22,537 articles · 224 videos found · page 47 of 759
The aviation tool-watch genre. Cartier Santos (1904), the WWII B-Uhr, the French Type 20 flyback, the RAF Mark XI, the Breitling Navitimer.
Louis Cartier built it in 1904 for his aviator friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, who was fed up fumbling for his pocket watch mid-flight. 121 years later the square case with exposed screws is still the sharpest dress-sports piece on the shelf. Here is how it got there.
Monochrome
The interest in high-end independent watchmaking has risen to great heights over the past few years, and with it, new and exciting names pop up every now and then. Names that might come fresh from school, or in the case of Fabian Pellet, can rely on over two decades of experience. Presenting his debut piece, […]
Time+Tide
Fears unveils its latest 2026 releases, including a range of pastel dials, a jump hour, and their first pilots' watch in 180 yearsThe post Fears unveils its 2026 Spring novelties, including their first pilots’ watch in 180 years appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Fully booked before it even opened, the IWC Big Pilot Exhibition in Singapore recently closed its doors and the 31 Big Pilot’s Watches that were on show have returned home to the IWC Museum in Schaffhausen. But for those who missed the show, we round up some of the historically significant examples that were on displayed. The lineup naturally includes the very first Big Pilot’s Watch ref. 5002, and also the ultra-rare Markus Bühler “Turbine” ref. 5003. (And the Big Pilot Roadshow will happen in various cities in the United States starting September; details at the end of this article.) 2002 – Big Pilot’s Watch ref. 5002 The modern-day Big Pilot can be traced back to the gigantic beobachtungsuhr (or”B-uhr” for short) that IWC supplied to the German air force in 1940. The one that started it all was the Big Pilot’s Watch ref. 500201 (widely known as the ref. 5002) that debuted at Baselworld in 2002. Codenamed “Big Pilot’s Watch – Mark XXI” while in development, the Big Pilot was due in part to the commercial success of the compact Mark 12 pilot’s watch. At the same time, it was also devised as a platform for the recently-launched, seven-day automatic cal. 5000, a movement large enough that the resulting pilot’s watch had to be, well, big. And big it was, though the ref. 5002 was smaller than the second world war original that was 55 mm. Still it retained many of the elements that defined the vintage B-uhr – onion crown, Arabic numerals, ...
Revolution
The LVMH Watch Week has kicked off, as has Zenith’s 2020 watch releases, featuring new takes on the El Primero, and updated Pilots.
Time+Tide
Some boardroom discussions would be fascinating to observe. The brand decisions presumably make sense at the time, but can appear a little odd to the rest of us. Every so often, however, a brand makes a bold play to distinguish itself from its price-point competitors and it kind of works. Sometimes because the brand chose … ContinuedThe post Drone pilots? Snooker players? Four watch ambassadors straight out of left field appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
Hodinkee
What We Know Today, amongst a slate of other launches and re-releases, Gallet — now a part of the Breitling "House of Brands" — lifted the curtain on the Gallet Multichron Pilot. The new watch takes the recipe of the original 1969 Multichron Pilot and updates it, and the result is a watch that is recognizable but also, arguably, the most contemporary model in the very fresh Gallet lineup. The new watch does borrow heavily from its namesake, and seeing the two watches next to each other highlights the similarities. The new Multichron Pilot is still a tri-compax chronograph, with a bi-directional twelve-hour bezel, pump pushers, stick hands, and cut-off arrow-shaped markers. By way of comparison, a vintage Gallet Multichron Pilot. Image, courtesy Analog Shift. But there are definite differences too, many of which are concessions to modern taste. For one thing, those cut-off arrow-shaped indices are now lumed instead of polished, but there's also a date — visible through an aperture at 6 o'clock — and while the telemeter remains on the new watch, the tachymeter (which appeared as a second scale on vintage examples) is omitted. The watch is also bigger than vintage Multichrons. The new watch has been upsized from 38 to 42mm, is 11.3mm thick, and measures 45.59mm lug-to-lug. At that size, the new Multichron Pilot is the largest watch in the new Gallet catalog but is still quite reasonable and a far cry from some of the oversized watches that still seem to populate Bre...
