Watch brandsWatch wikiWatch videosVariousWatch calendarSaved articles
PopularRolexOmegaPatek PhilippeAudemars PiguetTudorGrand SeikoCartierSeiko

Pilot Watches · Page 5

861 articles · Page 5 of 36
IWC Pilot's Watches: The History and Ultimate Guide Teddy Baldassarre
Oct 1, 2025

IWC Pilot's Watches: The History and Ultimate Guide

Few watch brands are as readily identified with aviation and the history of pilot’s watches than IWC, which not only gave the watch world two of the genre’s most iconic (and widely emulated) timepieces, the Big Pilot’s Watch and the Mark 11, but also has used both these groundbreaking models as foundations for a sprawling and diverse collection of contemporary aviation-inspired watches today. Here is the story of IWC Pilot’s Watches, from the Special Watch for Pilots to the Spitfire to the Top Gun, from simple three-hand to perpetual calendar, and everything in between.  F.A. Jones’ International Dream (1860s - 1930s)   IWC founder Florentine Ariosto Jones Other than the fact that he came to Switzerland in 1868, at the relatively tender age of 27, to become the first American-born founder of a Swiss watch company, little is known about the life of IWC patriarch Florentine Ariosto Jones. He was born in New Hampshire in 1841 and fought in the American Civil War for the Massachusetts Infantry. His postwar career at the renowned Massachusetts watchmaker E. Howard & Co. led to his European sojourn and the establishment of the International Watch Company in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. From the outset, Jones’ business plan was to marry the generational watchmaking expertise of the Swiss with the then-new, assembly-line production techniques of the U.S.A. His decision to locate his factory in Schaffhausen, near Switzerland’s northern border with Germany, rather tha...
Read article
Bell & Ross Introduces the BR-X3 in Two Metals Worn & Wound
Sep 24, 2025

Bell & Ross Introduces the BR-X3 in Two Metals

It’s all about case and dial materials these days in the design world it seems, and Bell & Ross have certainly not shied away from experimentation. The French brand expands their repertoire of big, brash, and blocky timepieces with the new BR-X3 line, conceived as an avant-garde interpretation of the classic BR-03 design, and a cousin of the popular BR-X5, featuring two new models: Titanium Black and Blue Steel. While the names of these new references are straightforward, their designs are everything but. Both feature the iconic rounded-square look that graces most Bell & Ross watches, with a round dial accentuated by a square case. Both cases measure 41mm in diameter, but likely wear bigger due to their shape and 13.30mm thickness. Three-plate dial construction, an openworked rubber strap, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, and 100 meters of water resistance are also standard on both watches. As a final shared element, both references are powered by a Calibre BR-CAL.323 automatic mechanical movement, which promises a hefty power reserve of 70- hours.  The differences between the two BR-X3 models are easily explained by their nomenclature, but worth diving into further nonetheless. Titanium watches are massively popular these days, and for good reason: they wear incredibly light on the wrist, regardless of size, and promise durability in spite of that weight. The Titanium Black BR-X3 follows that trend, featuring a micro-blasted grade 2 titanium case in an appropriate...
Read article
What is a Chronograph Watch? Teddy Baldassarre
Sep 3, 2025

What is a Chronograph Watch?

Chronograph watches are among the most popular styles of timepieces: iconic models like the Rolex Daytona, Omega Speedmaster, TAG Heuer Carrera, and Breitling Navitimer, for example, have become some of the most famous and collectible watches in the modern era and have contributed to the enduring appeal of the chronograph to generations of enthusiasts. If you're new to the watch game, however, you might be wondering not only what all the buzz is about but what these watches actually do that makes them so special. Read on for a comprehensive primer on chronograph watches, from their earliest ancestors to the most ambitious, avant-garde timekeeping technology available in chronographs today. Chronograph vs. Chronometer As I explore in depth in our guide to chronometers, one of the first hurdles to clear for newcomers to watch appreciation is the clarification of two very common horological categories: Chronometer and Chronograph. Quite simply, a chronometer (from the Greek chronos, meaning time, and meter, meaning measure) is any watch or clock that keeps reliably accurate time, usually as determined by an outside independent testing agency, whereas a chronograph (from chronos and graph, i.e., to “write time”) is any watch or clock with the ability to track and record intervals of time, aka a stopwatch. The terms are not interchangeable but they are also not mutually exclusive: a watch equipped with chronograph functions can also be a chronometer if it has met a s...
Read article
IWC Pilot’s Watch 41 Automatic TOP GUN Editions Review WatchAdvice
Sep 2, 2025

