The Oris Big Crown ProPilot Day Date (ref. 01 752 7698 4164-07 5 22 17FC) combines a vintage-modern (I hope, Marshall Amps won’t mind me using the combination of words) design of its moderately oversized stainless steel body with an inexpensive self-winding movement with day/date display that they outsource from Sellita. Easily readable and comfortable thanks to its ergonomically shaped case and a nicely designed folding clasp, the watch is priced at just over €1300 but delivers a lot more value than most similarly priced timekeepers with the same functionality.
Pilot's
Homage to CAF: Longines Heritage 1935 Pilot
With its lovingly reproduced look and feel of the original Longines CAF “aviator” that was first introduced almost 80 years ago (it was actually an evolution of one of their even older models from the 1920s), the 2014 Longines Heritage 1935 (Ref. L2.794.4.53.0) gives you a perfect chance to own a timekeeper that perfectly blends the unique design language of the pre-war era with modern technology.
Celebrating the Centennial: Glycine F104 Pilot
Commemorating the Swiss brand’s 100th Anniversary, the automatic Glycine F104 Pilot (Ref. 3932.146AT.LB7R) delivers that great mix of a clean, easy to read dial with an easy to recognize pre-WWII styling, and deliberately oversized body: something that you rarely see when it comes to pilot’s watches designed during the last decade or two. Although, like a number of recently introduced timekeepers that try to strike your imagination with monsters that look ridiculous on almost any wrist of a man of a normal stature, this one will not look that great if you decide to wear it with formal suit, it is still an interesting collectible item that one can even wear from time to time. Perhaps, combine it with an equally expensive winter bomber jacket that would be able to somehow hid the gadget’s overall bulkiness?
Breitling Chronomat Airborne 30th Anniversary 41/44
Breitling, the company that likes to be associated with anything that has an even passing relationship with the sky, greatly appreciates its long-standing partnership with Frecce Tricolori, the Italian Air Force aerobatics team.
It was less than 18 months ago that the brand introduced the limited-edition Chronomat Frecce Tricolori 44: a member of the family that differed from its siblings only with the team’s logo printed on its black dial. This year, they introduce their 2014 Chronomat Airborne 30th Anniversary: another limited edition that, as the name implies, celebrates the 30th anniversary of their relationship. Available both in a compact 41 mm body and in a more impressive 44 mm case, the chronograph looks a lot more original, comes with two colors of its dial, and is equipped with a high-grade, in-house chronograph movement.
Oris Big Crown Timer Chronograph 675 7648 4234 LS
Based on their 2011 Big Crown X1 Calculator, the Oris Big Crown Timer Chronograph (Ref. 675 7648 4234 LS) features only subtle cosmetic changes that, however, make all the difference: as cluttered as the base version is, the gadget still somehow manages to look cleaner and is easier to read.
Alpina Startimer Pilot Sunray (Ref. AL-525GB4S6)
About two years ago, the Swiss watchmaker has introduced its vintage-styled Startimer Classic three-hander (Ref. AL-525SCR4S6). With a sleek, easy-to-read dial, the timekeeper looked great and probably generated good sales because for this year the company re-introduced the watch as an Alpina Startimer Pilot Sunray (Ref. AL-525GB4S6).