Tudor have a long tradition of creating dive watches designed for professional use in and around the water. Just look back at some of their early Submariner models or the hugely popular Black Bay and military spec Pelagos. However, the newest addition to the Pelagos line has left the water behind in a collaboration with Aéronautique Navale (French Naval Aviation) to become a pilot’s watch for the first time with the addition of a GMT complication. It’s called the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time”.

Starting with the case it measures 42mm in diameter in grade 2 titanium, making it very light thanks to the metal’s innate strength to weight ratio. The dark grey colour also helps to create a cool military aesthetic. What solidifies this as a pilot’s watch rather than a diver is the bi-directional rotating bezel with 24-hour scale, with out a dive immersion timer it cannot pass ISO standards for dive watches.

The 24-hour scale though does mean that in conjunction with the central, orange GMT hand the watch is capable of displaying three time-zones simultaneously. You have local time, as displayed by the regular snowflake hands, Zulu Time (the military term for UTC Universal Time Coordinated) when the bezel is in the neutral position and a tertiary time zone when the bezel is rotated. Ideal for naval pilots who need to coordinate with their units across long distances and multiple time zones.

A nice touch for legibility is that the 24-hour scale and 24-hour GMT hand are both coated with green lume, showing they work in conjunction with each other. Meanwhile the regular hands and standard hour markers have blue lume, preventing any confusion in low light conditions. I know I said that this is not a dive watch but with indexes and hands this legible plus a 200m water resistance rating, it’s not exactly ill-suited to the water either.

Looking at the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time”’s caseback reveals an engraving commemorating the collaboration with the French Navy. There’s an inscription celebrating both the Marine Nationale and the aforementioned Aéronautique Navale. The same is true of the logo found on the single piece fabric strap in flight suit green.

Housed inside the titanium case is the calibre MT5652-U, a METAS certified master chronometer movement with automatic winding and a 65-hour power reserve. This means it has passed both COSC and METAS levels of accuracy ensuring an incredible level of precision and reliability. After Tudor first introduced their METAS movements it’s nice to see them adopt them more frequently and to expand them to include new complications like the GMT seen here.

In terms of price, the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time” is a clean £4,000. That seems like really solid value for a master chronometer movement in titanium. I also really love the novelty of a Pelagos pilot’s watch, it makes for a cool change to Tudor’s normal comfort zone. I have no doubt in my mind that this will prove incredibly popular. After all, we know from watches like the Longines Spirit Zulu Time that there is a huge appetite for neo-retro, military pilot’s watches.

More details at Tudor.

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.

More details at Avi-8.

It’s well documented that Bell & Ross’s watches are inspired by the instrument panels found in aircraft cockpits. However, nothing emphasises that fact more than the BR-03 Instrument series (note that Bell & Ross has changed their internal taxonomy so the BR 03 is now the BR-03 and the same is true for all other collections), which features colourful renditions of actual aviation instruments on their dials. There’s the Radiocompass from 2022, the Gyrocompass from 2023 and now the Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon for 2024.

For now, we’re looking at the core basics of the watch because we’ll be featuring a full hands-on review in the October edition of the magazine. The most eye-catching element is without question the incredibly unique dial. It’s based on an aircraft’s artificial horizon, an instrument that display’s the plane’s relative orientation to the horizon, allowing the pilot to track the plane’s position in the air. As such, the dial is split into two sections, the blue of the sky and the black of the ground. There are also the signature horizontal markings across the centre of the display in orange that represent the plane.

In terms of timekeeping functions, the main horizon disc can rotate 360 degrees and serves as the watch’s hour indicator, with the arrow at the top of the blue section functioning as the hand. That means the horizon is continually shifting through the day, performing what must be the slowest barrel role in history. Indeed, for about half the day the watch indicates that the plane is upside down.

The Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon’s case measures 41mm in diameter in microblasted black ceramic, giving it a matte, stealthy appearance that’s basically invulnerable to scratches. It has the characteristic square design of the BR-03 with visible screws in the four corners, furthering the industrial style. It’s not a subtle watch by any stretch of the imagination. Although with this dial, it was never going to be.

Protected by the solid caseback is the BR-CAL.327 with a 54-hour power reserve. It’s essentially the same as the BR-CAL.302 from the standard BR-03 collection sans date and with a complete rotating disk rather than a traditional hour hand. Bell & Ross movements have been a hot talking point over the past few years and it’s only really in the last 12-months that their quality has had a notable improvement.

The Bell & Ross BR-03 Horizon is limited to 999 pieces at a price of £3,999. Which is a lot, but on the whole makes sense given the uniqueness of the dial and the high-tech ceramic case. This is definitely my favourite of the BR-03 Instrument models to date and a fun representation of the upgraded collection. Don’t forget to check out our full hand-on review with live images in the magazine this October.

More details a Bell & Ross.

Dirty Dozen Watches from circa 1945. Image credit: Christopher Beccan for Watches of Knightsbridge

Military watches have long held interest for collectors with their many variations in service throughout the 20th century. This article looks at some recent vintage military wristwatches sold at auction highlighting their often-fascinating history, extensive range of makers, and current auction prices.

Collecting Vintage Military Watches: A Dealer’s Perspective

Lemania stainless steel monopusher chronograph, used by military test pilots for the B.A.C, (British Aircraft Corporation), during the 1960s, with an original dial showing the British military property broad arrow ‘↑’ and circled ‘T’ for tritium luminescence, the caseback is marked ‘B.A.C. L4’. Sold by Watches of Knightsbridge for £3,500 hammer price, before fees. Image credit: Watches of Knightsbridge

To start this article, I caught up with Paul Maudsley from Remontoire Ltd to get his thoughts on collecting vintage military timepieces. Paul is a fine watch dealer who has worked in senior level positions within the auction world including roles as Director of Watches for both Bonhams and Phillips. Paul noted:

“I have always found military watches interesting. There is a big market out there amongst collectors, but it is still a relatively niche market as such. I think the historical element combined with the technical aspects of the watches attracts collectors. It is also a wide collecting category, spanning at one end vintage military pieces that you might pay around £1500 for at auction including fees right through to a watch like a Rolex Submariner ‘MilSub’ for which you could potentially pay over £300,000 for a good example at auction”.

“The other fascinating part comes with researching and finding out about a particular set of military watches or a specific model. A good example would be the Lemania military wristwatches that were used on Royal Navy submarines. When buying originality is the key and anything with a good story or provenance. Make sure any military markings are correct, do your homework which is also a great way to learn about these watches”.

Military Pilot’s Watches

Rare Lemania ‘Viggen’ ref. 817, a stainless steel chronograph wristwatch from the 1970s, made for Swedish Air Force pilots flying the Saab 37 Viggen fighter jet, image credit: Sotheby’s.

Flying at speed in a Saab 37 Viggen fighter jet over the forests of Sweden with the arctic circle on the horizon must have afforded Swedish Air Force pilots in the 1970s a stunning view. Should they have had time to glance at their wrists some of those pilots would have been wearing a Lemania, Reference. 817 ‘Viggen’ stainless steel chronograph wristwatch. Today this watch is a collector item with an example from circa 1970 selling at Sotheby’s, Important Watches sale in New York on 5 June for US $20,400, (approximately £15,710), including buyer’s premium. The result flew well above the estimate of US $7,000 – 11,000. Sotheby’s noted that only about 400 watches were commissioned.

Another equally rare military pilots’ Lemania wristwatch to be auctioned recently was a stainless steel, monopusher chronograph wristwatch used by military test pilots for the B.A.C, (British Aircraft Corporation), during the 1960s. With a 39mm diameter case and fixed lug bars. The chronograph was auctioned by Watches of Knightsbridge at their Modern, Vintage & Military Timepieces sale on 1 June. Given an estimate of between £3,500 – 4,500 it fetched £3,500 hammer price, before fees. The caseback is stamped ‘B.A.C. L4’, providing an excellent example of how stamped markings on military watches can identify their use.

Omega ref 34/62, a rare stainless steel monopusher chronograph with hacking seconds, made for the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1960s, accompanied by photographs of the original fighter pilot owner, military documentation, and a storybook of 433 Squadron. Sold by Sotheby’s for US $8,400, (approximately £6,460), including buyer’s premium. Image credit: Sotheby’s.

