Ten Aviation Watches for every type of income

The men’s passion for everything to do with action on the airwaves is also brilliantly expressed in watchmaking. Here are ten wrist suggestions for fliers and gentlemen that don’t require a pilot’s license.

At the beginning of the 20th century, pocket watches dominated, and for pilots in particular this was a problem. There were not a few who adjusted their pocket watch to their wrist with a strap. In 1904, Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont shared with his watchmaker friend Louis Cartier a need: he needed a reliable way to tell the time while flying, without taking his hands off the aircraft controls. Thus was born the Cartier Santos, a small gold watch with a square shape and exposed screws, which went down in history as the first aviation watch. Since then there have been dozens of inventions and innovations that have made a pilot’s job easier while flying. One of the most characteristic examples is that of the logarithmic rule introduced by Breitling with the Navitimer model, while many other companies such as IWC, Bell & Ross and Longines focused their efforts on pilot’s watches, particularly during the war years.

What are the special features of an aviation watch?

1. Large and easy to read dial. To enable a pilot to read the time quickly and easily at any time of a flight, day or night, in good or bad weather. That is why most aviation watches have large, dark dials with large numbers and indications in strong color contrast.

2. Light indications. So that the pilot can accurately and safely read the time and the indications of the clock during flight in low light conditions, even in the dark.

3. Large crown. Historically pilots wore gloves when piloting an aircraft so the crown had to be bulky enough to handle without removing their gloves.

4. Special indications on the bezel. Some aviation watches have additional indications on their bezel, e.g. a small flight computer that allows them to perform calculations on fuel consumption or wind correction angles.

5. Second hour or GMT function. A very useful addition to aviation watches is having a second hour or GMT hand, as it allows pilots to find the different time zones as well as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Let’s look at a selection of aviation models on the market that cover a wide range of prices, so you can discover what suits your taste and pocket. We present them to you based on their price, from the most expensive to the cheapest.