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Pilot Watches · Page 32

INTRODUCING: The Breitling Aviator 8 Day & Date 41 Etihad Airways Limited Edition Time+Tide
Sep 16, 2019

INTRODUCING: The Breitling Aviator 8 Day & Date 41 Etihad Airways Limited Edition

It seems like only yesterday that Breitling released their Navitimer 1 Airline Editions. Evidently, time doesn’t stop for the aeronautically enthusiastic watchmaker, though, because they’ve just dropped this – the Breitling Aviator 8 Day & Date 41 Etihad Airways Limited Edition.   Based on Breitling’s standard Aviator 8 Day & Date 41, the Etihad Airways … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Breitling Aviator 8 Day & Date 41 Etihad Airways Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Understanding the IWC Pilot’s family part 4 - the St Exupéry collection Time+Tide
Aug 29, 2019

Understanding the IWC Pilot’s family part 4 - the St Exupéry collection

Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve begun our descent. Now that we’ve completed our overview of the Top Gun, Spitfire and Classic collections we’d ask you to stow your tray tables and please pay attention to the final instalment in our series – the IWC Pilot’s St Exupéry collection.  Now, IWC’s St Exupéry watches are named for … ContinuedThe post Understanding the IWC Pilot’s family part 4 - the St Exupéry collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Introducing the Stowa x RAW Darth Pilot SJX Watches
Aug 23, 2019

Introducing the Stowa x RAW Darth Pilot

A Singapore retailer that focuses on affordable, unusual timepieces, Red Army Watches (RAW) is marking its 15th year in business with a series of limited editions, made in collaboration with brands that personify its ethos. Last month the Gorilla Fastback “RAW Celebratory Edition” was launched, and this month sees the debut of the Stowa x RAW Darth Pilot, an all-black aviator’s watch. Stowa is, of course, the German watchmaker that is well loved for its accessible watches, mostly priced below US$1500. The brand was resurrected by its current owner, Jorge Schauer, in 1997, but was first established in 1927 by Walter Storz; the brand name is a contraction of “STOrz WAlter”. In its original incarnation Stowa was one of the five watch brands that supplied the oversized beobachtungshr, or B-Uhr for short, to the Luftwaffe, the German air force of the second world war. A smaller, contemporary B-Uhr Watches inspired by the vintage B-Uhr are now a key model line for Stowa, and the RAW Darth Pilot is based on the standard Stowa Verus, which is a modern take on the original Baumuster A B-Uhr. Compared to the vintage original, all the dial markings are larger, while the typography and hashmarks are rounded, as are the hands, giving it a more modern look. Most aviator-style watches are oversized and chunky, but the standard Verus is a compact 40mm in diameter (Stowa also offers an extra-large 43mm version of the Verus). And the all-black finish gives it an even smaller...

Understanding the IWC Pilot’s family part 3 – the Classic collection Time+Tide
Aug 22, 2019

Understanding the IWC Pilot’s family part 3 – the Classic collection

We’re now more than halfway through our flyover of the various families in the IWC Pilot’s family - we’ve covered off Top Gun and the Spitfire, but now we’re hitting the Classics. As you might expect given the classic moniker, the Classic family is, well, classic. Based strongly on the original military-era pilots, these watches … ContinuedThe post Understanding the IWC Pilot’s family part 3 – the Classic collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Understanding the IWC Pilot’s family part 2 – the Spitfire collection Time+Tide
Aug 15, 2019

Understanding the IWC Pilot’s family part 2 – the Spitfire collection

Following on from last week’s look at the Top Gun collection, Andrew sets his sights on the heritage-inspired Spitfire collection. This year saw the Spitfire step up its status from an occasional silver-dialled offering to a fully formed collection in its own right. Gone are the silver dials of the past, replaced with either handsome … ContinuedThe post Understanding the IWC Pilot’s family part 2 – the Spitfire collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Understanding the IWC Pilot’s family part 1 – the Top Gun collection Time+Tide
Aug 8, 2019

Understanding the IWC Pilot’s family part 1 – the Top Gun collection

IWC is famous for their pilot’s watches, and rightfully so - they’re instantly recognisable and a genuinely iconic modern design. And while the design born in the middle of last century was for a very specific purpose - as a navigational tool for aviators - the passing of time has seen the collection grow and evolve. … ContinuedThe post Understanding the IWC Pilot’s family part 1 – the Top Gun collection appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

IWC Introduces the Big Pilot “Right-Hander” Limited Edition SJX Watches
Aug 2, 2019

IWC Introduces the Big Pilot “Right-Hander” Limited Edition

IWC’s popular, oversized pilot’s watch is already available in as many variations as the sky is high, but the latest limited edition – the Big Pilot’s Watch “Right-Hander” – is the first that’s a “destro”. Italian for “right”, destro is a nickname often applies to watches with a left-handed crown, and thus catered to right-handed people. Because the onion-shaped crown sits at nine o’clock instead of the usual three, the movement inside has been rotated 180 degrees, bringing the power reserve indicator to nine o’clock as well. For those wondering if this is inspired by a historical, “destro” pilot’s watch, the answer is no. This is just a reinterpretation of a bestselling model. Crown-aside, the look is pretty much stock Big Pilot. The dial is a dark grey, with luminous markings and hands in white SuperLuminova. The rest of the watch is identical to the standard model. The steel case is 46.2mm in diameter, with automatic cal. 52010 inside. It’s the second generation of the flagship IWC automatic movement, featuring a seven-day power reserve and a Pellaton winding mechanism with its pawls and winding wheels in wear-resistant ceramic. Key facts Diameter: 46.2mm Height: 15.6mm Material: Steel Water-resistance: 60m Movement: Cal. 52010 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date and power reserve Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800bph, or 4Hz Power reserve: 168 hours (7 days) Strap: Calfskin with folding clasp Price and availab...