An Omega pilots’ wristwatch also featured an example of a monopusher chronograph wristwatch. This being a Reference 34/62 stainless steel watch with hacking seconds. Made for the Royal Canadian Air Force from circa 1960. Featuring a Calibre. 2221 mechanical movement and sized at 38 mm diameter with ‘RCAF’ stamped markings on the caseback. The watch sold for US $8,400, (approximately £6,460), including buyer’s premium at Sotheby’s, Important Watches sale in New York on 5 June. The estimate was US $8,000 – 12,000.

Military Diving Watches

Rolex Submariner MilSub ref 5517 from circa 1978, stamped for the British Royal Navy. Sold by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo for HK$3,429,000, (approximately £337,590), including buyer’s premium. Image credit: Phillips

High on the check list for many collectors are the famed 20th century military diving wristwatches often used by elite units. Four of the most sought-after watches are the Omega Seamaster 300, Reference. 165.024 / Panerai Radiomir, Reference. 3646 / Rolex Submariner, Reference. 5513 & 5517 known as the ‘MilSub’ / Tornek-Rayville TR-900 wristwatch made for the US military.

Examples of three of these watches have recently sold at auction, these being the Omega, Rolex, and Tornek-Rayville. Diving straight in, let’s start with the Rolex. The Rolex MilSub, (short for military Submariner), was made for the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) in the early 1970s. It is arguably the best-known military wristwatch in existence. Before considering the MilSub example this is a perfect time to talk about the importance of originality. Put simply the more original a military watch is, with the correct dial, hands, bezel, in fact any part, along with the correct military markings the more collectable it will be. Originality however can be a challenge with vintage military wristwatches given that they were tool watches and used as such. Additionally, post their military service these watches in civilian life may also have had replacement parts fitted over assorted servicing. Patina is less of an issue with military watches, as many collectors like a well-worn look, indicative of active service and the history of the watch.

Rolex Submariner MilSub ref 5517 from circa 1978, stamped for the British Royal Navy. Sold by Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo for HK$3,429,000, (approximately £337,590), including buyer’s premium. Image credit: Phillips.

Back to the Rolex MilSub, Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo offered a very rare, fine, and highly collectable example at their Hong Kong Watch auction held between 24-25 November 2023. Their Rolex Submariner, MilSub, Reference. 5517, dated to circa 1978. Made from stainless steel with a 40mm diameter case on a NATO style strap. The wristwatch was used by the British Royal Navy as indicated by the stamped military numbers on the caseback. The markings also include the British military property broad arrow ‘↑’ symbol. Powered by a Calibre. 1520, automatic movement, with a hacking seconds feature. The watch has the correct military specification fixed lugs, bezel calibrated for 60 minutes, sword-shaped hands, and encircled ‘T’ for tritium luminescence. In addition, Phillips noted that the Reference. 5517 is very rare and made specifically for the MOD. They also catalogued that research indicates the existence of Reference numbers, 5513, double reference 5513/5517, and 5517 for the Rolex MilSub watch. Estimated at HK$1,950,000 – 3,900,000 the watch sold for HK$3,429,000, (approximately £337,590), including buyer’s premium. A price that reflects the esteem that collectors give to examples of the MilSub in as near as possible original condition.

By way of direct comparison in terms of a Rolex MilSub with later added parts, Bonhams offered an MOD military issue Rolex Submariner, MilSub, Reference. 5513, from circa 1974 at their Knightsbridge sale on 22 May. As Bonhams catalogued this watch had later added non-military Rolex Mercedes hands, a replacement bezel marked for 15 minutes rather than the military spec 60-minute calibration, and with the military markings removed from the caseback. Additionally, the military specification fixed bars between the lugs had been replaced with spring bars. The watch did however have excellent provenance having originally belonged to a Royal Navy diver. At auction the watch fetched £25,600 including buyer’s premium.

Rare British military Omega Seamaster 300 ref 165.024 from circa 1969, with a full 60-minute calibrated bezel, tritium luminescence shown by the circled ‘T’ on the dial, oversize sword hands and military caseback markings. Sold by Bonhams for £23,040 including buyer’s premium. Image credit: Bonhams

Omega’s famed Seamaster received the full British military specification treatment in the mid-1960s to meet the requirements of the MOD. As noted by Bonhams this included solid fixed bars between the lugs, a full 60-minute calibrated bezel, tritium luminescence with the circled ‘T’ on the dial, and oversize sword hands. The example shown here was sold by Bonhams at their New Bond Street auction on 19 June. This Seamaster 300, Reference. 165.024 is from circa 1969. Powered by a Calibre.552 automatic movement with a stainless steel case sized at 41mm diameter. The screw down caseback bears stamped British military markings including the military property broad arrow ‘↑’. This watch is fitted with spring bars. In the early 1970s the Omega was replaced by the Rolex Submariner MilSub. With an estimate of £15,000 – 20,000 the Omega made £23,040 including buyer’s premium.

When faced with import restrictions to the USA in the 1960s Blancpain could not directly supply the US military with its Fifty Fathoms diving watch. This was because the US Military could only buy US made products. As Antiquorum pick up the story in their cataloguing – Blancpain’s US distributor, Allen V. Tornek then established the US based Tornek-Rayville entity. As a result, the now legendary Tornek-Rayville TR-900 diver wristwatch was created for the US military. Effectively the watch is a modified Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. The original Fifty Fathoms was launched in 1953, the same year that Rolex released the Submariner, making it one of the early modern era 20th century diver wristwatches. Antiquorum further noted that the Tornek-Rayville TR-900 wristwatch is very rare due to the limited number produced plus many watches were destroyed by the US Navy at the end of their service.

An extremely rare Tornek-Rayville TR-900 US military divers’ wristwatch. The watch has been retrospectively fitted with an original period correct dial with the humidity indicator at 6 o’clock. The caseback is inscribed: ‘If found return to nearest military facility’ ‘Danger Radioactive Material’. Sold by Antiquorum for €72,160, (approximately £61,540), including buyer’s premium. Image credit: Antiquorum

The Antiquorum, US military Tornek-Rayville TR-900 example was sold at their Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces auction held in Monaco on 13 July. The collector who owned the watch had originally purchased it with a later non correct dial. He was able to source an original Tornek-Rayville period correct dial and have this fitted to the watch. Antiquorum documented this clearly in their cataloguing. The stainless steel watch is sized at 41 mm diameter on a NATO style strap and is from circa 1965. The replacement dial features a humidity indicator at 6 o’clock as per the original watch design. The wristwatch sold for €72,160, (approximately £61,540), including buyer’s premium. The estimate was set between €50,000 – €150,000.

The ‘Dirty Dozen’

‘Dirty Dozen’ British military ‘W.W.W’ Longines wristwatch from circa 1945, with an original dial, a British military property broad arrow ‘↑’ symbol and military markings. Sold by Watches of Knightsbridge for £3,800 hammer price, before fees. Image credit: Watches of Knightsbridge

Some military watches have become iconic, such as the diving wristwatches mentioned above. To this group can be added the Mark 11 RAF pilots’ and navigator’s wristwatch introduced around 1948. Both IWC and Jaeger-LeCoultre made this watch for the British MOD. Another watch for the group would include the French Ministry of Defence, Type XX flyback chronograph from the mid-1950s. This wristwatch was famously made by Breguet and Mathey-Tissot. But no group of iconic military wristwatches would be complete without mention of the so-called ‘Dirty Dozen’. A name later given to the set of 12 watches, in reference to the 1967 war action movie.

Made to the specifications of the British MOD during the Second World War, 12 watch companies supplied these watches including Buren, Eterna, Grana, Longines, Vertex, Lemania, Record, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Omega, Cyma, and Timor. The watches became available to the British armed forces at the end of the war. Occasionally the whole set of 12 wristwatches can come up for auction. The most elusive watch in the group is the Grana. Bonhams sold a ‘Dirty Dozen’ Grana wristwatch from circa 1945 in February this year for £17,920 including buyer’s premium. Pictured for this article is a Longines ‘Dirty Dozen’ British military ‘W.W.W’ stainless steel cased wristwatch from circa 1945. The movement is a manual wind Calibre. 12.68Z, with the case sized at approximately 37.5mm diameter. The watch was auctioned by Watches of Knightsbridge at their Modern, Vintage & Military Timepieces sale on 1 June. Estimated at £3,000 – 4,000 it fetched £3,800 hammer price, before fees.

