IWC. Zenith. Bell & Ross. These are just a few of the big guns of watchmaking whose names have long been synonymous with the pilot watch segment. Watch enthusiasts of all shapes and sizes have an appreciation for aviation watches replica. Some collectors enjoy the pilot watch’s bold aesthetics, and others appreciate their historical significance. Either way, pilot’s watches replica are here to stay, and no one is complaining.
Unlike certain other types of watches replica, the criteria that define a pilot’s watch are a bit of a moving target. At times, things as simple as a black dial with large white Arabic numeral hour markers are all it takes to make a particular timepiece stand out as a pilots watch. Other pieces may be considered pilots watches replica based on the combination of particular complications such as a long-running chronograph or a world time function.
The resounding characteristic that ties the genre together, oddly, is a bit of that sense that you know one when you see one.
First of its Kind
Credit must be given to the Cartier Santos for being the first pilot’s watch, though it is by no means a pilot’s watch by today’s design standards. Shortly after Alberto Santos-Dumont first achieved sustained flight in the early 1900s, his friend Louis Cartier made him a wristwatch. As the famed aviator continued to build flying machines, he became a bit of a celebrity of the time. With his fame came a significant amount of attention to the concept of wearing a wristwatch rather than carrying a pocket watch, which only further cemented the Santos’ place in horological history.
During WWI, many field officers switched from pocket watches replica to wristwatches, and by WWII watches replica rapidly became an essential tool to be issued by every military force. One could fairly argue that without the popularity of this first pilot’s watch, the world of military timekeeping could have turned out rather differently.
Roots of the Modern Pilot
Not long after Alberto Santos-Dumont took to the skies with a Cartier on his wrist, Zenith prepared a timepiece for French pilot Louis Bleriot as he prepared to fly across the English Channel. Unlike Cartier’s dressy unit, the Zenith in question sported all the traits of a classic pilots watch: a large and easy-to-read dial with large luminous Arabic numerals and hands and a large crown that can be manipulated while wearing gloves. These are all characteristics that make a watch very legible when there’s much going on around you. You’ll find these features in pilot’s watches replica of the present day. If you look closely at Bleriot’s watch it’s easy to see from where Zenith draws inspiration for its Pilot collection.
The Importance Of Clarity
As the pilot’s watch evolved and modern aviation developed, the required functions of a pilot’s watch began to change. With longer travel times, a GMT/UTC or dual time complication became a practical tool for pilots to quickly read off both departure and destination time.
Chronographs also became handy to have on board as means of tracking flight time. These tools made life somewhat easier for the professional and amateur pilot alike, though it didn’t take long for calculations and computation to move to onboard instruments. Yet despite these changes, functional clarity continues to be crucial. Whether flying at night in a dimly lit cabin, or performing tactical maneuvers under the glaring sun, a pilot’s watch must be clearly legible, even at a glance.
In modern times, pilot’s watches replica take more liberties for fashion’s sake than ever before. For example, the Bell & Ross Phantom Ceramic features a stylish blacked-out dial that isn’t nearly as legible as its white-markered counterpart. We are also seeing watches replica like the new Zenith Type 20 Extra Special, which sports a bronze case, for no other reason than to offer a different aesthetic than its steel sibling. Even IWC offers a beautiful red gold version of its Spitfire Perpetual Calendar for the collector or enthusiast willing to spend the required $55,900 price of entry.
These fine timepieces are a bit of a departure from their essence in some form. Yet, consider that flying was at first a luxury, and to have Cartier and Zenith provide finely made creations for early pilots, perhaps it’s not such a surprise that we now find pilot timepieces in 18-karat gold.