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.
Glashutte Original
Glashutte Original Senator Observer Automatic
The Glashutte Original Senator Observer (ref. 100-14-07-02-30) brings you an impressive mix of a perfect self-winding mechanism, a dial that is easy to read in any circumstances, and a nicely sculpted case inherited from an earlier iteration, all seasoned with that attention to even most minuscule details that only German watchmakers exhibit regardless of the price tag that comes with their timekeepers.
Glashutte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date
Like many wristwatches that were introduced recently by Swiss-based and German majors, the Glashutte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date is strongly inspired by models from the 1970s. Simple and elegant, the timepiece (especially the versions with ruthenium grey and galvanized blue dials) offers superb legibility and is powered by a hand-decorated Caliber 37-02 self-winding movement with 70 hours of power reserve and one of the most refined oscillating weight that money can buy.
Glashutte Original Sixties Panorama Date Automatic
Deliciously vintage, yet absolutely modern, the Glashutte Original Sixties Panorama Date (ref. 39-47-06-02-04) successfully delivers everything that one could expect from a contemporary timepiece inspired by the roaring 1960s. This device delivers you a clean, easily readable dial, as well as a meticulously designed and painstakingly executed self-winding caliber packed into a perfectly sculpted case. All in all, you get a timekeeper that perfectly represents a decade that put a man on the Moon and gave us Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Janis Joplin.
2012 Glashutte Original PanoMaticLunar in Rose Gold and Steel
During the Baselworld 2012, the German watchmaker has presented its new take on their bestselling Glashutte Original PanoMaticLunar. Coming in a little bit larger case than the outgoing model, the self-winding timepiece is available both in an expensive rose (with a reddish tint to it) gold and in a more affordable stainless steel and can be ordered on a wide choice of straps, including a steel bracelet that adds to the grad total almost a thousand more Euros. Now, tell me about price targeting.
Glashutte Original Senator Observer in Stainless Steel
I somehow missed it last year when the German Manufacture has introduced its elegant Glashutte Original Senator Observer. Presented in white gold, it was as beautiful as it was expensive, so, for this year, the guys from the town of Glashütte decided to introduce a slightly more affordable version of the Observer in a finely crafted stainless steel body. Officially presented at Baselworld 2012, it was designated as ref. 100-14-05-02-04.
Glashutte Original Senator Perpetual Calendar
The refreshed Glashutte Original Senator Perpetual Calendar Automatic (refs. 100-02-22-12-05, 100-02-25-05-04 & 100-02-25-05-05) offers one of the most legible mechanical calendar timekeepers money can buy. You will need a lot of money to get one, though: it is about twice as expensive than your normal ETA 7750-based “perpetual calendar” in a standard rose gold body of similar size.
Glashutte Original Senator Navigator WorldView (Ref. 39-47-07-07-04)
During Baselworld 2011, Glashutte Original has presented a number of timekeepers, all of them beautiful in their own way. One of the most interesting (at least, to yours truly) products that were exhibited in Basel, was the gorgeous Senator Navigator WorldView (Ref. 39-47-07-07-04) that tries to monetize general public’s growing interest to all kinds of “pilot’s” watches. Surprisingly affordable (like, affordable for a brand that often offers three-handers in stainless steel for a price of an 18-karat gold Longines chronograph) yet smart, the gadget combines a deliberately vintage dial with a high-grade in-house caliber.
Glashütte Original PanoMaticLunar XL in Stainless Steel (ref. 90-02-36-12-05)
Previously available only in rose and white gold, the gorgeous Glashuette Original PanoMaticLunar XL (ref. 90-02-36-12-05) now comes in a more affordable stainless steel case. However, despite the introduction of a cheaper version, the product line still looks highly refined and even stately thanks to the German watchmaker’s great attention to details and unrivaled build quality.
Glashütte Original PanoMatic Counter XL
Introduced at the beginning of the year, the Glashütte Original PanoMatic Counter XL (ref. 96-01-02-02-04) is among the rare few luxury timekeepers that offer unsurpassed quality and style for -ahem- reasonable money.