HANDS-ON: The IWC Big Pilot Edition ‘Right-Hander’  Time+Tide
Aug 1, 2019

HANDS-ON: The IWC Big Pilot Edition ‘Right-Hander’ 

This is one of those watches that makes so much sense I’m amazed it didn’t exist until now. But before we dive into the details of the IWC Big Pilot Edition ‘Right-Hander’, let’s step back and have a quick recap on the Big Pilot.  The Big Pilot is a watch with two distinct histories. The … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: The IWC Big Pilot Edition ‘Right-Hander’  appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Dale is an actual pilot – and he wears a Breitling Navitimer Time+Tide
Jul 30, 2019

Dale is an actual pilot – and he wears a Breitling Navitimer

Today’s entrant into the ‘Every Watch Tells a Story’ hall of fame is Dale. It turns out that Dale has a bit of a thing for pilot’s watches, and for good reason - Dale is a commercial airline pilot. And the pride of his collection is none other than the mighty Breitling Navitimer. In case you’re not … ContinuedThe post Dale is an actual pilot – and he wears a Breitling Navitimer appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Chronograph Review WatchAdvice
Jul 23, 2019

Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional Chronograph Review

The Omega Speedmaster is one of Omega’s most iconic watches to date. It has a rich history with roots tied to space travel. Not many people may be aware but the speedmaster models that we have come to admire in this day and age weren’t originally thought of as a watch for space travel. When it was first released in 1957, it was portrayed as a sports and racing chronograph watch as Omega were the official timekeeper of the Olympic games.  Things changed however, when NASA decided that it wanted to use the Omega Speedmaster for its manned missions into space, while also being included in the Apollo program. So how exactly did Omega’s Speedmaster go from being a watch used to time sporting events, to being the watch Astronauts used for space travel? It all starts with a story about a man named Walter Schirra. Being an aviator and military pilot himself, he was about to embark on the Mercury-Atlas 8 Mission. As a way to possibly mark the momentous occasion, he went watch hunting (as any of us would without a doubt). Omega had established a position for itself and with the release of the eye-catching Speedmaster Chronograph, it would be safe to say that it more than caught Schirra’s attention. This would be the turning point in Speedmaster’s history as from this point forward, it would go onto do numerous space travel missions.  The “Professional” name was added to the Speedmaster during the 1964-1965 period. The Speedmaster would further cement its legacy as NA...

Bell & Ross 
BR 03-92 Ceramic Heritage Review WatchAdvice
Jul 17, 2019

Bell & Ross 
BR 03-92 Ceramic Heritage Review

Founded in 1992 as a university project, Bell & Ross was formed by two friends; Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo. These two young entrepreneurs had a joint vision of creating a watch that embodied the idea of combining functionality and robustness into one timepiece. When the manufacturing for Bell & Ross watches started, they had to get them made by a third-party manufacturer in Germany by who we know today as SINN. As the first models of Bell & Ross watches were released, they came with the inscription “by SINN” on the dial. SINN’s partnership with Bell & Ross lasted until 2002, when Bell & Ross were able to acquire their own manufacturing plant in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. After the acquisition of the manufacturing plant is when Bell & Ross wanted to expand their range of watch models and create a timepiece that carried their ideologies while keeping the aesthetics of the watch as simple as possible. To do this, they looked towards the military forces, diving commandos and air-forces to draw inspiration from.  Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo knew that the military forces and their counterparts used instruments that have easy readability while having toughness to endure the rough situations. This was the inspiration behind the first model the BR – 01 and also the start of their most iconic BR Instrument range, released in 2005. This watch became one of the most recognisable timepieces in the the watch industry and gave the brand the international exposu...

Introducing the Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph “Only Watch” SJX Watches
Jul 14, 2019

Introducing the Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph “Only Watch”

Montblanc recently introduced the 1858 Split Second Chronograph with a bronze case, black, multi-scale dial, and a monopusher, split-seconds Minerva movement inside. Priced at just 33,500 Swiss francs, it is a bargain as such things go. Now Montblanc has taken the covers off the one-of-a-kind, titanium version with a blue agate dial created for charity auction Only Watch 2019. Though it costs a bit more – the estimate is 42,000-48,000 Swiss francs – the watch still feels like a steal. The dial is made of blue agate, a hard, semiprecious stone, with a graduated colour that darkens towards the edges. Design-wise it’s the same as that found on the bronze model: inspired by a 1930s aviator’s chronograph made by Minerva, it has a double chronograph scale – a telemeter on the outer rim and a snail-shaped tachymeter in the middle. The contrast of white and red against the blue dial is both refreshing and striking. Notably, the dial forgoes the faux-aged “lume” of the bronze model; the cathedral hands and numerals are instead filled with white Super-LumiNova, letting the retro design speak for itself. The large dimensions of the case remain unchanged from the standard bronze model – 44mm in diameter and 14.55mm high – but it’s significantly lighter thanks to the lightness of titanium. The sapphire caseback reveals the gorgeous, hand-wound and hand-finished MB M16.31. It is essentially the MB M16.29 derived from a pocket watch movement, but w...

Breguet Introduces the Type 20 for Only Watch 2019 SJX Watches
Jul 4, 2019

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...

Hands-On: Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver SJX Watches
Jun 27, 2019

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 WatchAdvice
Jun 23, 2019

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...

HANDS-ON: The IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Spitfire hits the mark Time+Tide
Apr 25, 2019

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.

Comments 1

  1. Anonymous
    The Navitimer slide rule thing always seemed impractical but I get the appeal.

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