Results for Pilot Watch

IWC Adds a Fully Lumed Dial to their Pilot Collection with the Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 Black Aces

Sometimes I get tagged with the label of curmudgeon for my somewhat finicky and at times nonsensical taste in watches (and movies, and other things – I like what I like). But at the end of the day, I really just want watches to be fun, and for everyone to chill just a little bit when it comes to the hottest of takes on Instagram, YouTube, and elsewhere. If there’s one feature on a watch that captures a more nonchalant attitude toward watches in general, I think it has to be the fully lumed dial, right? Is there anything else that appeals so strongly to that proverbial inner child, the one who is still fascinated with things that glow in the dark? Lumed dials have been having a bit of a moment as of late, and now IWC is getting in on the action, with their first pilot’s watch with a fully lumed dial treatment, the Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 Black Aces. The Black Aces is the latest in an ongoing series of watches that IWC has made in partnership with US Navy squadrons as part of their Professional Pilot’s Watches Program. This new watch takes inspiration from a previous watch that IWC created for members of Strike Fighter Squadron 41, also known as the Black Aces. This squadron has roots that date back to 1950, and is based at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California, and their Black Aces patch can be seen on the dial at the 6:00 position of the new pilot’s watch. IWC refers to this as a “Lumicast” dial, and it comes together after a complex process that invol...

A Modern Take On A Classic Pilot’s Watch: Hands On With The Bremont Fury

If you’re after an aviation styled watch, that can go from the beach to the boardroom, then the Bremont Fury may just be the watch for you! We wrist tested it for a couple of weeks, and here’s what we thought… What We Love The textured dialThe aviation stylingPower reserve indicator at 6 o’clock What We Don’t Lack of lume on the dialLack of character in the strapUnsure of what category of watch to fit it in Overall Rating: 8.5/10 Value for money: 8/10Wearability: 8.5/10Design: 8.5/10Build quality: 9/10 As you may know from previous articles we’ve written on Bremont and its founders, Giles and Nick English, you no doubt be aware of their love of aviation, and the reasons for starting up Bremont over 20 years ago. If not, then you can get brought up to speed in our interview with Giles here. So it’s no surprise that when they were designing their H1 series of watches with the Bremont assembled movement (the first for the brand) that one of these pieces had to be a pilots inspired watch. The Bremont Fury in blue – a modern take on the classic pilot’s watch. The Fury was that piece in both a blue and black colourway, designed to be a contemporary take on the classic aviation watch. I first saw this piece in person when I caught up with Giles back in April, and liked what I saw. So needless to say it was one of their pieces that I immediately wanted to put on my wrist to see how it wore and looked as I went about my day to day. When asked which colour I wanted...

IWC’s Mark Series Turns 75, and the Brand Celebrates with a New Silver Dialed Variant of the Popular Pilot’s Watch

Last year, IWC launched the Mark XX in a somewhat unusual way for a marquee watch from a big Swiss brand: without much fanfare at all. We’re accustomed in the watch world to getting teased about new releases weeks ahead of time, with splashy PR campaigns to accompany the biggest reveals. The Mark watches, for many watch enthusiasts, are the watch collection that comes to mind when thinking about IWC. So for the new Mark, arguably the most critical of the entire Pilot lineup (don’t @ me, Big Pilot fans) to just kind of appear on the website one day last year was a little surprising.  Now, almost a year later, the Mark XX is very much out there and certainly no longer an under the radar secret to stumble over. The subtle updates to the dial (including a date window which appears to be a bit more in harmony with the outer Arabic numerals clocking the hours) and a higher spec movement have gone over well with the collector community, and the Mark XX is the rare update to a core collection watch, from any brand, that seems to have a consensus around being an improvement. Think about how rare that is, for a minute. When the new 41mm Submariner was announced in 2020, Rolex fans were close to war. But with the new Mark, if you liked the last one, chances are you were going to like this one more. If it was never your thing to begin with, your opinion probably didn’t change. It was that most uncommon type of watch release: one with no real controversy.  Since the black and b...