Watches with Military Affiliations

A rare modern limited-edition Tudor, Pelagos ‘Royal Navy Clearance Diver’ ref 25600TB, made for the 70th anniversary of the Royal Navy Clearance Diver division. Sold by Sotheby’s for £10,800 including buyer’s premium. Image credit: Sotheby’s.

A smaller niche area for military watch collecting are those more modern wristwatches produced to pay homage to military forces or specific units, usually issued as limited editions. This also includes watches made to recognise military anniversaries and events, along with ongoing relationships between a watch brand and a particular military force. Examples include Bremont with their ‘Approved by His Majesty’s Armed Forces’ watch range and Breitling with their Royal Air Force – Red Arrows team watches. Often these timepieces include the use of military shields, emblems, or the depiction of military equipment such as fighter jets, belonging to the military forces celebrated by the watch. While these pieces are not military watches in the purist sense, and are often available for the public to buy, they can offer watch enthusiasts another collecting area.

An excellent example sold recently by Sotheby’s was a modern 2022, Tudor, Pelagos ‘Royal Navy Clearance Diver’, Reference. 25600TB, titanium wristwatch made for the 70th anniversary of the Royal Navy Clearance Diver division. This watch is a limited-edition version of the brand’s Pelagos wristwatch with the addition of a special script on the blue dial and an engraved caseback with the military division’s emblem. Sotheby’s noted that the watch was available to Royal Navy divers. The inscribed ‘E.O.D’ on the caseback stands for ‘Explosive Ordnance Disposal’. The original owner of the watch served in the Royal Navy. Auctioned on 29 May at Sotheby’s in London the watch fetched £10,800 including buyer’s premium against an estimate of £10,000 – 20,000.

By way of comparison a standard pre-owned, 2022, Tudor, Pelagos titanium wristwatch, Reference. M25600TB, will sell for around £3,250 with box and papers via a secondary watch market dealer. It must be noted however that this type of differential is enjoyed only by the very rarest of these military style wristwatches which must also be exclusive only to members of the military unit for which the watch was made for. Most of these military style watches are sold directly to the public and therefore are considered less collectable as such.

Servicing Vintage Military Watches

The movement and inside case back for a Lemania stainless steel, monopusher chronograph wristwatch. Used by military test pilots for the B.A.C, (British Aircraft Corporation), during the 1960s. Image credit: Watches of Knightsbridge

Many vintage military watches that come up for auction will have lived a bit of a hard life and are obviously very unlikely to be box fresh. Indeed, for collectors it is this very element that makes these watches interesting, their history, military service and resulting patina. But if you are planning to bid on a vintage military watch at auction, to borrow some military terminology, take time to do some prior reconnaissance. As noted by Paul Maudsley at the beginning of this article do your research. Find out as much as possible about the watch, how original is the condition, what makes it interesting to collect, and is there any relevant provenance? Check if the stamped military markings are correct and learn what they mean. Also, find out what the auction house fees are, plus any additional online bidding fees, and think about the maximum you want to bid.

Service work on a watch movement. Image credit: Harris Horology

Finally, like any piece of military kit, you need to make sure it is in working order. Take time to read any auction house condition reports and ask the auction watch specialists for more information if needed. Remember that once you have purchased the watch at auction, unless it has been misrepresented, its yours. This means if the watch movement or other part such as a crown and winding stem break you will need to have it repaired. So, this brings us to the question of servicing and repair when it’s time for your watch to have some well earnt ‘R&R.’ This is a topic on its own right, but I thought it might be helpful to include a few general comments on the subject. To do this I spoke with James Harris FBHI, an award-winning horologist and accredited watchmaker at Harris Horology in London. I asked James for his views on servicing vintage military watches:

“There is nothing inherently different from servicing other vintage timepieces. However, you should be confident that whoever carries out the work has experience with them and understands the importance of sympathetic repair to maintain as much as possible the originality of the watch. At HH we specialise in vintage and so our practice is always conservation-based. Replacing dials, hands, bezels, crowns etc, or even fixed bars on vintage military watches can all detract from originality and ultimately the value of the watch. Typically, military watches like the ‘Dirty Dozen’ have good quality movements and provided they have not been too badly treated over the years. Servicing tends to be cleaning the movement, regulating, and applying fresh lubrication with some repair and restoration if needed”.

Service work on a military Lemania chronograph watch dial. Image credit: Harris Horology

I also asked James about radium luminescence, (or lume), that was used on earlier vintage military watches before the introduction of tritium luminescence, and now modern non-radioactive Super-LumiNova.

“You should be careful: The consensus seems to be that you need not be scared of these watches, but it needs to be respected. Don’t open watch cases with radium lume as potentially this could release particles into the air which you might breathe in. When we service timepieces that have radium lume, we work in a special air evacuation clean space”.

Resources and Reading

For those entering the world of military watch collecting there are some useful websites and reference books. One informative website is CWC ADDICT which is a dedicated collector website covering the topic of British military timepieces made by CWC. Apart from the CWC content the website also lists other resources for military watch collectors. A few reference books for collectors include:

Zaf Basha; ‘Vintage Military Wristwatches’
Konrad Knirim; ‘British Military Timepieces’
Marvin. E Whitney; ‘Military Timepieces.’

A number of these titles might also be available as second hand books. Another quick but helpful read for entry level collectors is a posted article by Bonhams titled: ‘Collecting 101 Military Watches.’.

Check our our luxury watch auction calendar for the latest auction information.

Germany in the mid-20th century was quite a turbulent place, if that isn’t too much of an understatement. World War II and its fallout had lasting impacts on every industry including watchmaking. Watch brands in East Germany had to contend with the issues of Nationalisation under first the Nazis and then later the Soviets. Meanwhile conditions in West Germany during the 1950s were dramatically different as the nation tried to get back on its feet and distance itself from the preceding decades. It was this period that inspires the new Junghans Meister Pilot Chronoscope grey and green.

When I say the new watches are inspired by 1950s West Germany, I specifically mean that they’re based on a heritage Junghans watch produced in that decade, in Schramberg. Known these days as the Bundeswehr Chronograph, the original was produced for the newly formed West German Bundeswehr – the present-day German army and military corps. It was a quintessential military pilot’s chronograph and that legacy can be seen throughout the modern Meister Pilot Chronoscope.

The new Pilot Chronoscope next to its historical role model

The watch measures 43.3mm in diameter in stainless steel with a thickness of 14.4mm, meaning it’s a very large watch. While the prevailing zeitgeist favours smaller dimensions, historically pilot (and dive) watches were larger in order to accommodate wide displays that are easy to read at a glance. When executing precise aerial manoeuvres, you can’t afford to mistime anything.

One of the major details that harks back to the Bundeswehr Chronograph is the characteristic bezel. It features 12 prominent points connected by wide arcs, offering excellent grip and ease of use. It’s bi-directional and features a 60-minute scale, allowing you to make note of a specific timing landmark ensuring accurate navigation.

Notably, the new Ref. 27/3493.00’s whole case, bezel and chronograph pushers have been given a high polish sheen. This is pretty unusual for a tool watch as typically they have satin brushed finishes in order to hide scratches better. However, there is historical precedent for polished pilot’s watches because Junghans produced a series of them for the army in the 1950s with the designation 112 – though admittedly they were used predominantly on the ground rather than in the air. Seeing the polished finish here makes for a super versatile watch.

The Ref. 27/3493.00 pairs its polished case with a matte grey lacquer dial and beige Arabic numerals. The bicompax chronograph counters are then stark white and black for added legibility. In contrast Ref. 27/3492.00 does have a satin brushed bezel and case in the more traditional style and that’s paired with a forest green dial and inverted accents (white numerals and beige subdial hands). Both versions also feature the historic Junghans logo as an extra nod to the heritage model.

Powering both versions of the watch is the calibre J880.3, an automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve. It’s a venerable movement at this point with wide usage since 2015, almost a decade ago. Not that that’s old by watchmaking standards, especially when we’re talking about design influences from the 1950s.

