SJX Watches
Longines Introduces the Pilot Majetek
Long associated with professional pursuits in the early years of the 20th century, Longines made watches worn by explorers, scientists, soldiers, and aviators. Examples include the chronographs made for the hydrographic institute of the Italian navy in the 1930s and the wristwatches supplied to the British army in the 1940s. One of the brand’s most distinctive watches from the period was the cushion-shaped aviator’s watch made for the personnel of the Czech air force in 1935, which has now been reimagined as the Pilot Majetek. Initial thoughts The Pilot Majetek is actually Longines’ second outing in reissuing the Czech air force original. Launched almost a decade ago, the first reissue had too many elements (including a date and “automatic” on the dial) that instantly gave away the fact that it was a modern watch. In contrast, the Pilot Majetek avoids those pitfalls. The design is not a like-for-like reproduction of the original as it has a bulked-up case with crown guards and a wider bezel amongst other tweaks. But it doesn’t have any design elements that stand out as being inappropriate in a vintage-inspired watch. So on its face the Pilot Majetek appears to tick all the boxes as a vintage reissue, but with a big few caveat. Though I’ve yet to see it in person, it is almost certainly a bulky watch at 43 mm in diameter and over 13 mm high, essentially the same dimensions as a chunky sports chronograph and certainly much larger than the 41 mm original, whic...
