Pilot Watches · Page 32

Breguet Introduces the Type 20 for Only Watch 2019

Among vintage military watches, some are more interesting and significant than others. They include the IWC Mark 11 and Rolex “Milsub”,  and also the early Type 20 chronographs made by Breguet for the French air force and navy in the 1950s. Breguet has revived the first-generation, military-issue Type 20 for Only Watch 2019. The one of a kind remake is faithful not just in terms of dimensions and aesthetics, but also the movement. Instead of a modern calibre, it is powered by a refurbished, vintage Valjoux 235 movement, just like the original. Breguet Type 20 “Only Watch” And a bit of nomenclature explanation before proceeding: “Type 20” refers to a French military specification for pilot’s chronographs, which refers to the original, military-issue watches. Watches produced for the civilian market, including the modern day models, are identified by the model name in Roman numerals – Type XX. The origins After WWII, Breguet was one of several watchmakers, including Mathey-Tissot, Airain, Vixa, Auricoste, and Dodane, that supplied Type 20 chronographs to the French Air Force and Naval Air Force. While the actual Type 20 specification has been lost, the general consensus is that it called for a watch a prominent seconds track, a 38mm-ish case with a screw-in back and thickness of not more than 14mm, accuracy of within eight seconds a day, and most crucially, a flyback chronograph with a start-stop function that would work reliably at least 300 ti...

Introducing: The Breguet Type 20 Only Watch 2019

The brand's unique contribution is a vintage-influenced, manually wound flyback chronograph that uses a historical column-wheel movement.

Hands-On: Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver

Launched two years ago with a steel case, the BR 03-92 Diver took the signature aviation inspired design of Bell & Ross (B&R) into the sea. It was a proper dive watch that combined the iconic square case with a 300m depth rating and a rotating bezel. At Baselworld this year, B&R unveiled two new iterations of the BR 03-92 Diver, with cases in bronze and matte black ceramic respectively. Though fundamentally identical, each is drastically different from the other in look and feel. The road to the deep But first a quick recap of B&R’s past dive watches. Though the brand is today best known for its military aviation watches, B&R got its start making watches (which were essentially rebadged Sinn timepieces) for professionals in various spheres, from bomb disposal engineers to deep sea divers. One of its earliest dive watches was the Hydromax (also known as the Hydro Challenger) of 1997. It was a compact, round watch with a quartz movement boasting a ludicrous depth rating of 11,100m, thanks to a case filled with transparent fluorinated oil that was incompressible. A decade later, the brand was producing its own watches and unveiled the BR 02, a tonneau-shaped dive watch with a 1000m depth rating, internal rotating bezel and helium escape valve. Then came the BR 03-92 in 2017, the most logical expression of a dive watch for a brand driven largely by military-inspired design. Crucially, bona fide square watch cases are inherently more difficult to seal against ...

Breitling Navitimer 01 – 43mm Edition Review

“An all-time favourite among pilots and aeronautical enthusiasts since 1952” – Breitling If you have ever been on the look out for a pilot’s watch, whether being a pilot yourself or just having pure admiration for the workings of pilot watch then the Breitling Navitimer has to be up there at the top of the list.  Breitling has a variation of models in the Navitimer range, with sizes ranging from 38mm all the way to 48mm. The model we have in our hands today is the Navitimer 01 version in 43mm diameter. This Navitimer is the previous edition to the current Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph in 43mm diameter. The two models are relatively unchanged with the new model getting a facelift logo on the dial and the addition of a sapphire crystal case back for the first time on a 43mm to showcase the B01 movement. At first glance the dial does look super busy. But there’s a reason why everything is the way it is.  When the Navitimer was launched in the 1950’s it was considered one of the most practical tool watches made available for Pilots. It’s no wonder then that the Navitimer was endorsed as the official timekeeping instrument of the “Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)”. With only a few minor updates the navitimer has remained unchanged, with Breitling even going on to claim that this is the only wristwatch that has a chronograph function that is in continuous production for more than 50 years. So what exactly is the features present in the Navitimer d...

Diving for squares – the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver

Editor’s note: For years, Bell & Ross has stuck safely to the skies. Then, in 2017, they came for the oceans. And we could not be happier with the switch up. The Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver is a smooth evolution of the brand’s famous form …  The story in a second: The Bell … ContinuedThe post Diving for squares – the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Citizen Avion Review (AW1361-10H): Pilot Watch At A Killer Price

You too can “fly” through the hills thinking you’re Chuck Yeager with very little investment needed. All you need to do is find yourself a Citizen Avion AW1361-10H!

