If you have a body (or at least wrists) of heroic proportions and are not willing to pay thousands of dollars for ridiculously overpriced timepieces like, say, IWC Doppel-Chronograph Top Gun, then you may want to check out the vintage-styled Archimede Pilot XL , which is both ruggedly-classy and, priced well below the €500 mark, surprisingly affordable.
Pilot's
Victorinox Swiss Army Airboss Mach 4 “Aviator”
First unveiled at the Baselworld 2009 and going on sale at the beginning of October of the same year, the Victorinox Swiss Army Airboss Mach 4 (ref. 241381) featured a “love it or hate it, we don’t care” layout of its huge dial, but had at least one advantage over competitors that you just could’t deny: it was powered by an almost legendary Unitas 6497 hand-wound movement known for its impressive power reserve, the decent ability for keeping good time, as well as that old-school charisma that more modern mechanisms simply don’t have.
Breitling Airwolf Raven Special Edition chronograph
Originally introduced to the Professional line back in 2006, Breitling’s hi-tech Airwolf electronic chronograph with a digital-analog display is now available as the Airwolf Raven special-edition model.
Revue Thommen Airspeed Instrument RT1920
Revue Thommen has just presented the new Airspeed Instrument RT1920: a new member of its –ahem– controversial Bell & Ross-styled line of “aviators”. As you can see, the guys behind the –ahem– aspiring Swiss-based brand even preserved all four Arabic numerals from the series name, although, apparently for copyright reasons, put them in a slightly different order.
Breitling Navitimer 125th Anniversary Chronograph
The 2009 Breitling Navitimer 125th Anniversary successfully mixes the brand’s signature bold styling with the legendary slide-rule bezel in a surprisingly compact 43 mm stainless steel case. Although I find some of its design elements puzzling to say the least (I am talking mostly about the “unique” Air Racer bracelet that, to my eyes, looks here like a set of polished 22-inch light alloy rims on a 1946 Cadillac Series 62 coupe: they do the job, but make an awkward impression), with the bracelet replaced for something more adequate the gadget will be a crown jewel in any collection of pilot’s watches.
Victorinox AirBoss Mach 6 Power Gauge “Aviator”
Featuring a cluttered dial and an oversized body, the Victorinox Swiss Army AirBoss Mach 6 Power Gauge doesn’t look like a practical choice. However, the exaggerated busyness of the exterior and the nice finish of its mechanical movement makes this “aviator” a nice fashion accessory for those who always dreamed about accomplishing a tour of duty on a real aircraft carrier.