Pilot Watches · Page 12

Interview: A Conversation with Benoit de Clerck, Zenith’s New CEO

A few years ago, I bought my first luxury watch on eBay, an Omega Seamaster Professional Diver 300m ref. 2220.80.00. It was a watch I had first noticed on the wrist of Daniel Craig in Casino Royale over a decade earlier, and one which I had coveted. I spent way too much money on it, and accidentally (eBay defaulted to the wrong payment method) used my parents’ credit card to buy the watch. It was a boneheaded move, compounded by eBay’s then-nascent authentication program taking over two months to actually get the watch to me. But don’t worry, I did pay my parents back in relatively short order and eventually got the watch. And I got a fun story out of it that I am unlikely to soon forget. I would posit that many of us have similar stories about how we wound up making our first big watch purchase. Benoit de Clerck, who introduced himself to me as Ben, certainly does. “My first salary was a camera, a Nikon - you know, these old cameras and all that - but my second salary was an IWC Pilot’s Watch, 3706, and the story is, I did not have enough money to pay for it.” “So I paid it part on my credit card; part on cash; borrowed money from friends, brothers, sister, and friends; and post-dated checks,” he told me, “And the guy had never seen someone who wanted to do that for a watch, and of course, I wanted that watch now, obviously.” You might be amazed to know that Ben walked out of the boutique that day with his watch. “The owner of that store took a r...

Hands-on – The IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 Shows Great Promise

As we approached the end of 2023, the landscape for those seeking an obtainable motorsport-inspired chronograph underwent a shift, offering a slightly broader array of options. This was spurred by the notable introduction of an extension to IWC‘s Pilot’s Watch series: the Performance Chronograph 41. Available in titanium to commemorate the brand’s enduring partnership with […]

Introducing – The Stowa Flieger Verus 36, a Smaller and Modern Addition to the Collection

In case you don’t know, Stowa is a brand with a rich history and enduring appeal. Established in 1927 by Walter Storz, Stowa remained a family-owned venture until 1996. Following its acquisition by Jörg Schauer, the brand’s legacy was upheld, with a focus on revitalizing and modernizing timepieces from Stowa’s extensive archives. Nowadays, Stowa boasts […]

Breitling CEO Georges Kern talks us through the brand’s 140th anniversary celebrations

The maker of the legendary Navitimer celebrates its 140th, and CEO Georges Kern takes us through the years.The post Breitling CEO Georges Kern talks us through the brand’s 140th anniversary celebrations appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Let’s Get Integrated: Five of Our Favorite Integrated Bracelet Sports Watches at Around $10,000

Not everyone loves a nice integrated bracelet watch in their collection, and there’s a few reasonable reasons why that may be. For one, you’re going to be stuck with the same bracelet for the rest of the watch’s natural life unless there’s an OEM leather or rubber equivalent offered by the brand (or perhaps on the aftermarket). Secondly, the integrated bracelet look can be somewhat of an acquired taste, not everyone is into that – and depending on the model the watch can appear dated, reminiscent of those oval cased watches of the past like the Universal Geneve Ultra-Slim Shadow on the Milanese bracelet.  But, for those of us who have caught the integrated bug, there’s no telling the depths we will explore in order to find that perfect integrated bracelet watch. This is a segment that will require a little more patience and finesse to discover. Once you buy the watch you have your sights set on, you can’t change much about the look afterwards, and the saying buy once, cry once really fits this category here.  Santos De Cartier Starting the list off with an absolute classic, and if you want to start here – and end here, I’d have a hard time disagreeing with you. The Santos De Cartier is an absolute icon in the watch world, dating all the way back to 1904 when it was designed by Louis Cartier for the Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont. Its roots are deeply ingrained in the evolution of aviation and it retains the title of the world’s first pilot wa...