In terms of price, the green dialled Ref. 27/3492.00 is £2,490 while the additional polished finish on the 27/3493.00 means it’s £2,590. Initially that seems like quite a lot but then I think about the Breguet Type 20 and XX releases from 2023, which have similar aesthetics to the Junghans, and those watches are five figures. Admittedly the mechanics are on a different level, but it helps provide a little perspective.

More details at Junghans.

What is the most iconic modern military airplane? According to Avi-8, it’s the British Hawker Harrier and I’m inclined to agree. Known for its vertical take-off and landing capabilities (VTOL), it’s one the most visually distinctive and recognisable jet fighters of its time. As you may expect considering Avi-8’s modus operandi they have created plenty of watches inspired by this plane, including their latest offering. It’s the Avi-8 AV-4117 Hawker Harrier HUD Automatic, which I have here in the metal for review.

Off the bat, it’s one of the largest watches I have worn in a long time. It measures 44mm in diameter with a thickness of 15mm (with the weight to match) and even the hybrid leather-rubber strap feels big with a top to bottom thickness of around 5mm matched by the buckle. There is no hiding this watch under a cuff. I understand that a size like this will often be an immediate deal breaker for many collectors, including myself, but taking personal opinion out of it for a moment, I do think that this size works for the watch in terms of style.

It’s broad and industrial with a gunmetal grey tone to the steel with a combination of brushed and polished surfaces. It feels like a technical piece of equipment you’d expect to see in a military hanger or in the cockpit of a jet – similar in some ways to Bell & Ross’ instrument watches. That association is also heightened by the Avi-8’s display which echoes the Hawker Harrier’s HUD.

If you’re not down on your aviation lingo (or video games and cars) a HUD is your heads-up display. It’s essentially an overlay of information on top of your primary visual stimulus. For example, in a fighter jet it can show airspeed, altitude, horizon line and even military details such as targeting information and weapon sensors, all without requiring you to take your eyes off the sky in front of you to glance down at an instrument panel. Think of the various digital sensors and targeting devices you see over Robert Downey Jr.’s face in the Iron Man films during his close-ups while in the suit – it’s kind of like that but a real world, practical application.

In order to create this impression on the watch, the various indicators and markings of the HUD are printed onto the mineral glass, hovering above the dial to create the signature layered appearance. Adding to the technical appearance is a bi-directional, internal rotating bezel that’s very easy to manipulate with the crown at 2 o’clock, it also has a turbine texture that evokes images of the Harrier’s engines. The typography on the dial is also reminiscent of the plane’s digital display.

There are three editions available and the version I have here is the green, which has an olive dial that fades into black with a degrade gradient. Also available are a red and a blue edition which have matching tone dials and straps although they retain the green HUD markings. I do think the green is the most logical of the colourways as it feels the most military inspired and tactical. There’s also a lot of luminescent material across the markings on the dial and even the rubber portions of the strap for low light legibility.

While the Hawker Harrier is powered by the Pegasus engine, the Avi-8 is powered by the Seiko NH35 automatic. It’s a time-and-date calibre with a 41-hour power reserve. It’s one of the most widely used movements in the world, balancing accuracy, reliability and accessibility perfectly. And at a price of £350, the AV-4117 Hawker Harrier HUD Automatic is suitably accessible.

Unstrapping the watch and turning it over reveals a solid caseback that features the same turbine pattern seen on the inner bezel and dual crowns. It’s a fun finish and thematically appropriate. Really, I think that is this watch and Avi-8’s greatest strength – they commit to the theme and concept unapologetically. They don’t sit on the fence and make another retro aviator with vintage proportions. They go out on a limb and try something different to the rest of the watch world. While it won’t be to everyone’s taste, that alone is admirable and if it does happen to overlap with your personal tastes and interests, it’s a great entry-level watch.

More details at Avi-8.

These days IWC are the masters of the quiet launch, stealthily adding a new model to their website and boutiques without any fanfare. In the case of the new Pilot’s Watch Mark XX Patrouille Suisse that is somewhat ironic, considering it’s produced in collaboration with the Swiss Air Force Aerobatics team. If there’s one word to describe aviation display teams, subtle is not it.

The new watch has the distinction of being the first titanium cased watch IWC have produced with the Patrouille Suisse during their five-watch collaboration. Titanium is incredibly lightweight and has a stellar strength to weight ratio, making it great for wristwatches. It’s had a surge in popularity in recent years with the argument that a watch should feel appropriately hefty becoming less common as more and more people become familiar with titanium.

It measures 40mm in diameter with a thickness of 10.6mm, which is really well proportioned for a pilot’s watch. Balanced between wearability and readability. Speaking of readability, the dial is incredibly clean and clear. It has oversize Arabic numerals coated with lume for great legibility in low light condition. The dial itself is sunray brushed grey, a deviation from the Mark XX’s traditional black or white displays.

On the caseback you’ll find an engraving of three planes in formation flight as well as the dedication “Tribute to Patrouille Suisse”. The movement protected by the titanium back is the IWC 32111 calibre, an automatic movement with a 5-day power reserve. It’s a really solid movement and combined with the fact that the Pilot’s Watch Mark XX Patrouille Suisse is a limited edition of 250-pieces contributes to the £6,300 price tag.

I wonder if by releasing a titanium Mark XX as a limited edition IWC are investigating how much demand there might be for a core collection model in the metal. Given how much of a following the Mark Series, I image the answer is a lot.

More details at IWC.

Longines have long been connected to the world of pilot’s watches and have tackled several styles of aviation watches over the years. In 2024 we’ve already seen a new version of the Majetek. However, their modern flagship pilot’s watch collection is the Spirit, a gorgeous 1920s inspired tool watch range predominantly split between time-only, chronograph and dual time models. For 2024 Longines have expanded the latter styles with the launch of a new Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium and a pair of Longines Spirit Flybacks in bi-metallic cases.

Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium

If you’re interested in the history of the Longines Spirit Zulu Time, including how it got the name Zulu, I recommend you go back and read our full article on the subject from when the modern collection was launched in 2022. Today we are squarely focussed on the present, which means jumping right in with the Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium.

It’s a 39mm diameter watch with a case made from the lightweight and strong material, titanium. There’s a standard three-hand Spirit in titanium but this is the first time it’s made its way to the Zulu Time. Titanium naturally has a darker tone to it than steel, which is why it’s been paired with a grey and black ceramic 24-hour bezel to create a serious and cool aesthetic.

The only dash of bright colour on the dial is the red tipped GMT hand and matching red Zulu Time inscription. The rest of the display is black with brass coloured accents to create the retro aviation feel. In my opinion it’s one of the most handsome pilot’s watches on the market.

Powering the Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium is the COSC certified L844.4 automatic movement with 72-hour power reserve. 72-hours is the magic number for being properly weekend proof, meaning you can put it down on Friday evening and it will still be ticking on Monday morning. It’s exactly the type of movement you want at a price of £3,900.

Longines Spirit Flyback Bi-Metal

There are two new Spirit Flyback offerings. Both have 42mm diameter steel cases but the first one has 18k yellow gold pushers, crown and bezel while the second is 18k rose gold. Coinciding with these metallic differences, the yellow gold edition has a green gradient dial while the rose gold is a rich brown colour.

Bi-metallic watches are an interesting niche in the watch sphere. In many ways they fulfil the same role as desk divers (many desk divers are in fact bi-metal), which is to say they take tool watches and present them in a way in which they are purely aesthetic objects and not designed for the intense, practical use that was their original purpose. In the case of pilot’s watches, that means they go from being tools of the actual pilots to more of an accessory for a jet-setting business person. At the same time they’re also more accessible than full gold editions.

Beyond the new bi-metal cases, these watches are more or less as you’d expect from the Spirit Flyback range. The have bicompax chronograph layouts with a small seconds subdial and a 30-minute timer as well as central hours, minutes and chronograph seconds. By being a flyback, the chronograph counters can be stopped and reset with a single pusher press.

