Swiss Watches
Today, on January 15th, 2019, at SIHH 2019, the Swiss watchmaker has officially presented the new IWC Bronze Pilot 36mm Special Edition Automatic wristwatch: a beautiful homage to a timekeeper that was introduced over 70 years ago and was worn by the British Royal Air Force pilots for many years to come. Featuring a deliciously compact and surprisingly -for a watch powered by a self-winding caliber- slim case machined from a bronze alloy, it looks stunning new and has a great potential to age graciously together with its owner.
Swiss Watches
Designed for a person who thought that Ulysse Nardin's earlier Diver Chronometer 44 was too pricey, too big, and too cluttered for a diver (or, perhaps, for a person who is happy with the watch and wanted to augment their collection with a simpler version of the watch,) the new Ulysse Nardin Diver 42 automatic three-hander offers a beautiful, clean exterior, superior build quality, and a mechanism that, alas, is a bit too simple for the price that the Swiss watchmaker asks for this thing.
British watches
The new Christopher Ward C1 Grand Malvern Worldtimer (the model with reference number C01-43AWT2-S00W0-CC with a "Camel" leather strap is reviewed here, but there are two more versions available with "Tan" and "Blue" leather bands,) is the young watchmaking brand's latest attempt to conquer the niche of dressy UTC watches. This time, the watch offers a better calculated combination of good qulity, great exterior, and a nice automatic movement that is equipped with a complication that is manufactured exclusively for Chr. Ward by its long-standing Swiss-based partner.
Japanese watches
In a matter of days, the Japanese conglomerate Seiko will start selling the new Grand Seiko Sport Collection Spring Drive GMT Limited Edition (Ref. SBGE245G) hybrid-powered wristwatch. With the luxury gadget being limited to the Japanese domestic market, the watch will be a bit difficult to come by if you happen to live on the other side of the globe. Yet, the device is so beautiful, so impressive that is seems to be absolutely worth going into all the trouble to get one.
Swiss Watches
Earlier this year, the German watchmaker Steinhart has issued their new take on the concept of a "vintage-modern pilot's watch". Successfully blending vintage exterior with a classic caliber and modern CNC machinery, the new Steinhart Nav.B-Chrono 47 Baumuster B Grey Edition (ref. 106-0877) offers, perhaps, the best "value for money" ratio for those interested in buying a relatively affordable brand new pilot's timekeeper.
Swiss Watches
Created in collaboration with MR PORTER, one of their major partners that sells all things luxury, the new Breitling Navitimer Aviator 8 B01 Chronograph 43 is limited to just 1000 pieces, packs a great in-house chronograph caliber, and, as real estate agents like to say, is priced to sell in a market over-saturated with equally elegant pilot's watches produced by well-established brands like Omega and IWC.
Japanese watches / Quartz watches
To some, the new Casio G-Shock Rangeman (ref. GPR-B1000-1 / 1B) line of adventure watches may look like a glorified steam engine trying to compete with sleek and glossy bullet trains. Still, offering solar-assisted GPS navigation, adequate (although not stunning) battery life, as well as a bunch of other usable (the watch won't bother you with incoming messages alarms, but will let you retrace your route step by step if you somehow get lost in a wilderness) functions, this gadget looks like a reliable backup for your standalone professional GPS tracker.
Buyer's Guide
Looking at our stats, I see that demand for recommendations regarding diving watches is a seasonal thing with most visitors coming in summer and then gradually declining till Christmas only to start growing again in early January. "Pilots" are different animals: I have an impression that people are always interested in "aviators" regardless of the time of season. So, for your reading pleasure, a choice of fifteen timekeepers from under $200 to more than $10,000 as priced by online retailers that I find worthy of being considered while shopping for your new (or maybe your very first!) pilot's watch this year.