Interesting facts about pilot watches

Pilot watches are highly coveted! Not only because of their appearance do these watches attract many people, but also because of their history. Pilot watches are associated with a spirit of adventure and freedom.

Pilot watches have fans worldwide, including numerous watch collectors. Manufacturers like Breitling, IWC, and Fortis have focused on pilot models for years and offer highly sought-after pieces. But why are these types of watches so popular and what are their characteristics? How the pilot watch originated and how its history continues in the 21st century, you will learn in this article.

Characteristics of pilot watches

With the development of the first pilot watches in the 1920s and 1930s, the watch industry followed the first steps of aviation. Pilot watches are characterized by a particularly easy-to-read dial. Often, there is the option to wear the watch over the sleeve of a pilot jacket with an extendable strap. The models are generally also largely resistant to shocks and are waterproof. Many manufacturers also rely on an antimagnetic movement design and on hands and numerals treated with luminous paint.

An important criterion is the good readability of the dial under difficult lighting conditions, such as twilight and dusk. Clear dials are especially important here. Furthermore, the quality of the glass is crucial, as pilot watches are sometimes exposed to high stresses. Scratches or light reflections would strongly affect readability, which is why great value is placed on quality in many aspects.

What can pilot watches do that other watches cannot?

A variety of different luxury watch brands offer an extensive range of pilot watches. Usually, the models are automatic or manual winding and additionally have a chronograph function.

The most beautiful and special pilot watches are characterized by a rotating subdial or bezel. This allows calculations to be made and navigation to be perfected. A function that was found on many pilot watches around wartime was the so-called “playback function.” Pressing the pusher could stop intermediate times.

A selection of the most beautiful pilot watches from our offered brands

Longines

Pilot watches became known and popular especially through the brand Longines, the pioneer of this watch type. The Longines Lindbergh was the first pilot watch developed for navigation on board an aircraft. Charles Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic in 1927 with this watch.
The special feature of the Longines Lindbergh is the small rotating subdial in the center and the rotating bezel, which allows reading the so-called “Greenwich hour angle.” This is used to calculate a longitude.

Breitling

The luxury brand Breitling offers numerous models for every taste. Two distinctive pilot models from the manufacturer are Navitimer and Professional Cockpit B50.
The probably most famous pilot watch worldwide is the Breitling Navitimer. It features the well-known rotating scale, which allows multiplication and division as well as calculations of hourly speed, fuel consumption, and distance during landing.
On the Breitling Professional Cockpit B50 two digital displays dominate the dial. Various pre-programmed modes can be shown on them, which also allow complex calculations of flight data, etc.

Fortis

Die Fliegermodelle von Fortis Pilot Professional, Flieger Chronograph und Flieger Cockpit gleichen sich meist im Stil. Drehbare Zifferblätter oder Lünetten gibt es bei Fortis kaum. Die Marke stützt sich vor allem auf eindeutig lesbare Zifferblätter, d.h. weiße Zahlen auf einem schwarzen Untergrund. Datum und Wochentagsanzeige werden oft vor einem weißen Abschnitt hervorgehoben. Es gibt auch einige Uhren von Fortis mit buntem oder weißem Zifferblatt, in der Regel werden sie aber nach dem klassischen Vorbild mit schwarzem Zifferblatt gefertigt.

IWC

The first Pilot watches from IWC were introduced in 1936. They already had an anti-magnetic case construction, which made them very accurate like chronometers. Pilot watches from the IWC brand are limited to the essentials, i.e., they have a clear dial and clearly highlighted hands and numerals. The cases are round because they visually resemble the cockpit instruments of an aircraft.

Many IWC watches are sought-after collector's items today because they attract interest through high quality and famous models. For example, the Mark 11 model was made for the Royal Air Force and has been in use there for over 30 years.

Omega

Omega also relies on the best readability of the dial for its Pilot watches. In darkness, hands and numerals are highlighted by luminous material. The grooved crown offers particularly easy handling, as it protrudes further from the case than usual and the Pilot can easily grip it even with gloves. Compared to other brands, Omega's Pilot model is not equipped with additional calculation functions. Quick reading and accurate time are clearly the main focus here.