The movement inside both of the Longines Spirit Flyback Bi-Metal watches is the L791, another COSC chronometer certified movement like the L844.4 above. Although this one has a 68-hour power reserve likely due to the energy intensive chronograph functions, plus it operates at a slightly higher frequency of 4 Hz. Due to the gold present on these models and the more complex movement, they have a higher price than the Zulu Time Titanium, though still very reasonable at £5,900.

More details at Longines.

In the modern day it’s easy to forget that watches were once more than an accessory. Different types of tool watches were designed to fulfil key functions for specific jobs. They were meant to make your job easier. Today technology and the digital evolution has reduced the reliance on tool watches as actual tools. You no longer buy an Omega Seamaster because you want to take up scuba diving and you certainly won’t see Max Verstappen wearing his Tag Heuer Monaco to keep track of his lap times.

Whilst that might be true, these watches that were built and designed for a purpose are still fully capable of fulfilling their job roles. Therefore, it is important to understand why tool watches function, look and feel the way they do. As watch lovers the design and history of tool watches is what we buy into. And who knows, if you work in one of these professions perhaps these watches will still be practical.

Diver: Dive Watch

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms

The dive watch is one of the most common tool watches you’ll find on the market today. The rise of the steel sports watch over the last few decades has meant the dive watch has become a firm favourite in the product catalogues of Rolex, Omega and many others.

A dive watch has a couple of key functions and elements you might be aware of. Firstly, waterproof-ness. This goes without saying in a watch designed for aquatic environments. However, it’s the depth and how this waterproof-ness is achieved that gives the dive watch this function. Almost all dive watches will come with a screw down crown. The crown is fitted on the inside with a seal which when fully screwed down is completely watertight and will hold up under high pressures as you dive deeper.

The other element you will find on dive watches with a high depth rating, such as the Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean, is a helium escape valve. This can most readily be seen on the Omega with what looks like an additional crown at 10 o’clock on the case. The helium escape valve is released at extreme depths to alleviate helium gas build up in the watch.

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m GMT with a helium escape valve

Next, dive watches are equipped with unidirectional bezels which only rotate anticlockwise. For those who have ever been diving you will know that timing your dive is incredibly important as it ensures you won’t run out of oxygen. Rotating the bezel allows you to mark when you start your dive. Most dive bezels are then equipped with a 15 minute marker scale as this is a common time frame for diving. The reason the bezel only rotates in a counter clockwise direction is so that it can’t accidentally be knocked forwards and you therefore end up submerged for longer than you should be.

The final element of a dive watch to be aware of is legibility. Reading the time whilst underwater needs to be easy so dive watches don’t have complicated dials. They also have high amounts of lume or super-luminova on the markers and hands so time can be read even in low light.

Pilot: Pilot’s Watch

Longines Spirit Flyback Titanium

Watches have been worn by pilots since the early 1900’s when Louis Cartier created a wrist watch for pilot Alberto Santos Dumont. Since then pilot’s watches have evolved and can include several complications. For example, a flyback or split seconds chronograph is used for measuring flight time in a given direction. This tool watch function was crucial in the early days of flight when navigation systems didn’t exist. A GMT function is extremely valuable when time zones differ between origin and destination and a day/night indicator helps pilots determine whether it’s AM or PM. Which can be confusing when crossing multiple time zones.

Perhaps the best example of a pilots’ watch that helps with the day/night dilemma is the Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute. Which instead of the hour hand completing two rotations in 24 hours only completes one. The dial has 24 hour markers on it, so instead of reading the watch as a 12 hour display you can easily see if it’s 06:00 or 18:00 by the markers.

Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute

Other key attributes to the pilot’s watch are the oversized crown, much like you find on the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch. The crown is larger than usual in order that it can be operated with gloves on. This is a key design element for pilots who are often in full flight gear including thick, insulated, fireproof gloves.

Much like dive watches, legibility is crucial for pilot’s. It’s why you will find many pilot’s watches with diameters of 44mm and above and very few with case sizes smaller than 40mm. This larger case size isn’t the only feature to improve visibility. Pilot’s watches are characterised by high contrast dials, often dark dials with bright white numeric hour markers. The numeral hour marker is important when trying to read the time at a glance. Baton or roman numeral markers would only slow things down.

IWC Big Pilot Top Gun Edition

The final element you will notice on the majority of pilot’s watches is very subtle. Near or around the 12 o’clock position you will notice a small triangle. Often printed on to the dial in red or a contrast colour or painted with lume so it stands out in low light. The triangle shows the pilot instantly which way up the watch should be. The last thing you want is your pilot reading his watch upside down.

Doctor / Medical Professional: Pulsometer

Longines Pulsometer Chronograph

It’s hard to think of how a tool watch function might aid a doctor or nurse in their everyday jobs. That’s until you understand the function of a pulsometer. A pulsometer is an adapted function of the chronograph and characterised by a unique scale on the dial or bezel. The purpose of the pulsometer is to measure a patient’s pulse without the need to count the pulses or beats for a full 60 seconds.

In a pulsometer watch you will find written somewhere on the dial or bezel the number of pulsations you need to count in order to read the scale. Usually it’s 15 or 30 pulsations. Simply start the chrono and count the patient’s pulse, once you’ve counted the desired number stop the chrono and read off the scale to see the patient’s beats per minute. The Longines Pulsometer Chronograph is a great example of a chronograph with a pulsometer display, you’ll notice the text ‘Gradue Pour 30 Pulsations’ written on the outer part of the dial. If you see the phrase pulsometer or pulsations written anywhere on a watch you now know that this isn’t your usual chronograph. It is in fact a tool watch function for medical professionals.

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Tru-Beat

One other example of a medical tool watch is the Rolex Tru-Beat. The Tru-Beat, much like a pulsometer watch, was aimed at medical professionals for the sole purpose that it made timing a pulse or heart rate easier. The Tru-Beat uses a deadbeat seconds complication. In short, it’s a mechanical watch that ‘ticks’ like a quartz watch with the seconds hand ticking once per second. A mechanical movement usually gives you a constant sweeping seconds hand.

Soldier: Field Watch

Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical

Field watches were originally designed for soldiers during the First World War. Military watches started life as pocket watches but as the wristwatch grew in popularity many factions of the military saw the benefits. Fumbling for your pocket watch whilst in the trenches was not ideal.

Very quickly field watches became a staple piece of equipment for soldiers. Their ease of use meant timing and coordination of manoeuvres vastly improved. As you can imagine a soldier’s watch would go through a pretty tough ordeal so delicate and complex movements were not the order of the day. Instead, field watches are known for their simplicity and durability. Take a look at the CWC Mellor-72 and you’ll see what I mean. The Mellor-72 is a recreation of the 1970s British Military W10 watch. The time only, enlarged numerals and thick steel case are iconic of a field watch.

CWC Mellor-72 Mechanical

Case materials on these watches need to be hard robust metals, such as steel. Whereas the straps are usually canvas or leather for two primary reasons. Most importantly these soft materials are lighter and therefore more comfortable for the wearer who will likely be wearing the watch 24/7. Secondly, steel bracelets with links can break if hit hard enough whereas a single piece of leather or NATO style strap can’t be snapped or broken.

Given the types of environments field watches will encounter, a good field watch will be at home near water. They won’t have the depth ratings of a dive watch but a decent level of water resistance and tolerance to dust is essential. As a result, field watch cases will usually be made from a single piece of stainless steel with a single crown. When fully sealed this protects the movement from any foreign materials entering the case.

Finally, simplicity. A soldier’s tool watch has to be accurate, after all, the military are rather fastidious about being on time. Therefore, the traditional field watch is time only so that no power is used to operate any other function and compromise on accuracy. This simplicity is carried over to the dial design. There is no need to clutter the dial with unnecessary paraphernalia. Instead numeric hour markers for ease of reading coupled with high amounts of lume for time telling at night are the only tool watch functions you should find on a true field watch.

Scientist: Magnetic Resistance

Rolex Milgauss

Mechanical watches go well together with many things. Motor racing, deep sea diving, a matching tuxedo. However, they do not pair well with magnetic fields. One sure fire way to ruin the accuracy of your mechanical watch is to place it next to a high powered electromagnetic source. The force from scientific or technological equipment that generates electromagnetic activity has an effect on the components inside the movement, (usually the balance spring and escapement) and can play havoc with the timekeeping.