First Look – The New Tutima Saxon One ZSM Limited Edition in Racing Yellow

Tutima, a German brand tracing its origins back to the 1920s, is renowned for its rich heritage in aviation and sports timepieces, a legacy proudly carried forward by the Grand Flieger and M2 collections. Yet, the brand’s repertoire extends beyond, and today, we talk about Tutima’s Saxon One collection, which channels Tutima’s expertise into a […]

Bell & Ross Introduces Ceramic to the BR 05 Collection

For Watches & Wonders 2024, Bell & Ross is bringing ceramic somewhere it’s never gone before - the BR 05 collection of integrated bracelet sports watches - with a trio of black ceramic options with matching black ceramic bracelets. When Bell & Ross introduced the BR 05 five years ago, it seemed like a somewhat esoteric, slightly fringe addition to the brand’s offerings. I remember feeling like it was a watch made more to check a box than anything else. But in the last half-decade, the BR 05 has, increasingly and slowly, become a major pillar of the Bell & Ross catalog and earned fans left and right. These additions also feel a little like checking a box - but in the best way. Ceramic has long been a core material for Bell & Ross, with many of its iconic and recognizable square-cased cockpit instruments, like the BR 03-94 Multimeter, making use of the material. So it was only a matter of time before we saw the distinctive material make its way to the BR 05. The new BR 05 ceramic trio are, mostly, the same watches we’ve seen over the last few years, but there are some small, but significant, differences between the ceramic and steel versions (besides the material). The BR 05 Black Ceramic models are 1mm wider than their steel counterparts, measuring in at 41mm. The BR 05 Black Ceramic is still thin, measuring in at 11.2mm, but again, it is a slight increase when compared to the steel option (which is a svelte 10.5mm). Per Bell & Ross, these changes in dimension w...

IWC has Ceramic in its History and Today in its Pilot’s Watch collection

IWC has a long history with ceramic cases and today they are usually found in the brand's Big Pilot^s Watch collection.

Introducing – The New Cartier Santos-Dumont Rewind Flies in the Face of Convention

Alberto Santos-Dumont, the Brazilian aviator, and Louis Cartier shared a passion for machines and mechanics. In 1904, Louis Cartier presented Santos-Dumont with the first purpose-designed wristwatch with a solid, rounded square case and rivets on the bezel. The idea behind the watch was to allow Santos-Dumont to consult the time in the cockpit without having […]

Introducing – The Cartier Santos-Dumont Lacquered Returns in 3 New Colours

Cartier’s longstanding affair with the intrepid Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont shows no sign of abating. Santos-Dumont’s request to Louis Cartier to create a timepiece that would let him consult the time without taking his hands off the controls resulted in the men’s first wristwatch in 1904. Characterised by sleek geometric lines, Cartier’s Santos-Dumont model has […]

First Look – The New Santos de Cartier Dual Time

It makes perfect sense for the world’s first custom-made pilot’s wristwatch to be equipped with a dual-time function. Fair enough, Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont probably didn’t cross too many time zones in his early flying machines, but combining the iconic Santos watch designed for him by Louis Cartier with dual time indications is a match […]

The IWC Fliegerchronograph 3706 - A Trusty Companion And Neo-Vintage Gem

We are lucky to have reached a phase in the modern industry where the standards of mass production are such that watches can endure all sorts of conditions. The adage “they don’t make them like they used to” hasn’t entirely panned out with watchmaking, at least regarding production quality (design, aesthetics, and luxury culture certainly […] Visit The IWC Fliegerchronograph 3706 - A Trusty Companion And Neo-Vintage Gem to read the full article.

Breitling Continues to Expand the Navitimer Collection with Time-Only and GMT References

The Navitimer is one of a very small handful of watches that is quite simply an undisputed classic. If you say the name, it conjures an immediate image in the mind’s eye: a busy pilot’s chronograph with an uncommon (but completely useful) slide rule bezel. It has the look of a real flight instrument because in a very real sense that’s exactly what it is. But the very idea of what a Navitimer can be has changed a lot in recent years, with the introduction of references that skip the chronograph entirely. The Navitimer is now more than just a single iconic watch, it’s a collection of aviation inspired watches that use the classic as a starting point but branch out into all kinds of new areas.  It’s the kind of thing that purists, frankly, sneer at. But it’s an undeniably shrewd move by Breitling to get the Navitimer name out there, and the watches on the wrists of new customers who may not be interested in a toolish chronograph whose design hasn’t changed much for decades. So now, in an expansion of the collection tied to Breitling’s 140th anniversary, we have a new Navitimer GMT and Automatic 41.  The Navitimer Automatic 41 is perhaps the most straightforward execution of the Navitimer aesthetic, sans chronograph, yet. It’s not the first Navitimer in a 41mm case without a chrono complication, but it is the first without a date at the 6:00 position. This dateless execution is considerably cleaner and will probably be of greater appeal to enthusiasts than ...

