Pilot’s watches, a once-dominant sector of the watch market, (remember when Breitling was the coolest thing going?) seem to be experiencing a bit of a resurgence. Whilst Breitling Pilot’s watches are no longer as sought after as they were about 15 years ago, IWC is absolutely back in vogue. If you are a regular viewer of watch channels on YouTube you will no doubt be familiar with the famous Seiko Flightmaster “Flightie” similarly you will no doubt have heard much talk of “Fliegers”. I welcome this turn of events as dive watches will never go out of fashion, they can tend towards being a little bit samey as distant cousins of the Rolex Submariner but powered by Seiko NH35. Pilot’s watches have always been at the top of my list – I still long for a Navitimer…. A Navitimer or IWC is going to set you back a fairly substantial amount of money. However, if you want to feel like Tom Cruise or Buzz Aldrin or The Red baron or whatever pilot fantasy you nurture there are an abundance of timepieces that you can get on your wrist for less than $500. My recommendations are not in any particular order. Each of these watches is good and has a unique charm and I do not aspire to rank them.
When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The Seiko Flight Master
Model Number: Seiko – SNA411P1
![](https://tfhorology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/apibe8tgs__22747.1619741680-768x1024.jpg)
Get one here (eBay affiliate link)
This is possibly the most popular entry-level pilots watch on the internet. Dubbed the Flightie by UrbanGentry’s TGV, it is many people’s do-to Breitling Navitimer alternative. Its fussy dial and business-first demeanour has a lot of fans. I don’t own one but I could absolutely be converted to this contemporary classic.
The Watch has a million functions and features. If you are a real pilot and for some reason don’t use modern pilot apps on an iPad, this watch is all the pilots watch you need or could get circa 1985.
Being a Seiko it has dreadful mineral crystal where it should have a piece of sapphire. That is the only real downside to this watch. I found one here for £299(eBay affiliate link).
Specification:
- 42mm stainless steel case
- 200m water resistance for terrible pilots
- Bidirectional slide rule bezel
- 13mm thick
Laco Valencia
![](https://tfhorology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/861651-2-desktop-1024x576.jpeg)
Model Number: 862090 and 861651.2
Laco is a brand famous for being one of the original manufacturers of “fliger” pilots watches for the Luftwaffe in WW2. While the activities of the german rich in the 30s and 40s have not covered the german people in much glory, they did indeed exhibit a particularly dashing style as they went about their atrocities. The Luftwaffe Fliger type A and B are much emulated as they are a design classic and they are great watches. The original Luftwaffe variants were very large and designed to be strapped to the outside of leather flying gear. Pilots watches probably are the original oversized watches. Laco watches are now scaled to fit the wrist directly and tend to be around 42mm.
The Laco Valencia however is a design that harks back to German Navy designs from the 1920s. The Weimar years were altogether less ethically bothersome than the Nazi era making these designs a little easier on the conscience. Not that there is anything wrong with a Flieger, that is for each person to decide for themselves but the Valencia is a breath of fresh air in this space. The Laco Valencia is available in two sizes, 39mm and 42mm.
This piece of horological history is available for a very reasonable price. Laco despite being a European brand with a great deal of important heritage has not chosen to go for upmarket pricing. The Laco Valencia is available on eBay (affiliate link)
Specification:
- Case 42mm or 38mm
- Sapphire Crystal
- Movement Laco 21 (Miyota 821A)
- Full Lume Dial
- 50m Water Resistance
If you are interested in flying and have not looked at Laco before I recommend taking a good look at their portfolio.
Revue Thommen Airspeed Vintage (eBay affiliate link)
Model Number: 17060.2523
![](https://tfhorology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/revue-thommen-airspeed-vintage-automatic-black-dial-mens-watch-170602527-170602527_2.jpeg)
We need to talk about Revue Thommen. This is probably the least appreciated heritage watchmaker working in the space of pilot’s watches. RT have been making watches and aircraft instruments since 1853 – okay they made aircraft instruments later. Nevertheless with a heritage comparable to Longines and credentials in the aviation space easily matching Breitling, why does no one know about them? I have an Airspeed XL myself and I can attest that is indeed an excellent watch. It is very well made and finished. It has a unique design with an extremely high visibility dial. I recommend it if you can find one.
The watch I want to discuss today though is the Airspeed Vintage. This watch is a bit of a homage to the Hanhart Pioneer One, well, no, it is a lot of a Homage. But it is approximately a third of the price. That sort of sums up what Revue Thommen is doing in the Aviation space nowadays, affordable high-quality homages of Hanhart and Breitling. Or perhaps I am not being fair. Their range is diverse with a lot of original design therein but the beautiful and interesting Airspeed vintage is a homage but a very cool one.