In most professions this isn’t something to worry about, however for scientists or engineers spending many hours a day inside laboratories with high powered machinery this causes a problem. In 1956 Rolex led the way in producing a watch which could withstand high levels of electromagnetic activity and could be worn by scientists and engineers. The Milgauss was born. The term milgauss refers to the fact that the watch can withstand magnetic fields to the measure of 1,000 gauss. A standard watch is normally about 60 gauss.

The original Rolex Milgauss from the 1950’s

Alongside Rolex other brands have followed suit in creating these scientific watches. The key feature of all these types of watches is that the movement is housed inside a faraday cage. The faraday cage can’t be seen as it sits inside the case. However, this separate housing made from iron or similar materials is what protects the movement from electromagnetic activity. As material science has continued to evolve, modern watches have adopted silicon balance springs and other additional materials to use inside the movement. Further increasing the magnetic resistance of watches.

Yacht Racer: Regatta Timer

Rolex Yacht-Master II

Yacht racing watches, also known as regatta timers, share many similarities to dive watches. A yacht racing watch is worn in or near water so high levels of water resistance are essential, they usually contain a rotatable bezel and offer a timing function that differs from a chronograph. Where the main difference to your traditional dive watch comes in is with this timing function.

Unlike a dive watch where timing of your dive is measured using the bezel the regatta timer does use a separate timing complication. To understand the purpose of the regatta timer you need to understand how the start of a yacht race actually works. Unlike a motor or athletics race lining up all participants on the start line in a stationary position is impossible. Instead, the start of a yacht race is a rolling start whereby your yacht mustn’t cross the start line before a specific time. It is therefore your aim to cross this start line as close to this time as possible whilst travelling as fast as possible.

Frederique Constant Yacht Timer Regatta Countdown

To signal the start time the yacht crews are given a 5 or 10 minute countdown warning. It’s then up to the crews to ensure they cross the start line at the right time. The regatta timer is a tool watch function that you will only find on a yacht racing watch such as Frederique Constant Yacht Timer Regatta Countdown. On the Frederique Constant the countdown is signified by a set of circles, one for each minute. As the orange coloured circle moves across the register it signals the countdown to the start of the race. Whilst several regatta timers use this circular representation for the countdown due to how easy it is to see whilst on a boat others revert to the more traditional hand and minute track or sub dial.

Explorer: Explorer Watch

Breitling Emergency from the 1990s, image credit: Watchcollecting

This tool watch function is very niche. In fact, probably the most niche tool watch on this list. In 1995 Breitling released the world’s first watch with a built-in distress beacon. The Breitling Emergency is a chunky dual analogue and digital display wrist watch which contains a radio transmitter only to be used in case of emergency.

In order to activate the distress signal, an antenna needs to be pulled out from the lugs at the bottom end of the case. Once the antenna has been activated a dual frequency distress beacon is emitted and the signal will guide emergence rescue services to your location. At present the Breitling is the only watch on the market with this function, although digital watches like the Apple watch now offer an emergence feature via satellite connection even if you don’t have phone reception.

Racer: Chronograph

Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona Platinum

The final professional watch on our list which helps you to do your job is a racing watch. Initially designed for racing drivers and their teams the racing watch primarily has two functions. The first to measure lap times and the second to calculate speed.

The most distinguishing feature of a racing watch is the presence of a chronograph. Without a chrono the watch isn’t a racing watch. The chronograph can be a three sub dial layout like the Zenith Chronomaster Sport or a two sub dial layout like the Tag Heuer Monaco. One of the key characteristics to watch out for on the subdials of a racing watch is the contrasting colours. At a minimum you could expect to see the subdials with coloured chapter rings, like on the Rolex Daytona. Or more commonly, the subdials themselves are in an entirely separate colour. These colours are designed to provide high contrast and make the chronograph function easier to read when travelling at high speed.

Zenith Chronomaster Sport Boutique Edition

The second key feature of a racing watch is a tachymeter scale. The tachymeter scale is used to calculate speed by timing how long it takes the car to travel a set distance. The tachymeter scale can be found either on the bezel or around the out edge of the dial. Unlike bezels on dive watches the bezel on a racing watch is fixed and can’t be rotated. This is because the chronograph function can always be reset to zero so the bezel doesn’t need to move.

In general most racing watches will contain a tachymeter alongside a chronograph. However, it’s worth noting that perhaps the most famous racing watch of them all, the Tag Heuer Monaco, doesn’t contain a tachymeter.

Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph Racing Blue

The final element to look out for on a racing watch is the strap. True racing straps offer breath-ability to the wrist in the form of holes or perforated leather. Racing cars are often ill equipped with luxuries such as air conditioning so the drivers get very hot. A lightweight breathable strap is very much called for. Modern day racing watches have embraced steel straps mainly because the metal will last longer and very few are actually wearing these watches for racing. If you want to spot a true racing watch however a leather or rubber strap is one to look out for.

In the modern day the tool watch functions aren’t fulfilling the roles they once did quite as regularly. However, from time to time these watches still offer practical capabilities that might help you to do your job. For that reason It’s probably best to have one, just in case.

Pilot’s watches and dive watches are often regarded as specialised areas within the watch industry. Separate watchmaking niches with their own unique design elements that allow them to serve in their designated function. However, there’s actually a surprising amount of overlap between pilot and dive watch design, which Hanhart have made use of in the new Hanhart FLY NAVY Aerosphere limited edition. It’s a watch dedicated to the German Marinefliegergeschwader (MFG), which translates to naval aviation squadron, meaning it has to be adapted to life both in the air and in or around the water.

When designing a watch for both aviation and diving, the case is of utmost importance. Both of these watch archetype favour large displays in order to provide good legibility to the wearer and in turn that means the cases are typically large. As such, the FLY NAVY Aerosphere measures a broad 42mm in diameter with a thickness of 12.95mm. Its stainless steel construction also makes it robust and the ceramic insert bezel is all but impervious to scratches.

On top of that, the FLY NAVY Aerosphere case has a 300m water resistance rating, making it perfectly suited to an aquatic world too. That rating has been achieved through the use of a screw-down crown and a helium escape valve. At the same time the crown is oversize, which is typically a trait seen in pilot’s watches so that they can be manipulated while wearing thick leather gloves. Focussing back on diving elements, the bezel has a unidirectional rotation that allows it to be used as a dive timer.

As for the dial, it has a highly legible blue, white and yellow design. Not only is yellow and blue the signature colours of the MFG, it also makes for a high contrast design that’s easy to read. The rectangle hour markers and central skeleton hands are coated with Super-Luminova so that you can read it underwater or in low-light conditions too. At 6 o’clock sits the naval aviator command logo.

Speaking of logos, the caseback of the FLY NAVY Aerosphere is engraved with one of two designs. The first is the MFG3 ‘Graf Zeppelin’ logo with wings and tridents and the second is the MFG5 with a sea eagle. Each is limited to 150 pieces, making the whole piece a limited edition of 300. Protected by the caseback is the Sellita SW200 automatic movement with 38-hour power reserve.

I must admit that my personal preference in colours leans in a more subtle direction than the bold matte colours on display here. But I do like the hybrid pilot-dive design that makes for a very versatile timepiece. It’s priced at €1,460 on textile strap or €1,690 on steel bracelet (approx. £1,240/£1,430).

More details at Hanhart.

Longines first showcased their updated Conquest Chronograph in the summer of 2023 on a steel bracelet. For the summer of 2024 it’s back but this time on a rubber strap, which is a great excuse to get hands on with this behemoth of a chronograph. It’s big, it’s sporty, it’s very cool.

Longines are, to me at least, at their best when producing retro inspired pilot’s watches like the Spirit and classy dress watches such as the Master Collection. However, that’s not to say large tool watches aren’t in their wheelhouse – the Hydroconquest dive watch is one of their best-sellers.

At a size of 42mm in diameter in stainless steel with a thickness of 14.3mm, the Conquest Chronograph certainly qualifies in that latter group. It feels big even in comparison to dive watches and the tachymeter stands tall, contributing around 5mm of thickness to the piece by itself. As a relatively slim-wristed individual, I tend to shrink at the idea of anything over 41mm and this watch is 100% too large for me – and a fair few others in the Oracle Time office.

