Pilot Watches Archives - Page 28 of 36

Hands-on – Fortis Aeromaster Mission Timer Chronograph – Cosmonaut-Approved

Founded in 1912 by Walter Vogt in Grenchen, Fortis is known for manufacturing rugged, functional watches with a predilection for pilot watches… and Cosmonaut watches, as Fortis has been cooperating with Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, and other organizations for years. Today, we take a look at one of the brand’s latest creations, the Fortis Aeromaster Mission Timer Chronograph – and if it’s good for Russian Space missions, it should be reliable enough on Earth.

Hands-on – Bell & Ross BR-01 Laughing Skull (and a video of its unexpected animation…)

Bell & Ross is now well-known for its Skull-inspired watches. Everything started in 2009 with BR-01 Skull, followed by 3 other watches (see some of them here and here). And for those who remain doubtful about the relevance of such watches in the B&R collection, you’ll see that the link with the brand’s military roots isn’t that far. Following this trend for Skull watches, Bell & Ross introduces its fifth iteration, the new BR-01 Laughing Skull – and this one has more than one surprise to show.

Hands-on – Graham Chronofighter Nose Art Limited Editions

Nose-art is an art form consisting in decorative painting on the fuselage of airplanes, in particular during WWII when colorful images, shark teeth or pin ups appeared on the nose of military aircrafts. As Graham’s most emblematic timepiece, the Chronofigther, is inspired from aviation, the brand started to feature pin-ups on the dial of its Chronofighter Nose Art in 2017 and new girls just joined the Graham pin-up squad at Baselworld 2018.

Hands-on – Bell & Ross Vintage BRV2-94 Racing Bird

In 2017, Bell & Ross debuted its revamped “Vintage” collection and it instantly became my favourite range from the brand. Since then, the company has been steadily knocking them out of the park with tasteful, vintage-inspired models, ranging from the simple Vintage BR V1-92 Military to the sportier BR V2-94 Vintage Chronograph. The latest offerings to the collection come in the form of the Bell & Ross Vintage BRV1-92 & BRV2-94 Racing Bird, the latter of which we are getting hands-on with today.

Women’s Watch Wednesday – Patek Philippe Calatrava Pilot Travel Time 7234R Lady

The turbulence generated by Patek Philippe’s Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Ref.5524 seems to have abated and the model has landed as a stable member of the Calatrava family. In addition to a fresh iteration of the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time for men in warm rose gold, Patek unveiled its first self-winding Travel Time model for women just ahead of Baselworld in an unprecedented move for the brand via an Instagram campaign. There have been choice pickings in the complications arena for women at Patek Philippe in 2018 with the launch of the manual-winding ladies’ chronograph in a round case and this pilot’s watch for women. Equipped with a useful dual time function, Ref. 7234R is housed in refined 37.5mm rose gold case with a glossy chocolate-brown dial decorated with vintage touches. The tasteful combination of rose gold and brown is quintessential Patek making this an excellent choice for globetrotting women, while the sporty, slightly manly charisma of a pilot’s watch will appeal to all those Amelia Earhart out there with a taste for high-flying adventures.

Introducing – Bell & Ross Vintage BRV2-93 GMT (With Live Pics)

Unlike the hallmark circle-within-a-square BR01 or BR03 models, the recently updated Vintage collection by Bell & Ross remains first and foremost a pilot’s watch. Apart from the chronograph, what could be the next most relevant complication to have on such a watch? Well, the answer is a GMT function, of course. Aware of that, Bell & Ross presents the Vintage BRV2-93 GMT with a 24-hour central hand and a rotating bezel – the perfect watch for travellers and pilots crossing time zones.

Value Proposition – Hanhart Pioneer One, a No-Frills Vintage Pilot Watch

Founded in 1882, Hanhart can look back on a long watchmaking tradition. The brand is known for crafting robust and functional watches, and, in particular by vintage fans for its pilot watches/chronographs from the 1930s to 1950s. The Pioneer collection was launched in 2011 with this long-lasting tradition in mind. The historical inspiration for this line comes more specifically from a model from the 50s, the 417 ES Flyback (Cal. 42). The Black Forest manufacturer now launches the Pioneer One, a stylish yet affordable time-only pilot watch with vintage charm.

Introducing – IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph IW377724 (With New Dial and Ref. 3706 Look)

In 2017, IWC took us by surprise when presenting the desirable, vintage-inspired and definitely cool Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition “Tribute to Mark XI”. Now, it’s time for the Schaffhausen-based brand to focus on the chronograph version of this watch and to apply the same recipe: baton hands, faux-patine markers, cleaner dial and fabric strap. And if the 3-hander was mimicking the Mark XI, the new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph IW377724 is reminiscent of one of the coolest 1990s watches, the Fliegerchronograph ref. 3706.

Hands-on – Graham Chronofighter Grand Vintage – From Big to Bigger

Launched almost 20 years, at a time when the trend for larger-than-life watches was still in its infancy, the supersized Graham Chronofighter is known as a big, rugged, bold chronograph. Inspired by historical military stopwatches, its signature lever allows to start/stop the chronograph without fail and with the thumb – the fastest of all fingers. For Baselworld 2018, the brand introduces a new version, still based on the vintage-inspired collection, named the Graham Chronofighter Grand Vintage… And yes, after being scaled-down, it now becomes large again.

Hands-on – Hanhart Primus Monochrome Pilot – Bold, Military-Inspired and Monochromatic

First of all, important to mention that we, MONOCHROME, have nothing to do with the creation of this watch. Yet, when we’ve seen that Hanhart was about to launch a new timepiece named the “Primus Monochrome Pilot”, it was hard for us not to have a closer look. Based on the concept we’ve already reviewed a few months ago, the Primus Pilot, the German brand brings a new, stealthy and truly military-inspired version of its bold chronograph. Overview.

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Category: Pilot Watches