Posts Tagged ‘Pilot’
3705 IWC Ceramic Flieger Chronograph
Of all the pilot watches IWC make, and there are many, the 3705 might be the most special. First, there’s no Top Gun branding, that hadn’t been invented yet in 1993. Second, it was materially innovative. Hublot and AP might enjoy shouting about their new ceramic technology, but IWC were first. This forged Zirconium was…
Read MoreSaab-Signed IWC Mark XII
Saab: one of many names, or brands, that you just don’t expect to tangent anywhere near watchmaking. TAG partnering with Porsche makes sense, directionally and historically. Omega and Bond; it’s not what Fleming wrote but no one will argue there isn’t synergy there. But Saab? The people who made aspirational cars for designers, architects, turtleneck…
Read MoreIWC Pilot’s Chronograph 150 Years LE
For all intents and purposes, IWC owns the modern pilot’s chronograph. Their original fliegerchronograph design changed little in the last in the last few decades. Ever the Germanic-Swiss manufacture, they took their time and got it right the first time. That painstaking attention has served them well in recent decades. IWC recently celebrated their 150th…
Read MoreA Near-Perfect Zenith A. Cairelli CP-2
For those who adore the utilitarian military aesthetic of the classic pilot’s chronograph, this your watch. Moreover, theres a flash of that classic 1960s Italian style that knows no bounds. I can’t quite say why, but this watch puts me in mind of all the classic icons: the Vespa, Alfa’s original Disco Volante, and Lake…
Read MoreThe Forgotten Pilot: Glycine Airman 1
Glycine were among the first to offer a GMT complication, right on the heels of Rolex and Omega. Their pilot offering quickly gained favor with military and civilian aviators alike. It featured a 24-hour dial and lockable bezel with hacking seconds. The design was tool watch to the core. Perhaps that is what appeals so…
Read MoreIWC Pilot Mark XVII ‘Le Petit Prince’
The modern standard for the pilot has been set by the IWC mark series. From the original X & XIs on the wrist of RAF pilots to the clean design of the XV, the model has seen a slow evolution always fit to purpose. This is a tool watch. But this tool watch is a…
Read MoreBreguet Type XX Flyback Civile
Breguet has a long a storied history which is much more involved than I will attempt to explain. In short, they are one of the most established manufactures in watchmaking. A large section of that history is intertwined with French military watches. The ‘Type’ Breguets were a not really a model, but a designation given…
Read MoreLip-Signed Breitling 765 Co-Pilot
For a stretch of four months two years ago, I searched every single night for a 765 Co-Pilot. In time, I found just one. In the somewhat mad market conditions we have now, there are three currently on offer. I wrote about the first great example I came across recently a few weeks back. If…
Read MoreWell-Preserved Universal Genève Aéro-Compax Oversize
I am constantly amazed at how variably different pieces may patina. A bakelite GMT from the 60s can look well and truly fucked, while simultaneously this Compax from the 40s looks under a decade young (if it weren’t for the proportion & design). That is testament to how well constructed this Universal is. The same…
Read MoreIWC Ceramic Fliegerchronograph
I’ve already written at length about the 3705 when we sold one in 2018. Even then, the 3705 was a highly coveted and rare reference. Today, it’s the same only more. I can’t add anything to the previous article’s story, except that this IWC only looks better every time I see it. Both the 3705…
Read More