Yes, we’re that dainty. Fortunately, there’s the guys in advertising who can always be trusted to make a large watch look good and on a proportional wrist, it’s a very handsome timepiece.

It has a tricompax chronograph display featuring a champagne dial and black subdials as well as a black ring on the inner edge of the minute scale. Paired with the black ceramic tachymeter bezel the overall impression can’t fail to be reminiscent of the Rolex Daytona – not necessarily a bad thing considering the difference in price.

The chronograph function is par for the course: it has a central chronograph seconds hand, a 30-minute timer at 9 o’clock and a 12-hour timer at 6. It’s activated by the inverted pushers flanking the screw-down crown. I’m not the hugest fan of inverted pushers because compared to other styles they have relatively small surfaces for pressing, which can make it feel like you need more force to activate.

We should also talk about the rubber strap as that’s what differentiates the 2024 edition from its 2023 predecessor. It’s very comfortable to wear, which is what you want from a sporty timepiece and it’s convenient to take on and off with its deployant clasp. There’s also a cool tessellating pattern down the raised central band. Additionally, the black colour pairs well with the subdials and bezel.

Priced at £3,550 it’s £100 less than its steel bracelet counterpart. Aesthetically I really like this watch. It feels bold and sporty in all the ways that a chronograph should be. Plus, the L898 automatic calibre with 59-hour power reserve housed inside is very respectable. As mentioned, the size of the piece (and in particular the thickness) is the main drawback but if you can pull it off, it’s worth considering.

More details at Longines.

So far in 2024 a lot of Longines’ focus has been on their refined, elegant collections such as the Master Collection GMT and Heritage Conquest Central Power Reserve. However, with the launch of the Longines Pilot Majetek Pioneer Limited Edition we’re reminded that they’re also great at big, chunky tool watches. This one is specifically an homage to their 1935 pilot’s watch design presented in a modern titanium case.

Let’s start with the case because it’s one of the most unusual that Longines produce, with a broad cushion shape and low mounted lugs. It measures 43mm in diameter, meaning it’s certainly on the larger side, although with a thickness of 13.3mm it’s proportionally quite thin. Plus, as it’s made from dark grey titanium, a material known for its high strength to weight ratio, it’s lighter than the steel edition launched last year.

A focal point of the case is the bi-directional rotating bezel, a mechanism that Longines are credited with inventing in the early 1930s. As you would expect, after almost 100 years bezel technology has improved by a large degree. On the original 1935 edition of the Majetek, the bezel, glass and internal rotating marker were all a singular unit, whereas now the glass is separate. This separation of the bezel from the glass allows for an improved water resistance rating of 100m.

Zooming in on the Pilot Majetek Pioneer ‘s dial, it’s sleek and cool with a monochromatic display featuring a matte black base, slate grey numerals and small seconds subdial. The numerals themselves are large and lumed, which is in keeping with being a pilot watch, making it easily readable at a glance. Another aspect related to being a pilot’s watch is the rotating triangle marker attached to the rotating bezel, it functions as a start time indicator, allowing you to keep track of elapsed time. In aviation this can be used to facilitate navigation in a manner similar to a flyback chronograph.

Beneath the surface, the watch houses the Longines L893.6 automatic calibre with COSC chronometer certification. It has a 72-hour power reserve which is nice and weekend proof and the silicon balance spring means it’s also resistant to magnetic fields. There’s no exhibition caseback through which to view it as instead there’s a solid titanium back with an engraving of the watch’s details.

That includes the fact that the Longines Pilot Majetek Pioneer is a limited edition of 1,935 pieces, a reference to the debut year of the original. As for price, it’s more than £1,000 higher than its non-limited steel cousins at £4,600. A sharp increase for a change of material and limited edition number. However, I still really like the sleek monochrome aesthetic and overall darker tone of the watch compared with the steel edition.

More details at Longines.

When thinking of Bell & Ross, the first thing that comes to mind are big, bold instrument watches inspired by the cockpits of planes and vehicles. Although shortly after that comes modern/futuristic artistic expression through their Cyber range. What they doesn’t come to mind is 1920s golden era Art Deco design – until now and the launch of the BR 05 Artline Steel & Gold.

The new watch features a 40mm diameter case in a rounded square shape made from steel with an integrated bracelet. Adding a decorative quality to the piece are the rose gold accents across the bezel and bracelet links, which feature vertical engraved lines. The combination of gold and geometric shapes instantly conjures images of Gatsby-style parties and luxurious American Art Deco design.

Indeed, a key influence behind the watch is the Steamline movement, a style of design seen on American trains and which also finds itself expressed in horology through the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner. For the Bell & Ross it suits the broad, curved surfaces of the BR 05, which is a model we typically associate with sports watches of the 70s.

Rounding out the Bell & Ross BR 05 Artline Steel & Gold is a rich brown dial with sunray brushed finishing. Flipping the watch over reveals an exhibition caseback that shows the calibre BR-CAL.321-1, based on the Sellita SW300-1. It features a 54-hour power reserve and gets a thumbs up from us as B&R have historically been criticised for their low power reserves and this is a step in the right direction.

Ultimately, this watch feels substantially different to the usual Bell & Ross design style, despite maintaining all the elements we are familiar with. For a brand that could easily peg themselves into a corner by becoming too focussed on the niche idea of instrument watches, spreading out makes sense. It’s priced at £11,100 and limited to 99 pieces.

More details at Bell & Ross.

Crafter Blue is not a brand I can claim a huge amount of personal familiarity with, based as they are in Hong Kong with a small but versatile range of accessible tool watches. However, with the Bon Voyage Macaron Super Chrono strapped to my wrist, I’ve quickly become a fan. It’s an accessible dual time chronograph in fun colours with a neo-retro vibe that feels perfect for summer.

Jumping right to the case, it measures 42mm in diameter with a thickness of 13.4mm, which on paper I would usually say is verging on the larger side of watches I’m able to wear. But it wears very well thanks to the slope of the curving lugs perfectly contouring to the wrist. It’s also by no means the largest chrono around and a size of 42mm does allow for a wide dial giving good legibility to the subdials.

The other aspect of the case to dwell on is that it’s nice and tactile. The bi-directional, 12-hour bezel has a smooth, no-click motion that’s fun to play with and the chronograph pushers have a satisfying amount of resistance. The screw-down crown is also well sized making it easy to use – slightly on the larger side giving the piece a faint aviation flair that suits the chronograph and dual time function. The aviation connection is confirmed by the engraving of a plane on the caseback.

Rather than a GMT, the dual time function here uses the 12-hour bezel to keep track of a second time zone. You can then also pair that with the 24-hour subdial to allow you to also keep track of day/night. The 24-hour subdial is a lovely shade of yellow, a pale buttercup. It’s a very close match to the old radium style lume across the hour markers and numerals.

Opposite the Bon Voyage Macaron Super Chrono’s yellow subdial is a sky blue one, which is the chronograph 60-minute timer. Both of the subdials are set against a dark blue dial with a grained texture. It’s a very unusual combination of colours but I’m quite taken with it. The asymmetrical distribution across the display feels quirky and fun and the combination of yellow and blue feels almost tropical – like the sun reflecting on a pool.

Housed inside and protected by the solid caseback is the Seiko VK64 meca-quartz movement, a staple of accessible watches from around the globe. Meca-quartz, for those unfamiliar with the term, means that the regular timekeeping functions are powered by a quartz but the chronograph is mechanical. Due to the lack of running seconds, this gives the watch the more luxurious appearance of being mechanical. For diehard collectors, it’s a more palatable take on quartz.

With a price of $299 (approx. ), this is a watch you can wear hard for the summer and not be too concerned about scratches or damage. It has a 100m water resistance rating meaning that it should even survive a little bit of aquatic abuse if you fall in the pool, though it’s not a diver by any stretch of the imagination. As a value proposition with a sunny disposition, the Crafter Blue Bon Voyage Macaron Super Chrono is great.

More details at Crafter Blue.