Watch Spotting: Zenith Ambassador And New Jets Quarterback Aaron Rodgers Wearing A Pilot Automatic At The Knicks-Heat NBA Playoff Game

New York's new QB1 has been all over the city this past week, and this watch has been with him.

Rolex Air-King: A Classic Pilot's Watch Revamped at Watches & Wonders

Only at Rolex can a watch dubbed a King be described as humble compared to other watches with less lofty but still commanding titles like Master. The Rolex Air-King, despite being the oldest existing model in the mega-brand’s star-studded lineup, has never attained the levels of mainstream popularity and collectability enjoyed by household-name watches like the Daytona, Submariner, GMT-Master, and (arguably) even the Yacht-Master. Rolex hopes to change that this year, however, making the newest version of the Air-King a headliner of its 2022 collection, unveiled this week at Watches & Wonders 2022 in Geneva. Aviation History The Rolex Air-King (technically Rolex Oyster Perpetual Air-King) traces its history all the way back to 1945, when it was launched as part of a trio of timepieces called the “Air Series” that celebrated the accomplishments of Britain’s Royal Air Force in World War II, alongside the discontinued Air-Giant and Air-Tiger. The Air-King, the last survivor of that collection designed “to honor the pioneers of aviation,” went through a number of evolutions throughout the years. The original model’s 34mm case (considered large at the time, believe it or not), cream-colored dial and manual wind movement would eventually be replaced by the now-familiar design most recently updated in 2016: a black dial with a 60-minute scale and inverted triangle at the 12 o’clock/60-minute position (a feature of historical pilots’ watches); large 3, 6, and ...

The Spec Sheet: The IWC Mark XVIII: The Wearable Pilot's Watch With Serious Heritage

One unit of quintessential tool watch.

Hands-On: Hamilton's Surprising New Take On The Pilot's Watch

The 38mm Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer is 20,000 feet of cool.

Interview: Akio Naito, President of Seiko Watch Corporation

An all-encompassing brand that has something for everyone, Seiko is a 140-year-old brand with a dozen or so lines spanning the price spectrum. Its flagship brand is, of course, Grand Seiko, which has enjoyed notably strong growth outside of Japan after being spun off in 2017. Now we speak with the man who was a key part of this international expansion: Akio Naito. Appointed President of the Seiko Watch Corporation (SWC) earlier this year, Mr Naito now runs the primary watch business of the Seiko group, having climbed the ranks over a four-decade career. He has held roles across various Seiko companies around the world – one of his earliest managerial roles was head of Seiko Australia starting 2002 – and was most recently deputy chief operating officer of SWC. In that role, he was responsible for international sales and marketing. It was during his tenure that Seiko brands enjoyed notably strong growth outside of Japan, most notably with Grand Seiko in America and Europe – two key markets he personally oversaw. Our founder SJX sat down with Mr Naito recently to discuss his plans for Seiko and Grand Seiko, while also touching on topics like complicated watches and the future of watch fairs. The interview has been edited for clarity and length. Mr Naito with Wako’s famous clocktower behind him SJX: I first visited Seiko’s factories in Shiojiri and Shizukuishi 10 or 12 years ago. I like to congratulate you on how the brand has developed in that time, especially Gra...

Crash Course In Flieger (Pilot) And B-Uhren (Navigator) Watches Covering Both Historic And Modern Examples (Pilot’s Watch Photofest!) - Reprise

The majority of today's numerous flieger-style watches are inspired by the now-iconic German pilot’s and navigator's watches of World War II, becoming a genre unto themselves. Bhanu Chopra flies high to take a deep dive into the long history of this popular style.

Tutima M2 Coastline Pilot’s Watch: A Chronograph Ready For Everything, From Office To Beach

Derived from the historic Reference 798, Tutima's M2 Coastline chronograph is a heavy-hitter in terms of practicability and wearability. But Bhanu Chopra thinks the blue-dial version is also a perfect casual watch for beach days. And we know it can withstand anything the beach can serve up!