WatchRider
IWC introduced the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz on August 13, 2026. Reference IW329603 is limited to 140 pieces, one for each year since the invention of the automobile in 1886. The anniversary edition combines a 42mm stainless steel case with a black-and-gold dial and IWC’s new ProSet perpetual calendar, which can be corrected both forward and backward. The limited IW329603 combines a 42mm steel case, black dial and gold details. Image: IWC. The dial is the best part I like the design, especially the dial. The glossy black surface gives the four subdials enough visual separation, while the solid gold appliqués and gold-plated hands make the display warmer without making it look gaudy. A white minute track keeps the outer edge clear. The date sits at 3 o’clock, the month at 6, the day at 9 and the Double Moon display at 12. A four-digit year window appears between 7 and 8 o’clock. The angled view shows the solid gold appliqués, gold-plated hands and four calendar subdials. Image: IWC. The brushed and polished steel case is 42mm wide and 14mm thick. It remains a substantial watch, especially on my 6.5-inch wrist, but these dimensions are easier to imagine wearing than the traditional oversized Big Pilot format. A convex sapphire crystal has anti-reflective coating on both sides, while the sapphire caseback carries the first joint Mercedes-Benz logo from 1926, combining the three-pointed star with a laurel wreath. That histori...
Monochrome
In 2024, German brand Hanhart went beyond its traditional pilot’s watches with the Aquasphere, a dive watch that combined robust specifications with the brand’s distinctive design. The new Aquasphere Matte Black, fundamentally unchanged, brings a darker, more restrained execution that emphasises functionality over flair. It swaps the original blue colourway with a black and white […]
Worn & Wound
As many are likely well aware, 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and as we approach the 4th of July, there are going to be a lot of reminders of America’s big birthday. The watch industry, as we know, loves an anniversary, and Marathon has gotten in on the act with the new edition of their Navigator pilot’s watch with a handful of patriotic nods to America’s founding. Marathon has been supplying the Department of Defense and various branches of the United States military with MIL-SPEC watches for many years, and the Pilot’s Navigator in particular has special resonance within their collection as it was originally developed in partnership with Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonia, TX in 1986. It’s a signature watch for Marathon and directly tied to the Canadian brand’s longstanding relationship to the American military, so it serves as a natural canvas for a limited edition. Various aesthetic features of the new Anthracite Stainless Steel Pilot’s Navigator have been inspired directly by the U.S. flag and the Star Spangled Banner. According to Marathon, the anthracite stainless steel case (coated in black ion-plating) is inspired by the line “the twilight’s last gleaming” in the national anthem. Similarly, the single red tritium tube at 12:00 is a reference to “the rockets’ red glare”. Lastly, a “1776” stamp can be found on the dial just under 12:00. It’s circled by stars, and a visual refer...
Time+Tide
Farer just unveiled its new Pilot Collection Series II, combining classic aesthetics with modern pilot's watch details
Fratello
While Hanhart is known for its historically inspired pilot’s chronographs, today’s latest model takes its cues from a very different form of motor-powered conveyance. The 417 Ti Desert Pilot Limited Edition is rooted in desert rally racing. As we’ll see, though, this isn’t just a dial color variation. Plus, the watch is available in two […] Visit Introducing: The Hanhart 417 Ti Desert Pilot Limited Editions to read the full article.
Monochrome
Yesterday, Longines truly impressed with the release of the new Spirit Pilot collection, a duo of deeply refined watches that finally gave the aviation-themed collection the right proportions and a cleaner look. Well, it seems that the brand is on a roll, as today we’ll discover another highly appealing watch. Following the re-edition of the […]
Time+Tide
Marking a major milestone for the brand, this very blue pilot's watch brings all the best parts of Zenith's past into the future.The post The Pilot Big Date Flyback celebrates Zenith’s 160th anniversary the right way appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Building upon the Milgraph from 2024, Micromilspec launches its new Pilot series with the Pilot Worldtimer for Geneva Watch Days 2025.The post Micromilspec aims skyward with its new Pilot Worldtimer appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Fratello
Micromilspec is a hardcore watch brand from Oslo, Norway. The watches from this young and dynamic brand are rough, rugged, and ready for almost everything you can throw at them. The Milgraph, for instance, flaunts its rugged military capabilities with a cool sense of Scandinavian style, especially now that there’s a new version with a […] Visit Introducing: The Micromilspec Pilot GMT Dualtimer And Milgraph White Watches to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Snazzy and scratch-proof: this list contains bold perpetual calendars, stealthy pilot's watches, and unique divers.The post 13 of the best ceramic watches that won’t show any scuffs for true watch buffs appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
IWC gives its exceptionally shock resistant – and strikingly expensive – aviator’s watch a new look. The Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff is dressed in the black and green livery of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team that’s sponsored by IWC and led by Austrian auto entrepreneur Toto Wolff. Although largely unchanged from the original version, the Toto Wolff edition features a stamped, grained dial with a cleaner aesthetic and open-worked hands. And the BMG shock-absorbing spring that rings the movement is coated in Petronas green Super-LumiNova for maximum visual effect. Initial thoughts Despite its (very) limited commercial success, the original Big Pilot XPL is an interesting example of horological engineering. While its considerable price tag was debatable, the technology inside was novel and exemplifies IWC’s historical focus on engineering. The new iteration is hardly revolutionary since it’s merely a cosmetic makeover, but it does bring a new aesthetics that might give the watch a bigger audience, especially with the high profile of Formula 1 and Toto Wolff himself thanks to the Netflix series about the sport. The new Toto Wolff edition is priced at US$102,000, comparable to the first version and steep for a time-only watch, especially so for an IWC. However, seen another way, the price is perhaps competitive since the another brand that has long emphasised shock resistance and Formula 1 is Richard Mille, and any of its watches is...