HANDS-ON: The IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Spitfire hits the mark

The Mark XI was the first watch that really got me ‘into’ watches, and it has endured over the decades as an icon of good, utilitarian design. Its influence has been very visible in IWC’s Pilot’s family over the years, but this watch, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Spitfire, might be the closest we’ve seen … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Spitfire hits the mark appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Big blue, the IWC Big Pilot Edition “Le Petit Prince”

Editor’s note: IWC’s Big Pilot is one of the most significant watches of the last 20 years. Its deceptively simple design belied the huge impact this 46mm monster had on the watch scene. But can it go dressy? Well, the IWC Big Pilot Edition “Le Petit Prince” makes a solid argument for the yay camp.  When … ContinuedThe post Big blue, the IWC Big Pilot Edition “Le Petit Prince” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Review: Breitling Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition

Full review of the new Breitling Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition, the timepiece is a faithful recreation of the original Navitimer in 1959.

WATCHSPOTTING: IWC’s Big Pilot never looked so small – The Rock rocks a Bronze Spitfire in Las Vegas

Yesterday, Dwayne Johnson touched down in Las Vegas to showcase his new buddy action flick Hobbs & Shaw at CinemaCon, an industry event. But while I’m sure there were explosions aplenty, what really grabbed our attention was something else entirely. What The Rock was wearing. That Ferragamo knit with a palm print is in-credible.  Also, … ContinuedThe post WATCHSPOTTING: IWC’s Big Pilot never looked so small – The Rock rocks a Bronze Spitfire in Las Vegas appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Armchair Picks: Three Adventure watches from Baselworld 2019

Armchair Picks: 3 Adventure watches

Live from Baselworld 2019: Bell & Ross

Bell & Ross continues with with their three main themes of Land, Air and Sea. With new styles, new cases and a new campaign. We begin with the BR 03-92 MA-1 inspired by the iconic USAF MA-1 flight jacket. Case is in green ceramic at S$5,700 LE 999 pieces. The strap is reversible to showRead More

Breitling Introduces the Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition

Review: IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Bronze

The Big Pilot’s Perpetual Calendar gets a new look in its latest iteration. Now fit with a bronze case, olive green dial and brown calfskin strap, the new Big Pilot is even more attractive to those looking for a stealthy rustic timepiece.

Baselworld 2019: Zenith previews a new Pilot Type 20 in Silver

Act Fast: 6 Pieces of Our Limited Edition IWC Available on MrPorter.com

6 pieces of the IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36mm Special Edition for The Rake and Revolution is now available to buy on MrPorter.com

INTRODUCING: The Zenith Pilot Type 20 Extra Special Silver 

Zenith is rather proud of the fact - and understandably so - that they hold the trademark for the “Pilot” name on watches, so it makes sense for them to proudly emblazon the name on the dials of their aviation-inspired pieces. This latest limited edition is extra special (also mentioned on the dial), because of its … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Zenith Pilot Type 20 Extra Special Silver  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Mojave Desert”

The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition "Mojave Desert" (Ref. IW389103) is the first watch by the brand with a case made from sand-coloured ceramic. This reference is limited to 500 pieces.

Baselworld preview: Bell & Ross BR 03-92 BI-COMPASS

Bell & Ross continues with their aviation heritage with another watch inspired by cockpit instrumentation in aircraft. Introducing the BR 03-92 BI-COMPASS.

HANDS-ON: The IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun in Ceratanium

Materials innovation is looking like quite a thing in 2019 and for you, the watch buyers, that has to be good news: more aesthetic choices and (hopefully) better performance. Which brings us to IWC’s new Top Gun Double Chronograph Ceratanium. Ceratanium? It’s a naturally matt-black finish, but differs from PVD/DLC in one crucial respect: rather … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun in Ceratanium appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Celebrating the Launch of the IWC x The Rake and Revolution Timepiece at SIHH 2019

In the presence of friends and well wishers, our limited edition timepiece, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic  36mm Special  Edition for  The  Rake  & Revolution was launched on the third night of SIHH 2019, at the grand IWC booth.

Highlights from the launch party of the IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36mm Special Edition

INTRODUCING: The Breitling Navitimer 1 Airline Editions

Breitling has just announced three retro takes on their iconic pilot’s watch - the mighty Navitimer - that evoke the golden age of jet travel. The Airline Editions capsule collection consists of tributes to three of the great airlines, Pan Am, Swissair and TWA. Each airline is the subject of nostalgic homage, in the form … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Breitling Navitimer 1 Airline Editions appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Flying Legend: IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark 11

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]To some – no, make that to many – IWC’s Mk 11 is the definitive pilot’s watch. Even though it didn’t arrive until 1948, the Mk 11 Navigational Wristwatch did...