The Red Arrows are one of the most popular aerial display teams in the world, performing daring feats of aeronautic acrobatics to commemorate significant occasions in the UK. However, with the new Breitling Avenger Red Arrows 60th Anniversary collection it’s actually the Red Arrows themselves who are being commemorated, as it’s 60 years since the RAF display team was formed. There are two watches in the collection, the Breitling Avenger 42 Red Arrows 60th Anniversary Edition and Avenger B01 Chronograph 44 Red Arrows.

Breitling Avenger 42 Red Arrows 60th Anniversary Edition

First up is the Breitling Avenger 42 Red Arrows 60th Anniversary Edition, a 42mm stainless steel timepiece with a combination of polished and brushed surfaces. As an Avenger model, it features a broad bezel with pronounced markers at 12, 3, 6 and 9, which alongside the chunky grip on the crown makes it easy to operate by a pilot wearing gloves.

As a Red Arrows 60th Anniversary Edition it has a dial in RAF blue with the Red Arrows insignia at 9 o’clock and a commemorative caseback. It also has a red-tipped seconds hand for ultra-legibility because the Red Arrows operate at precise timings in order to avoid disaster. As part of that, it houses the COSC-certified Breitling Calibre 17 with 38-hour power reserve, giving chronometer precision.

The watch is limited to 360 pieces and a percentage of sales will be donated to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund. It’s £3,900 on steel bracelet or £3,650 on blue leather strap.

Breitling Avenger B01 Chrono 44 Red Arrows

The Avenger is already on the sportier side of pilot’s watch designs with its chunky silhouette but the B01 Chronograph 44 pushes that to the extreme with a 44mm diameter case made from black ceramic with titanium pushers and crowns. It’s incredibly lightweight and scratch resistant, which is ideal for weathering the inevitable bumps experienced in a Red Arrows cockpit during a show.

It follows the same overall colour scheme as the time and date in dark blue, red and black. However, instead of featuring the official Red Arrows logo, it has a stylised version depicting the signature diamond formation perfected by the team. It’s presented on the small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock, with the other subdials in the tricompax display serving as the 12-hour and 30-minute counters. All of which are controlled by the Breitling B01 calibre with 70-hour power reserve.

It’s priced at £7,950 and presented on a blue calf leather strap. Which for a ceramic watch with titanium hardware and a really solid movement seems pretty reasonable. Especially considering that IWC’s ceramic chronographs like the Mojave Desert sit above £10k.

More details at Breitling.

While Lewis Hamilton is set to move away from Mercedes next year and as such his connection to IWC will be coming to an end, he’s still the Schaffhausen brand’s most prominent ambassador at the moment. This past weekend, at the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, he was spotted wearing a brand new IWC wristwatch, the Ceralume Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Concept Watch. It’s their first ever fully luminous ceramic watch.

Ceralume is a new proprietary material created by IWC that combines the tough, scratch resistant and lightweight properties of ceramic with the light emitting property of Super-LumiNova. In order to achieve this, they combined ceramic powders and Super-LumiNova pigments in a patent-pending manufacturing process. This is possible because Super-LumiNova, manufactured by RC Tritec, is itself a ceramic compound.

The resulting timepiece is a sleek and cool white Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 that glows with a vibrant blue light in low light conditions. There have been several developments in luminescent materials recently, as back at the tail end of last year Bell & Ross released the BR X5 Green Lum, which also introduced a new luminescent case material in the form of LM3D. Although it’s IWC’s history with ceramic that makes Ceralume an intriguing development.

As the IWC Ceralume is a concept watch, the case material is the main focus here so the dimensions (41mm) and the movement (presumably but not confirmed to be the 69385 Calibre) aren’t really that important. The only question is how long until we see a mainline IWC made from Ceralume? I would wager that it won’t be that long in the grand scheme of things given the online interest in the timepiece as well as the cultural significance of it being one of the last IWCs likely to be spotted on Hamilton’s wrist before he big change.

More details at IWC.

In recent months Hamilton have been focusing on their more Avant Garde designs in the form of the Ventura and the sci-fi prop watch for Dune: Part Two, which is technically another Ventura. Now though, with the launch of the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Air-Glaciers Special Edition, they’ve returned to their humble tool watches. And this is a tool watch in a very real sense, designed to be worn by the Air-Glaciers helicopter rescue crews operating in the Swiss Alps.

The new special edition is a properly lean timepiece with no excess fat whatsoever. The case is made from titanium in order to reduce the weight by 45%, an essential factor in the watch’s wearability and comfort as Air-Glaciers crews spend long days on missions. For the same reason, the 42mm diameter case is mounted on a blue nylon Velcro strap, which also allows for a snug fit to prevent any rotation on the wrist (it also comes with a suede nubuck strap if you’re buying one and aren’t in the rescue service).

The Khaki Aviation Pilot Air-Glaciers Special Edition features a classic pilot’s watch display, with large, luminescent hour markers and numerals split between an outer minute scale and an internal hour scale.

The dial is designed to be as clear and readable as possible allowing for precise timings as in glacier rescue, when a few minutes could be the difference between life and death (a concept shared by the Ball Roadmaster Rescue Chronograph).

Adding to the legibility of is the red and white seconds hand, contrasting to the matte blue dial. Red and white also happen to be the signature colours of the Air-Glaciers helicopters and the Swiss flag.

Housed inside is the H-30 automatic movement and is part of the Powermatic 80 family of movements from the Swatch Group. It’s equipped with time and date functions and has a great 80-hour power reserve. It’s partially visible through the semi-circular exhibition window in the caseback, below which is an inscription commemorating the collaboration with Air-Glaciers.

Plus, the icing on top is that at £1,285, it offers pretty solid value. In titanium with a bespoke caseback and strap, it is understandably more expensive than its steel counterparts, but it’s by no means excessive. So, whether you’re a helicopter rescue pilot or simply looking for a thoroughbred titanium tool watch, the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Air-Glaciers Special Edition is worth a look. Also, it’s worth noting that while it is a special edition, it’s not limited.

More details at Hamilton.

While blue is a popular colour among Patek Philippe’s releases this year with the Nautilus and Aquanaut, there are plenty of others as well. At the top end, as part of their Grand Complication range they’ve introduced the updated Alarm Travel Time Ref. 5520RG. Revisiting the original model from 2019 with a fresh case and dial.

Alarms are an interesting complication in mechanical watchmaking as they’re surprisingly rare in comparison to how ubiquitous they are on digital timepieces. The most famous alarm watch is the Vulcain Cricket, which earned its name from the loud, clear tone of its alarm and was a favourite of several US Presidents. Alarm functions are part of the same family of complications as the more prestigious minute repeater, both relying on hammers striking gongs to create sound.

The functioning of the alarm is controlled by the pusher at 2 o’clock and you can see its setting in three apertures running from 12 o’clock to the central hands. The bell shaped aperture shows whether the alarm is on or off, the time window below that shows what time the alarm is set to and the small indicator below that shows whether it is set to AM or PM (a day/night indicator).

Elsewhere on the dial you have the travel time complication consisting of two hour hands on the central hand stack, allowing you to keep track of two time zones at the same time. Using the pushers on the left-side of the case allows you to jump the local time forwards or backwards by an hour. Plus, it’s connected to the date subdial so that if you jump across the bounds of a day, the date will update accordingly.

Aesthetically it has a grey sunray brushed dial that has a slight golden tinge to it, tying it in with the 42.4mm diameter rose gold case. There’s a small element of bi-metal in that it has white gold tubes for the pushers and crowns. The Arabic numerals are large and bordered by black lines making them highly legible – a reference to the fact that this is ostensibly a pilot’s watch. Hence the inclusion of the travel time complication which is designed for global travellers jet-setting across the world.

The movement powering the piece is the AL30‑660SCFUS, an automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve. It’s finished in traditional Patek style with Côtes de Genève, visible through the exhibition caseback. Personally, I think on of the most amusing facts about the watch is that it contains three separate day/night indicators, which must be up there with the most of any watch. One for the alarm function, one for local time and one for the second time zone.

It’s priced at £222,020, which is quite a hefty price for a timepiece without a perpetual calendar or minute repeater. But it also goes to show that alarm complications are held surprisingly high regard in the world of mechanical watchmaking. On the whole I quite like the Alarm Travel Time ref. 5520RG and the way it straddles the worlds of being a practical timepiece and a high end piece of luxury.

More details at Patek Philippe.