascending price order.
1. Stoic World pilot’s watch – about €332
Peter Speake-Marin’s new brand Stoic has launched a variant of the classic Type A pilot’s watch, 38 mm in diameter and 13 mm thick, with a 10 atm/100 metre water resistance rating. It is powered by the Seiko NH35A automatic movement that can be viewed through the display caseback which has a philosophical quote screenprinted onto it. The watch is available online from the Stoic website at a price of $390 inclusive of shipping. Read more at the TimeTransformed article or on the Stoic website.
2. Stowa Flieger Verus 40 – €660
The Flieger Verus 40 by Stowa is a brilliant piece of design. It is immediately recognizable as a Type A B-Uhr derivation, with black dial, white numerals and hands, and large crown. But it is also obviously different, in a subtle way. The Stowa designers have created a diferent balance to the dial by giving more space to the minutes track at the edge of the dial, extending the hour markers inwards, and pushing all the numerals and the reference triangle inwards as well. The result is a striking dial that benefits from the absence of any other texts. The simplicity of the watch is enhanced by the sloping bezel that continues the line of the watchglass, and the smooth, satin-finish case and lugs. At 10.2 mm thick and 40 mm in diameter, it will be comfortable on just about all wrists. €660. Read more here.
3. Fortis Aeromaster Old Radium – €1,323
The Aeromaster Old Radium by Fortis adds the day-date functions to what is otherwise the classic pilot’s watch layout. The 42 mm case in stainless steel has a water resistance rating of 5 atm. The SuperLuminova coating on hour and minute hands, and indices and numerals on the dial, is beige “old radium” colour, and it glows greenish in the dark. The ETA 2836-2 movement can be seen through the sapphire caseback. 1,540 Swiss francs, about €1,323. Read more on the Fortis website.
4. Fortis Cockpit Classic Second – €1,366
The Cockpit Classic Second by Fortis is in the traditional B-Uhr Type B layout, in which the hour markings are separately shown on the dial inside the minute markings. Fortis have added a subdial for continuous seconds, and a date window. The 42 mm case in stainless steel has a 5 atm water resistance rating. The SuperLuminova coating on hour and minute hands, and indices and numerals on the dial, is white, and it glows greenish in the dark. The ETA 2895-2 movement can be seen through the sapphire caseback. 1,590 Swiss francs, about €1,366. Read more on the Fortis website.
5. Bell & Ross BR VI-92 Military – €1,990
The Bell & Ross BR VI-92 Military is distinctive for its round case, mid-sized at 38.5 mm in diameter, and for the dial with minute numerals instead of the more usual hours. It’s a practical all-round watch with sports-standard water resistance (100 metres, so it can be used for surface swimming). The case has a satin-brushed finish with a smooth sloping bezel and a domed sapphire watchglass. The dial has the reference triangle at 12 o’clock, part of the pilot’s watch heritage, and a red “MT” logo, underlining the watch’s military inspiration. There is a small circular date window at 4.30, which looks to be hemmed in between the two adjacent numerals. Inside, the BR-CAL.302 is a movement based on the Sellita SW-200, hidden by the solid caseback. €1,990. Read more on the Bell & Ross website.
6. Breitling Navitimer 8 Super 8 B20
This is an interesting version of the classic pilot’s watch, based on a watch – reference 637 – that bomber pilots wore strapped on their thighs in the Second World War. Reference 637 was made by the Breitling Huit Aviation Department, and it had a crown and a pusher used to control the stopwatch function. A red reference triangle could be used to set a countdown. The department was named Huit (eight) because of the 8-day power reserve that Willy Breitling could offer in its watches and timers. The new watch doesn’t have a chronograph, but it retains the red reference marker that can be moved by simply rotating the bi-directional bezel. The giant crown is on the left to ensure a degree of comfort, but this is a large and dramatic piece with a diameter of 50 mm and a thickness of 14.4 mm. Water resistance is the standard 3 atm, even though the crown is screw-locked. The timepiece is powered by the Calibre B20, based on Tudor’s Calibre MT5612, with chronometer certification and a power reserve of over 70 hours. It is available in two versions, stainless steel with black dial, and titanium with green dial. Big, beautiful and original. Read more on the Breitling website.
The historic inspiration, Breitling Huit Aviation Department reference 637
7. Oris Big Crown ProPilot Calibre 114 – about €4,725
The Big Crown ProPilot Calibre 114 by Oris is a beautiful pilot’s watch with an interesting combination of functions and an in-house hand-wound movement, visible through the sapphire caseback. A second time zone is shown by the long central hand with red pointer, and it can be regulated to half-hour intervals in order to adapt to those few time zones with half-hour time differences. Continuous seconds are shown on a subdial at 9 o’clock, and power reserve – a useful function on a hand-wound watch – is shown at 3 o’clock with a non-linear scale that provides higher resolution towards the lower end of the power reserve. The date window is unobtrusively positioned at 9 o’clock. Perhaps the loveliest part of the watch is the view through the mineral glass caseback, with the Oris Calibre 114 movement that has an exceptional 10-day power reserve. It runs at 3 Hertz and has a single barrel. The case is large, 44 mm in diameter, and it has a sports watch water resistance, 10 atm/100 metres. Price from 5,500 Swiss francs (Nato strap), 5,700 Swiss francs with steel bracelet, 5,800 Swiss francs with leather strap. Read more on the Oris website.
8. Perrelet Turbine Pilot – €5,600
Perrelet’s Turbine Pilot translates part of a jet engine into a watch, with a 12-blade turbine that rotates with your movements and provides glimpses of the black under-dial with yellow striped areas. The hour markers and numerals are luminescent, and they are applied to the undersurface of the watchglass. The watch has a circular slide rule, with the outer ring fixed and the inner ring that can be rotated to perform calculations such as conversions, multiplications and divisions. The innermost scale of the inner bezel has a minutes scale for countdowns against the minute hand. The watch is powered by the Perrelet P-331 movement, self-winding, visible through the display caseback. The case is large at 48 mm thicknes, 13.85 mm thickness, water resistance 5 atm. It is available in a range of finishes including steel, black PVD, brown PVD, and different bezel colours. Price approx. €5,600. Read more on the Perrelet website.
9. Bremont U-2/51-JET – €5,612
The U-2/51-JET is a new model in Bremont’s existing U-2 range, and it features Bremont’s characteristic features such as COSC-certified chronometer precision, a hardened stainless steel case, and tough performance, with a 100-metre water resistance rating. An unusual aspect of this watch is the second crown at 4 o’clock, used for rotating the deep internal bezel which can be used for timing and countdowns. It is a large watch at 43 mm diameter, with a calfskin leather strap and a second rubber strap. Inside, the BE-36AE calibre is based on the ETA 2836-2, and it can be glimpsed through the black-tinted display caseback. The watch costs €4,600 plus VAT (for example, €5,612 in Italy).
10. IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition Laureus Sport for Good Foundation – €5,900
This version of the classic Mark XVIII pilot’s watch by IWC is a limited edition of 1,500 as part of the brand’s commitment to the Laureus programme that uses sport to promote good causes throughout the world. The watch has a black ceramic case, a blue dial, and a solid caseback with an engraving depicting a prize-winning drawing from a competition organized by IWC every year. The watch, reference IW324703, has a 41-mm case, a soft iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields, and a black embossed calfskin strap. Inside, it is powered by the 35111 calibre, built by Sellita as the SW300-1. €5,900. Read more on the IWC website.