A Crash Course In Flieger (Pilot) And B-Uhren (Navigator) Watches Covering Both Historic And Modern Examples (A Pilot’s Watch Photofest!)

The majority of today's numerous flieger-style watches are inspired by the now-iconic German pilot’s and navigator's watches of World War II, becoming a genre unto themselves. Bhanu Chopra flies high to take a deep dive into the long history of this popular style.

Worldtimer vs. GMT: Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Chronograph WT vs. IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Spitfire

Do you need to know the time in various time zones? What is the real difference between a worldtimer and a GMT watch? How complicated are these watches to use? Chris Malburg answers these questions and more after spending some quality time with two enchanting multi-time zone watches.  

Marathon GSAR ‘Grey Maple’ Automatic Dive Watch

Marathon honors their heritage and has announced a limited edition Marathon GSAR 'Grey Maple' Automatic. It's an interesting balance of sport utility and charming decoration, which typically isn't associated with a static design like the GSAR.

Casio G-SHOCK Gravitymaster GR-B100 Series: Yes, I Want This Watch - No, I’m Not A Pilot

I know this may sounds weird, but these new offerings are actually making me rethink my apathy towards certain "smart watch" features, and I'm seriously considering buying one.

First Look - The New Stowa Flieger Original, a Faithful Recreation of the Historic Pilot’s Watch

Stowa is, without a doubt, one of the most legitimate brands when it comes to Flieger watches. Founded by Walter Storz in 1927 and currently headquartered in Pforzheim, Germany, it is now part of the Tempus Arte group, which also owns Lang & Heyne. But importantly, Stowa was one of only five manufacturers allowed to […]

Introducing - The New Delma Commander 40mm, A More Compact and Versatile Pilot’s Watch

In 2024, Delma celebrated its 100th anniversary with a few pleasant releases, such as the Heritage Chronograph, and even unexpected ones, such as the 1924 Tourbillon. Unexpected because the brand is particularly known for professional dive watches such as the Shell Star, Blue Shark and Quattro, alongside sports-oriented collections like the Midland and racing-inspired Continental. […]

Introducing - The Benrus Sky Chief Chronograph, a Historic Pilot’s Watch Reborn

Founded in New York in 1921 by Romanian-born brothers Benjamin, Oscar, and Ralph Lazrus, Benrus relied on Swiss production, centred in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and during the 1930s and 1940s, it became known for its pilots and military watches. Early models such as the Flyer and Airman were popular among the airline pilots, helping establish the […]

Micromilspec Presents Its First Pilot Category Watch, The Dualtimer

Introducing - Micromilspec Launches its First Pilot’s Watch, the Dualtimer

Micromilspec may be new to some enthusiasts, but in professional circles, the Oslo-based brand is already trusted. Founded by Henrik Rye with designer Anders Drage and a serving Norwegian Army member, the company built its reputation on custom watches co-designed with military units worldwide. From naval squadrons to combat battalions, even Norway’s King’s Guard, over […]

How The Cartier Santos Became The First Pilot’s Watch

Hands-On: The Albishorn Type 10 Classic -  An Imaginary Vintage Pilot's Watch That Finally Exists

What came before the vintage Type XX Pilots' Chronographs? Nothing, really. But if you imagine hard enough, it could have been this.

Introducing: The Breguet Type XX Chronographe 2075BH - A Collector-Worthy Pilot's Watch For The Maison's 250th Anniversary

Collectors asked and Breguet answered… in gold.

IWC at Watches and Wonders 2025: Ingenieurs in New Sizes and Materials, Pilot’s Watch Upgrades, and F1 Movie Editions

Hands-On: IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition 'Polaris Dawn' - Four Unique Watches That Are Headed To Space

After coming back to earth, the watches will be auctioned by Christie's in New York to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Watches In The Wild: Thailand, Episode 2: We Flew Across The Country To See One Of The World's Greatest Pilot's Watch Collections

And we bring it to you now, in the second installment of our new video series.