Teddy Baldassarre
Breitling is known historically for two specialties: chronographs and pilot’s watches. Despite the very real popularity of its Superocean dive watches, the legendary status of high-tech “smart” models like the analog-digital Emergency, and the renewed dress-watch cred attained by the elegant Premier collection, it is the models most closely associated with both flying and timing — the Chronomat and Navitimer — that continue to best embody Breitling’s DNA, at least to most savvy enthusiasts. However, both the Chronomat and the Navitimer possess distinctive features that might be, for lack of a better descriptor, polarizing. The former has those angular rider tabs around the bezel and that big, bulbous crown; the latter sports that emblematic, circular slide-rule scale that dominates the dial, which looks cool yet busy and which few wearers actually know how to use. Both are luxurious, impeccably designed watches with sporty, tool-oriented origins rooted in aviation and navigation, but neither is really a gent’s dress chronograph in the traditional sense of the phrase. To be fair, Breitling does make a chronograph family that strives for both utility and elegance — that would be the previously mentioned Premier — but as it’s not aviation-minded in its aesthetic, it’s not “quintessential Breitling” for many folks. For a short while, however — from 2015 to around 2020 or so — Breitling made such a watch, even positioning it in the market as it...
Monochrome
The Pilot’s Watch has always been one of the most popular types of watches, and for good reason. The utilitarian nature of the aviator watch lends itself perfectly to everyday life, thanks to excellent legibility (often), striking looks and robust construction. This year is no exception, as plenty of very cool new pilot watches entered […]
Monochrome
As most of you might know, Flieger watches or so-called B-Uhren (abbreviation for Beobachtungsuhren, literally observation watches), originated during the 1940s to equip German Luftwaffe pilots. The overall style, with its distinctive utilitarian look and highly legible dial, has become a classic of the pilot’s watch category, which continues to be produced by many watch […]
Monochrome
Hanhart, a German watch brand renowned for its pilot watches, is easily recognized by the distinctive red markings on its bezels and the signature red pusher on its chronograph models. While Hanhart hasn’t traditionally ventured into the realm of dive watches, the brand recently dived in that direction with the 300m water-resistant Fly Navy Aerosphere […]
Worn & Wound
When we build a post on the Worn & Wound website, there’s a box you can check to indicate what type of watch we’re writing about. The options are what you expect: diver, dress, casual, pilot, sport. The list is pretty full. At the bottom, though, sits my favorite option: unique. A watch that doesn’t easily fit into a category, laughs at being lumped together with anything generic. If something is likely to fall in that “unique” category, I’m going to be a lot more interested in writing about it, because it’s almost certainly going to be quite a bit more interesting to discuss than the average new release. That’s certainly the vibe I get from Prevail, a new brand founded by Hassan Madras, a United States Air Force Reserve staff judge advocate for over a decade. His goal with Prevail in part to change how we talk about military veterans in the watch community, and in part to redefine what a military watch can be. To look at these watches, you might not immediately identify them as linked to the military at all, but that’s kind of the point. Prevail greatly expands the definition of a “military watch” based on how these watches are really used, and integrating a modern aesthetic and design language. That design language comes to us courtesy of one of our favorite people in the watch community, Matt Smith-Johnson, who is perhaps better known via his Instagram handle, @teenage.grandpa. Matt has had a hand in some of our favorite watches over the last f...
Fratello
This feature was researched with the help of Nic Barnes, who is a pilot, watch enthusiast, and occasional contributor for Watches of Espionage. Our thanks to the Schaffhausen City Archive and Schaffhauser Magazine for providing materials that greatly contributed to our research for this story. It is one about a remarkable man with connections to […] Visit The Olympian IWC Watch Designer Who Fought Nazis In The Skies Of Switzerland to read the full article.
