As a career wristwatch journalist I don’t think it’s much of an admission to say I like nerdy things. High on that list are video games, which is relevant here because Avi-8 have launched their second collaboration with legendary Japanese video game publisher Capcom. I must admit that I’m much more Monster Hunter than Resident Evil but its neither of these flagship titles that grace the dial of the Avi-8 AV-4121 Flyboy Capcom 1942 Automatic Pixel Limited Edition. Instead, it’s the classic vertical scrolling shooter game 1942.
I can’t claim to have ever played 1942, it’s a bit before my time, but simply looking at the dial of the Avi-8 tells me everything I need to know about it. A retro game with charming pixel art that sees military planes traverse wonderful environments while weaving around bullets and enemy combatants – an early bullet hell, essentially. Released in 1984 it was Capcom’s break out game, eclipsing their previous offerings and really helping to establish them as an arcade staple.
I love the three-dimensionality of the display. The hour markers are printed on the crystal, hovering over the flange minute scale, which leads down to the chunky pixel Arabic numerals. There are then the decorative elements such as the protagonist plane and the top of a forest seen from above. There’s also a plane as the counterweight of the gradient seconds hand.
Lastly, the base of the dial is a sort of pixelated void which I suppose is an interpretation of the dark sea below – although for that it would look much better in blue as opposed to the black we have here on the Silver Ace edition. If you agree, you should check out the Gunmetal Ace variant which does indeed have a blue dial.
In order to accommodate this complex dial, the Avi-8 AV-4121 Flyboy Capcom 1942’s case is necessarily wide, measuring 41mm in diameter with a thickness of 12mm. On top of of that it has an oversize pilot’s watch crown which adds almost an extra 4mm to the lateral width. If you don’t like the risk of a crown digging into your wrist, this and likely most pilot’s watches are not for you. But still, I do like the ease of use such a large crown brings and because the watch isn’t dramatically thick it feels proportional.
One thing I will note while we’re talking about comfort is that as a fairly hirsute man, 5-link steel bracelets are never my preference – too many gaps to catch hairs in. Fortunately, it comes with an alternative rubber-leather hybrid strap which rectifies that problem. I also can’t quite decide if I like the finishing on the caseback, which has a relief image of a plane and both the Avi-8 and Capcom logos, as it has a very prominent texture to it like touching a well-worn pumice stone.
Hidden behind that caseback is the Seiko NH35 automatic movement with 41-hour power reserve. An industry staple that’s used across a wide range of watches off all shapes and sizes, it’s easy to service and well-priced. The Avi-8 AV-4121 Flyboy Capcom 1942 Automatic Pixel Limited Edition Silver Ace is $450 (approx. £340) while the other two variants, the Gunmetal Ace and Midnight Ace are slightly more at $474 (approx. £360).
There’s a huge sense of nostalgia that comes with a watch like the Avi-8 AV-4121 Flyboy Capcom 1942. It’s also fairly niche in its appeal due to the connection to a very specific retro video game. However, if you grew up with 1942 and are a watch enthusiast, Christmas came early. As for me, it reminds me of a misspent youth playing games very similar to 1942 on school computers when I should have been doing quadratic equations.
Price and Specs:
More details at Avi-8.