The Breitling Navitimer Evolves into a No-Frills GMT

To celebrate its 140th anniversary, Breitling is launching the Navitimer Automatic GMT 41. Zooming into the watch, the signature slide-rule bezel is still present, although this Navitimer omits the chronograph and replaces it with a GMT function. Featuring a 41 mm case in either stainless steel or 18k rose gold, it retains the classic Navitimer style, albeit with a cleaner look without the chronograph sub-dials. Initial Thoughts After revamping the Navitimer in 2022, Breitling gave its trademark aviator’s chronograph more vintage-inspired aesthetics, including more compact cases. Given that the Navitimer is synonymous with the chronograph, it’s not unreasonable to criticise the GMT has having lost some of the spirit of the original. However, I dig the cleaner aesthetics without the pushers and the triple registers. And this is also more affordable. Most Navitimer chronographs are equipped with the in-house B01 movement, resulting in an hefty entry price of US$9,600. The Navitimer Automatic GMT 41 is equipped with an ETA calibre, resulting in a slightly more affordable price that starts at US$6,200 on a stainless steel bracelet. Many other brands in this price bracket now utilise in-house or heavily improved movements, which puts this at a disadvantage in terms of mechanics. That puts it in the middle of the pack for accessible GMT watches: not as affordable as a Longines or the same value proposition as a Tudor, but it has the advantage of the classic Navitimer look th...

Christopher Ward Introduces the C63 Valour Chronograph

Christopher Ward is expanding its military watch line, with the new C63 Valour chronograph. Past Christopher Ward military watches have paid tribute to the British Army, Navy, and Air Force. The C63 Valour is the first watch in Christopher Ward’s lineup dedicated to all three branches. In creating the C63 Valour, watch designer Will Brackfield turned to “the British Military quartz watches of the 1980s, with applied and polished numerals.” The C63 Valour similarly features applied numerals and an applied logo in steel that pop against the black dial. In military watches, legibility is key, and it’s clear the C63 Valour draws on pilot watches in particular with its large Arabic numerals. It’s a minimalist watch face, with a lot of information laid out very simply, making it easy to read and a pleasure to look at. Lumed hour and minute hands make sure that it’s easy to read even at night. The three branches are represented on the watch in the steel subdials, which feature a light blue hand for the Air Force, a dark blue hand for the Navy, and a red hand for the Army. The caseback also features the three heraldic crests of the military branches, along with the queen’s crown in honor of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The watch features a 39mm stainless steel case with a lug-to-lug of 45.8mm. Inside is a battery-powered movement with a lifespan of three years and accuracy of plus or minus 10 seconds a year. Fitting for a watch that also pays tribute to the Royal Nav...

Breitling Superocean and Superocean Heritage: The Ultimate Guide

Historically, Breitling is a watchmaker known for two horological specialties: aviation watches and chronographs. In its most famous timepieces, in fact, like the Navitimer and Chronomat, the two genres elegantly merge into an iconic whole. While this is still largely the case today, Breitling has also staked out for itself a successful and impactful niche in the category of dive watches; its robust and stylish Superocean collection, introduced in 1957 during the early heyday of recreational diving, continues to command a large and avid audience today. Now divided into two distinctively different yet historically related families - the Superocean and Superocean Heritage - and offering both three-hand and chronograph models in a steadily growing array of sizes, materials, and colorways, Breitling’s seaworthy fleet offers a sporty option for just about everyone. Here is a brief history of the Superocean and a guide to the modern collection. 1957: Ref. 1004 Diver and Ref. 807 Chronograph The launch of the original Superocean, Breitling’s first purpose-built divers’ watch, in 1957, was timed to commemorate 25 years at the helm of the company for Willy Breitling, the only son of founder Gaston Breitling and the inventor of such enduring classics as the Chronomat and Navitimer. Commercially, it was also driven by the growing popularity of scuba diving as a hobby and the subsequent market desire for wristwatches that could be worn underwater. Several of that genre’s p...