Monochrome
The everyday watch… The go-anywhere-do-anything watch… The allrounder… The one-watch collection… A key player for brands that want to widen their audience, and yet a highly complex topic. A company specialising in pilot chronographs, Hanhart has shown consistency in recent years with superbly designed models inspired by the past and fair prices to remain competitive […]
Worn & Wound
In our most recent shop video, Devin looks at 16 of the best pilot and aviation-style watches on the market for under $1,000. One of the more popular and distinct watch types out there, pilot and aviation watches have a rich history with a broad selection of options. What other watches would you have liked to see make the list? In our most recent shop video, Devin looks at 16 of the best pilot and aviation-style watches on the market for under $1,000. One of the more popular and distinct watch types out there, pilot and aviation watches have a rich history with a broad selection of options. What other watches would you have liked to see make the list? The post 16 Of The Best Pilot And Aviation Style Watches For Under $1,000 appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Worn & Wound
It’s officially Space Watch Season. We just saw G-SHOCK release their latest collaborative release with NASA, and now Bulova returns with a new version of their popular Lunar Pilot, this one in a “blood moon” colorway. While the Lunar Pilot doesn’t have “first watch on the moon” pedigree like the venerable Omega Speedmaster, it does have its own legitimate spacefaring history. In 1971, Dave Scott, mission commander of Apollo 15, wore a similar Bulova Chronograph when he became the seventh man to walk on the moon. Unlike the Speedmaster, which was conceived originally as a racing chronograph, the Bulova on Scott’s wrist was designed specifically for use in space, specifically for timing related to critical life support systems. The Lunar Pilot has some aesthetic similarities to the Speedmaster (in their purest form, they are both black dialed chronographs, after all) but Bulova has shown a willingness to experiment with the Lunar Pilot recently, and it now feels very much like its own thing, existing well outside the long shadow of the Speedy. This latest iteration is a good example of how Bulova uses this platform to play with color and our expectations for a sports watch like the Lunar Pilot should be. As you can plainly see from the images in this post, what we have here is a very red version of the Lunar Pilot, with a bright red main dial and three silvered subdials at 9:00, 3:00, and 6:00. The inspiration here, according to Bulova, is a total lunar ecli...
SJX Watches
Following the original Pilot Majetek in stainless steel, Longines has unveiled the Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition with a titanium case and a grey-tone livery. Modelled on the original majetek aviator’s watch supplied to the Czechoslovakian air force in the 1930s, the limited edition is identical to the stainless steel variation in terms of design, dimensions, and movement, but is lightweight thanks to the case metal but also unexpectedly pricey. The Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition in grade 5 titanium Initial thoughts The Pioneer Edition is Longines’ third re-issue of the original. Longines didn’t quite get it right with the first remake, the Heritage 1935. It lacked the rotating bezel with a triangular marker that was one of the defining features of the original, and also had an awkwardly positioned date window at six and “automatic” on the dial. Last year’s Pilot Majetek in steel was not really a remake since it has a distinctly different case design, but still gained several refinements over the Heritage 1935. However, the Pioneer Edition is not really a tangible improvement over the steel model. Thought the titanium case does bring with it lightness as well as a muted grey finish that goes well with the design, it comes at a big price increase of almost 40% over the steel version. Such a large premium for a titanium case doesn’t make much sense today given the difference in cost of a case in either material is negligible for a big brand. The Arabic indices, a...
Two Broke Watch Snobs
The Type A dial, Flieger-style pilot's watch has been something I've coveted since diving deep into the watch collecting hobby. If I'm not dreaming about some of the prohibitively priced stuff out there, I often think of some of the best affordable options if I were to make this kind of addition to the collection. A few names come to mind, but I've had a soft spot for Archimede since meeting them in San Francisco one year and photographing one of the coolest Archimede watches ever. As the in-house watch brand of the Ickler case company in Germany, Archimede produces some of the most well-crafted and affordable timepieces in this space while remaining family-owned. Today, we're looking at the Archimede Pilot 39, one of their most popular models, and a watch that I'm sad to say goodbye to after experiencing it on loan from Archimede.
Worn & Wound
Last year’s Pilot Majetek was one of the strangest releases of the year. Longines has long been incredibly skilled at raiding their own archives – they are perhaps better at this than any other brand – so when they come up with a new vintage reissue, everyone takes notice. The Majetek felt like Longines flexing a little, going a century into the back catalog to show contemporary collectors a vision of the pilot’s watch from a much earlier time. It’s something that only Longines could, at least in a way that feels credible. The Majetek was a surprise hit, so Longines is doubling down this year with a new version of the watch, one that might feel a little more modern to some while still retaining all of the most important vintage cues. The Pilot Majetek Pioneer Edition is a limited edition version of the old-school pilot’s watch in titanium, with a muted matte black dial that matches the tone of the case nicely. Titanium, in theory, should make this case considerably more wearable. It’s 43mm and wears every bit of that measurement, so a significantly lighter case material ought to be a very different wearing experience. The key features of the watch remain intact. The coin-edge bezel still rotates a small arrow that can be used for rudimentary timing applications. While we think of this type of bezel as being mostly associated with dive watches, the intended functionality here was to time the duration of an entire flight. Longines was an early pioneer of th...
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