IWC Pilot’s Watch 41 Automatic TOP GUN Editions Review

This year, IWC launched 41mm time-only versions of their Lake Tahoe and Mojave Desert Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN editions. In a slimmer case size, but still with the looks and feel of the bigger chronograph siblings, we had to test them out! What We Love The white ceramic on the Lake Tahoe is super fresh. The size and lighter weight make these very easy-to-wear watches Both rubber straps are comfortable, and each has nice design touches. What We Don’t The Mojave Desert can blend into your skin depending on your skin type  The anti-reflective coating on the slightly domed crystal does make it hard to take a good photo! The luminescence on the hands and dial could be better and of a higher grade. Overall Rating: 8.9 / 10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 9/10 Design: 9/10 Build Quality: 8.5/10 First Impressions When I first saw the white Lake Tahoe Pilot’s Watch 41 Top Gun earlier this year, I was keen to get both it and the Mojave Desert model to compare them properly. My initial impression? They’re essentially the same watch, just in different colourways, with the Mojave on a fabric-inlaid rubber strap and the Lake Tahoe on straight rubber. But sometimes, that slight aesthetic difference makes all the impact, as I was to find out! The Lake Tahoe feels fresh and bold. With its all-white case and strap against a black dial, it jumps off the wrist. The Mojave Desert, with its sand-coloured case, strap, and matching indices on a grey dial, is far more subdued. It blen...
Read article
Bell & Ross Nails It With The BR-03 Chrono Rafale Solo Display Fratello
Aug 27, 2025

Bell & Ross Nails It With The BR-03 Chrono Rafale Solo Display

Bell & Ross has long leaned into its aviation credentials, but the new BR-03 Chrono Rafale Solo Display feels like one of the brand’s most authentic collaborations yet. Limited to 500 pieces, this watch celebrates the partnership with the Rafale Solo Display, the French Air and Space Force’s flight demonstration team. It is stealthy, purposeful, […] Visit Bell & Ross Nails It With The BR-03 Chrono Rafale Solo Display to read the full article.
Read article
Bremont Revives the Orange Barrel for the MB Meteor SJX Watches
Jul 29, 2025

Bremont Revives the Orange Barrel for the MB Meteor

One of Bremont’s best known pilot’s watches is undoubtedly the “MB”, now in its latest iteration as the Altitude MB Meteor. Now led by Davide Cerrato and controlled by hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, Bremont has focused on aviator’s watch since its founding. The MB was one of its earliest models – “MB” is short for Martin-Baker, the British company that produces ejection seats, primarily for jet fighter aircraft, including the Eurofighter Typhoon and Lockheed Martin F-35. The original MBI was produced exclusively for pilots who successfully ejected with a Martin-Baker ejection seat, and that spawned a line of commercially available MB models. The MB Meteor continues the collection with a redesigned case in titanium, now with a striking orange “barrel”, a knurled case middle that gets its colour from a ceramic coating. Initial thoughts I’ve always liked the MB series because of the ejection seat connection. Admittedly, the link is a good dose of marketing, but it’s good storytelling that makes for a cool watch. The fact that the MB models in general are robust, no-frills, and relatively affordable also add to their appeal. The MB Meteor is the latest generation in the series. The model was already launched some months ago, but with a case “barrel” in plain colours. The new orange barrel is a standout feature, because it is the closest thing to the red barrel of the model that is available only to pilots who have ejected from a Martin-Baker seat. ...
Read article
Introducing: The Limited-Edition IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Miramar In Light Blue Ceramic Fratello
Jul 23, 2025

Introducing: The Limited-Edition IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Miramar In Light Blue Ceramic

You have already seen the beige Mojave Desert, white Lake Tahoe, green Woodland, dark blue Oceana, and Jet Black fly by. Now it’s time for another Top Gun-inspired color. The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Miramar is a limited edition of 1,000 watches, each in a light blue ceramic case. The matte dial […] Visit Introducing: The Limited-Edition IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Miramar In Light Blue Ceramic to read the full article.
Read article
IWC Debuts Pale Blue Ceramic with the “Top Gun” Miramar SJX Watches
Jul 21, 2025

