Parnis is a Chinese company that makes a lot of watches that are directly inspired by famous brands, above all Panerai. They also make pilot’s watches, many inspired by IWC but in this case they are less obviously copies because the pilot’s genre exists in its own right. Leaving aside doubts as to the legality…
Sinn are making some interesting watches. The Sinn 103 Sa B E pilot’s chronograph is unusual for the brand, in that it has a deep blue colour on dial and bezel. Also interesting is the curving sapphire watchglass that recalls the acrylic watchglasses that were once used on watches. It’s more complicated to make a…
The Laco Augsburg 42 is an automatic pilot’s watch at €340 inclusive of VAT, available on line directly from the brand. Laco have been operating since 1924 or 1925, and its name derives from co-founder Frieda Lacher, who set up business as Lacher & Co. with her partner, or business partner, Ludwig Hummel. They separated…
As part of the celebrations for the brand’s 150th anniversary, IWC have done something rather unusual. They have given the classic pilots watch a big date display. Pilots watch purists probably won’t like this. A pilot’s watch should have just hour and minute hands, a central second-hand, Arabic numerals and virtually nothing else on the…
Alpina has a long tradition of pilot’s watches, and supplied some continental air forces with timepieces in the first half of the 20th century. The Startimer Pilot Collection, launched in 2011, has become the brand’s best seller. In 2017 the new Startimer Pilot Automatic is a classic pilot’s watch, with an automatic movement, with a…
Hamilton’s latest version of the Khaki Aviation X-Wind is an example of a fairly common trend in watches, making them look complicated and tough. This must be one of the meanest, toughest and most complex chronographs of all, with three crowns in addition to the usual chronograph pushers, and three rotating bezels. All this equipment…
With their large conical crown, classic dial design and riveted leather strap, these two new Big Pilot’s watches by IWC have an authentic look, close to the original 1940s IWC pilot’s watch, reference 431 (scroll down for photo). The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Heritage is in two versions, IW501004 with a titanium case, and IW501005…
IWC has presented three new pilot’s watches that will be available from November 2017. The most accessible is the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII, in a titanium case for the first time. In design, it is very close to IWC’s 1940 Big Pilot’s Watch, the legendary reference 431 (scroll down for photo) that was 55 mm…
Archimede have transferred the classic pilot’s watch style to a colourful dial, in two case versions, stainless steel and bronze. I love the combination of blue dial, brushed bronze case with narrow bezel, and light brown strap: a strong, attractive, youthful look. The Archimede Pilot 42 H Bronze BL.B is 42 mm in diameter, slim…
The NightFlight by Limes was introduced in 2000, and a new version has now been presented. It is a watch in the classic pilot’s watch style, with black dial and SuperLuminova markings, but it has some details that set it apart from the basic Type A pilot’s watch. The stainless steel case, made by Ickler,…
Longines often releases new versions of pieces from its historical collection, as part of the Heritage range. They are often quirky watches, such as the Lindbergh Hour Angle with its complex scales, the Avigation Type A-7 with its slewed dial, and the Heritage Diver “Lazy Eye.” The Longines Avigation BigEye has the same sort of…
Christopher Nolan’s desire to make the film Dunkirk as realistic as possible included watches, and in particular a pilot’s watch worn by Tom Hardy who plays a Spitfire pilot. Omega have issued a press release in which they describe three watches supplied by the company to Britain’s Ministry of Defence. Omega had already supplied watches…
The Bell & Ross pilot’s watch, with square case and four bezel screws, a layout inspired by cockpit instruments, has become a modern classic, occasionally copied (here is an example). In the BR0192-HERITAGE version, the dial layout is more reminiscent of an altimeter than a traditional pilot’s watch, with four large numerals in a distinctive…
Oris is famous for its pilot’s watches, and one of its classic models is the Big Crown, first introduced in 1938. This is now made in a number of versions, with several special editions. The new PA Charles de Gaulle Oris Limited Edition is dedicated to the French aircraft carrier named Charles de Gaulle, and…
Stowa have been making pilot’s watches since 1937, and they are based in Engelsbrand, near Pforzheim in Germany, where they also have a museum of their watches running back to 1927. The Stowa Flieger Klassik 40 Automatic Baumuster B Limited is part of celebrations of its 90th anniversary, and it is a limited edition of…
German brand Steinhart make an extensive range of pilot’s watches inspired by the World War II B-Uhr patterns. The Nav B-Uhr 47 Vintage TITAN A-Muster is distinctive for its large size, 47 mm in diameter and 14.2 mm thick, its solid caseback, conical crown, and caseback engraving that is similar to the information generally engraved…
The Archimede Pilot 250 is a 50-piece limited edition built to celebrate 250 years of watchmaking in Pforzheim: in 1787, the Markgraf Karl Friedrich of Baden gave watchmaker Jean François Autran permission to set up a watch factory in an orphanage in the town. The Pilot 250 has a 42 mm case in brushed stainless…
The Breitling Navitimer 01 is an absolute classic in the field of aviation watches. It was introduced in 1952, and since then it witnessed the arrival of civil jet planes, the quartz revolution, and the return of mechanical watches as luxury products. It also illustrates the progressive increase in watch size, starting at 40 mm,…
The Longines Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch 90th Anniversary celebrates 90 years from Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight in the Spirit of St. Louis aircraft. He left Roosevelt Field, an airport near New York, at 7:52 on 20 May 1927, and reached La Bourget airport near Paris 33 and a half hours later. It was the first…
IWC has extended its range of pilot’s watches in the Saint Exupéry series with three new models, including this Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII. Like all IWC Saint Exupéry pieces, it has a chocolate brown dial and a brown calfskin strap by Santoni, with orange lining and white stitching. All in all, a hyggelig combination. The…