Meet the Breitling Navitimer new models, inspired by aviation but designed for everyday wear

Breitling Unleashes A Slew Of New Navitimers, Including An Automatic Cosmonaute

Not to let its recent Aerospace B70 Orbiter hog the spotlight, Breitling is also unveiling a plethora of new Navitimers. Curiously, only one of these Navis is a chronograph, and it’s in the form of the limited-edition self-winding 18K red gold Cosmonaute. Considering there are nine other watches (double that with strap variants) without a […] Visit Breitling Unleashes A Slew Of New Navitimers, Including An Automatic Cosmonaute to read the full article.

New with hands on: Breitling Navitimer 41

Hands-on with the new Breitling Navitimer 41. Both the Automatic as well as the GMT models are explopred in this novelty release article.

Introducing – The New Yema Flygraf Flieger FAF Takes To The Skies

Since the 1970s, Yema has been partnering with various branches of the French defence force as an official supplier of timing instruments. This longstanding partnership encompassed various iterations of Yema’s iconic Superman dive watch, which could be found on the wrists of Helicopter Rescue Divers as well as French Air Force Pilots. Expanding its collection, […]

A new bracelet has been introduced into the Breguet Type XX / Type 20 collection with a micro-adjustment system

Breguet CEO Lionel a Marca gave us the exclusive that a bracelet was coming to the Type XX/20, and now it has finally arrived!The post A new bracelet has been introduced into the Breguet Type XX / Type 20 collection with a micro-adjustment system appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

eBay Finds: A Legendary Seiko Diver, an Unusual Mondia Chronograph, and an LCD Watch by Texas Instruments

eBay Finds is back! This bi-monthly installment will feature a selection of watches currently listed on eBay that have caught the eye of editor Christoph McNeil (@vintagediver). If you come across any hidden gems on the ‘Bay drop us a note at info@wornandwound.com for potential inclusion! Vintage Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster By now I think most vintage watch collectors are familiar with the fantastically named Nivada Grenchen Chronomaster Aviator Sea Diver. I mean, you just can’t beat a watch that literally covers all the bases right? There are numerous iterations of the Chronomaster, and this is one of the better looking ones in my opinion. The black dial is nice and clean with gorgeous lume, with bright white hands for excellent contrast. The chrono seconds hand has a large lollipop tip. The large steel case is unpolished with sharp edges and sweet chamfers on the lugs. Even the crown is signed with the Nivada logo. Overall this is a great piece. The seller states the watch works but is a little slow and the chrono seconds hand doesn’t quite reset to zero, so keep that in mind when bidding.  View auction here Vintage Wittnauer  Here we have a really cool looking vintage Wittnauer. The steel case is nice with really good looking lugs, and it looks unpolished with sharp edges. Seller doesn’t state the size but I’d guess about 34mm wide. The silver dial gives off Polerouter vibes with the outer chapter ring. Thin steel hands with nice lume plots that match the...

Pre-Owned Picks: A Neo-Vintage Audemars Piguet, A Limited Edition Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante, And A Late ’80s Rolex Sea-Dweller

Plus a wild card entry from Bell & Ross.

Introducing – A Delectable Retro Flair for the Junghans Meister Telemeter Edition JF

Founded in 1861 in Schramberg, Germany, Junghans was once the largest clock manufacturer in the world, renowned by many for Max Bill’s famous Bauhaus kitchen clock. Moving from clocks to more specialised timing devices, Junghans produced everything from flight instruments to speedometers and from pilot’s watches to chronometers and chronographs, without forgetting the brand’s role […]