IWC Debuts Pale Blue Ceramic with the “Top Gun” Miramar

IWC continues to grow its line of ceramic-cased pilot’s watches with the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Miramar (ref. IW389409). A limited edition of 1,000 pieces unlike most other ceramic models that are regular production, the Miramar joins the pilot’s watches with ceramic cases in white, dark green, dark blue, beige, and of course classic black. For someone who wants the same colour, but for half the price, IWC has also launched the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 with a “Miramar blue” dial and stainless steel case (ref. IW388117) that’s regular production. Initial thoughts The IWC aviator’s watches with ceramic cases are generally appealing, the ceramic cases add a cool factor to an otherwise standard and functional design. But there are now a lot of them in multiple colours. The range of colours feels a little much, especially for a watch that meant to be rooted in aviation instruments. Because of the historical basis of IWC’s pilot’s watch line, the collection has always seemed a bit more serious minded, but the many colours run counter to that. That is, the Miramar itself is a likeable watch. The colour is unusual and fun while also being different. It brings to mind the fashionable shade of baby blue associated with Tiffany & Co., but is clearly different in being darker. And IWC’s build quality is always reliable; the cal. 69380 inside is an industrial workhorse found across the brand’s catalogue. The Miramar is also priced correctly, th...
Read article
Introducing the Bell & Ross BR-05 Skeleton Phantom Ceramic Worn & Wound
Jul 10, 2025

Introducing the Bell & Ross BR-05 Skeleton Phantom Ceramic

Like a moth to the flame, I am drawn to Bell & Ross novelties. I can’t help myself. This is a brand that many have levied legitimate criticisms at. They are too expensive, too big, there are too many releases, and on and on. And I’ll be honest, the core watches, the normal ones (the watches the brand probably needs to sell a ton of to remain in business) do very little for me. But if you put a skull on the dial, or inject luminescent material into the case, or add several timing scales that are almost impossible to read with the naked eye, well, I find those watches hard to resist. My beloved BR-03 Multimeter looms large in my mind here. There are times, even recently, where I’ve thought to myself “I really should sell this – I just don’t wear it much.” But then I take it out of the box, put it on, and am charmed by it once again. How could I part with something so strange? The latest release from Bell & Ross is not as wild as the Multimeter, or a watch with a skull for a dial, but it’s a few clicks out from the norm, and adventurous in its own way. The BR-05 Skeleton Phantom Ceramic sees the brand playing in a genre that just a few years ago was reserved for only the highest end watches from the highest end brands: integrated bracelet sports watches in ceramic with skeleton dials.  The BR-05, at this point, feels like a mature collection. It’s kind of hard to believe it’s been around for more than five years at this point. But it was, in fact, one of ...
Read article
The Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin Time-Eater Returns with an Appetite and a Tourbillon Worn & Wound
Jul 3, 2025

The Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin Time-Eater Returns with an Appetite and a Tourbillon

Many watches are designed to perform specific tasks or serve specific purposes beyond telling the time. Divers have bold markers and ratcheting bezels, pilot watches are oversized and might include a second time zone, track watches feature chronographs or tachymeters, etc, and then, there’s the Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin Time-Eaters. Featuring a giant eyeball for the hour hand, a spinning set of teeth for the seconds, and a double-sided arm that’s giving a one-finger salute, they don’t seek to fulfill a practical purpose. Instead, I’d classify them as “memento absurdum,” which is to say, objects that remind you of the absurdity, whether in life or watch collecting. If you’re thinking, “Now, wait a second, didn’t they just come out with a new Time Eater like a few days ago?” you’d be correct. A 42mm model with a navy blue chapter ring and a darker silver than previous versions, it was a handsome, if iterative, addition. But the Time-Eater is back once again, this time with a substantial change: it now has a tourbillon. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Louis Erard use a tourbillon movement, specifically the “affordable for a tourbillon” BCP T02 by Olivier Mory, which appeared on a few of their Alain Silberstein collabs. The Time-Eater Tourbillon (TET from here out) is basically a reedition of one of the first two Time-Eaters, which was initially introduced in either a 39mm case with a purple chapter ring, or a 42mm case with a green ch...
Read article

Comments 1

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

Leave a comment

All comments are reviewed before they go live. Email is for our records only - it's never published.