You can find them on eBay for £506 (affiliate link) or you can Google around to find a better deal. They are not common but nice if you can find them.
Specsheet:
- Movement SW 200 Automatic Movement, 26 jewels
- Water resistance10 ATM/ 330 feet
- Case diameter 44.5 mm
- Case thickness11.3 mm
- Weight 100 gram
- Glass sapphire crystal
Seagull 1963
Buy one here(affiliate link)
![](https://tfhorology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20516288-mlgwskuh2lruiexzau87cplu-ExtraLarge.jpeg)
This is a very popular watch right now and has been for the last 3-4 years. The Seagull 1963 is a reissue of a 1963 design for a watch to be used by pilots in the Chinese Airforce. This mechanical chronograph uses the rather famous ST1903 movement which itself is a continuation of the Venus 175 movement formerly found in many famous chronographs of the 1950s and 60s, particularly the Breitling Navitimer. The Seagull 1963 is a tricky watch to buy. Ali Express is full of retailers selling similar-looking watches with the ST1903 movement. However, there is apparently an OG 1963 made by Seagull themselves. The best way to tell these apart apparently is they do not have exhibition case backs and are all 38mm. Personally, I find these don’t fit me well. They are a little bit small and tall and feel as if they bobble on my wrist so I struggle to really bond with mine. I know a lot of collectors love theirs so I guess it is just me. These can be bought from Ali Express for about £150 sometimes less with hundreds to choose from. They are all pretty similar. The big differences are 38 or 40mm and there is usually an option for Sapphire or Acrylic crystal.
Specsheet:
- Movement: Original China Seagull ST1901 Chronopragh movement.
- Case Material: 316L stainless steel.
- Case diameter: 38.00mm,40mm
- Case thickness: 13.00mm.
- Bracelet Material: Leather, Canvas,Nylon
Hemel Airfoil
![](https://tfhorology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/HF1533_1024x.webp)
This microbrand is really worthy of respect. They have been producing beautifully designed original watches at very reasonable prices for several years now. I have been particularly captivated by their Airfoil chronograph which is inspired by 1970s era RAF pilot watches. The Airfoil is available as both a mechaquartz and a mechanical. The former is powered by a Seiko VK63 and the latter by the same Seagull ST1903 movement as the 1963 discussed earlier. The airfoil is available in a few colourways but as a Microbrand they do tend to sell out. They have a very handsome black dial variant which would usually best the pick of the lot if it were not for the lume dial variant which is nothing short of spectacular. If you are reading this you may be familiar with “Just One More Watch” and “Lume Wars” check out Lume Wars episode 8 for more of this glorious lume dial number. These watches are available from Hemel’s own website for $499.99
- Movement: ST19 w/Swan Neck Regulator. Hand-winding mechanical caliber.
- Case: 316L Stainless Steel, polished
- Case Width: 42 mm
- Case Thickness: 13.4 mm
- Lug Width: 22 mm
- Lug to Lug: 49 mm
- Dial: Matte black w/Superluminova C3
- Front Crystal: Double domed sapphire w/AR coating
- Water Resistance: 100 meters
- Crown: Signed, push / pull
- Bezel: 120 click rotating, C3 lume, ceramic.
Rotary Henley Chronograph
Buy one here(affiliate link)
![](https://tfhorology.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/xgb05235_05_a_2.jpg.pagespeed.ic_.m_37m8rUxz-768x1024.jpg)
Rotary is a heritage brand that while it was founded in Switzerland has been British-based for a long time. They have a big presence in the fashion watch market in the UK and are stocked by almost every watch retailer I have seen. They have a heritage of making military watches in WW2 but since the Quartz crisis has been more on the fashion side. I have a Breitling Navitimer homage that I have a lot of affection for. We go back a long time. More recently though Rotary has been introducing a number of very good-looking watches in their Henley range. These watches are mostly quartz but have a few automatics too. Rotary makes a very good quality watch with high standards of finishing and intricate dials.
The Henley Chronograph has an original design however it is very much in the mode of a Navitimer. They have elegant lines and a number of different colourways. If you are interested in the Seiko Flightmaster you should have a look at one of these too as a more elegant alternative. I found one on Amazon for £129(affiliate link).
Specification:
- Case Width: 42
- Case Depth: 11.5
- Dial Colour: Blue
- Glass Type: SAPPHIRE
- Water Resistance: 50 Meter
- Movement Quartz chronograph (Miyota)
I hope that list has got you thinking about alternative pilot’s watches to buy this year. Do you have any recommendations of watches I left out?
“When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.”