Round-UpThe Top 10 Aviation Watches In 2024 For Quality Airtime

Classic pilot or aviation watches are timepieces geared for aeronautic pursuits. Aviator dials include typical features such as big dials, Arabic numeral hour markers in large font, dual time or GMT function, and triangular marker flanked by two dots in place of 12 o’clock hour marker, and more. An oversized crown is a prerequisite to ensure a good grip to make time adjustments while wearing heavy pilot gloves. A robust case (measuring 40mm and above, made from metal/alloy) becomes bankable during military operations, especially in dystopian scenarios such as war. Such watches are highly legible so that the pilot can quickly check the time and make aeronautical calculations or estimations while flying a plane. Here’s listing 10 watches, that fulfil the gold standard in aviation, manufactured by watch Maisons that have been producing generational robust tool watches for commercial pilots, military forces, aeronautical professionals and enthusiasts.

Top 10 Aviation Watches in 2024:

1. Alpina Startimer Pilot Automatic Chronograph
2. Bell & Ross BR 03 Gyrocompass 41 mm
3. Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43MM Special Edition
4. Bremont ALT1-WT
5. H. Moser & Cie Heritage Centre Seconds
6. IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Top Gun
7. Longines Pilot Majetek
8. Oris Wings Of Hope
9. Tutima Grand Flieger Chronograph
10. Zenith Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Rescue

Alpina Startimer Pilot Automatic Chronograph

Amateur pilots, aviation enthusiasts and those considering to buy their first pilot’s watch, will find it easy to comprehend the Alpina Startimer. It’s a classic pilot’s watch, with stainless steel case measuring 44mm, cradling an aviation design themed dial.

This dial incorporates a black bicompax format with the hour sub-dial at six o’clock and minutes sub-dial at 12 o’clock; a slim seconds hand with the Alpina triangle at its rear (also at 12 o’clock); Super-LumiNova applied leaf-shaped hands and sans serif Arabic hour markers; and date aperture at three o’clock. The contrasting military green matt dial surface harks to the brand’s history of being the official manufacturer for the armed forces. Two pushers and a screw-in pilot crown lets you adjust the time. Powering the Startimer is the in-house AL-725 automatic chronograph movement, offering upto 46 hours of power reserve when fully wound. Overall, the watch promises upto 100m water resistance.

Alpina Startimer Pilot Automatic Chronograph In A Nutshell

• Case: Stainless steel; 44mm, with sapphire crystal; green, blue, or black dial
• Functions and display: Date aperture; bicompax counters at six and 12 o’clock; Super-LumiNova applied hands and hour markers; big sized Arabic numeral hour markers; Alpina triangle at 12 o’clock, rear of seconds hand, upto 100m water resistance
• Movement: Automatic calibre AL-725; 42-hour power reserve; 28,800vph
• Strap: Brown leather with pin buckle

Aviation watches: Bell & Ross BR 03 Gyrocompass

The BR 03 Gyrocompass takes inspiration from the ‘course indicator’—a vital tool that allows pilots to grasp their direction of travel with a quick glance. This 41mm timepiece inspired by the head-up display of a cockpit, as noticed with the fighter jet silhouette in the dial is indeed the hour hand for the watch. This ‘star of the show’ is coloured in a canary yellow tint. Acting as the hour hand, it takes up most of the dial, while the minute and second hands are muted in matt black, with only the white, luminous tips visible. The elevated flange that surrounds the dial features four navigation markers and a minute ring. The cardinal points and their triangular indices on the dial are coated with Super-LumiNova with a green emission colour, while the time indications are highlighted by blue emission. Powering all this is the BR-CAL.302 self-winding calibre, which beats at a frequency of 28,800vph and offers a power reserve of 54 hours.

Bell & Ross BR 03 Gyrocompass In A Nutshell

• Case: Matt black ceramic; 41mm; with antireflective sapphire crystal
• Functions and display: Fighter jet silhouette, Super-LumiNova applied hands, four cardinal pointers, triangle-shaped indices; date aperture; black flange with white minute marker; upto 100m water resistance
• Movement: Self-winding calibre BR-CAL.302; 54-hour power reserve; 28,800vph
• Strap: Black rubber and synthetic fabric with steel applied black PVD pin buckle

Bell & Ross Instruments

₹4,20,000

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Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43MM Special Edition

The Breitling Navitimer B01 chronograph with ice blue dial is an India-Exclusive special edition of 50 pieces (25 pieces with stainless steel and 25 with blue leather strap), created to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Ethos Watches in 2023. The Navitimer (portmanteau of ‘navigation’ and ‘timer’) line was incepted in 1952 by Willy Breitling, grandson of the brand’s founder Léon Breitling, decided to develop a wrist-worn pilot’s tool. The timepieces still feature the signature chronograph and circular slide-rule—a scale used to perform flight calculations. It was christened ‘Navitimer’ in 1954, after it was adopted as the official timepiece of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA)—the largest club of aviators in the world. This ice blue Navitimer features lume applied indexes, pencil-shaped hands, central chronograph seconds hand. There are the 30-minute and 12-hour chronograph counters at three and six o’clock, and the running seconds at nine o’clock. A silver-hued AOPA logo under 12 o’clock adds to the sheen. It can run for up to a 70 hours when fully wound. It’s COSC-certified chronometer movement Breitling 01 can be viewed from the caseback.

Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43MM Special Edition In A Nutshell

• Case: Steel round case; 43mm; with sapphire crystal; ice blue dial
• Functions and display: Circular slide rule; AOPA logo under 12 o’clock; Chronograph counters at three, six o’clock, and nine o’clock; date aperture, Super-LumiNova applied hands and indices’ tips; bidirectional rotating bezel; openworked caseback
• Movement: Automatic Breitling 01 calibre; 70 hours of power reserve; 28,800vph
• Strap: Integrated steel with folding clasp

Aviation watches: Bremont Altitude Alt1-WT

The Altitude Alt1-WT is Bremont’s word-timer watch created in collaboration with crews on the US Airforce’s C-17 Globemaster, a strategic carrier aircraft used to deliver troops and cargo to bases across the world. The beauty of this timepiece is the rotating inner bezel which displays the names of cities that correspond with the 24 time zones against a white ring, and controlled via a crown at eight o’clock. The brand’s ‘Roto-click’ function makes adjusting this inner bezel easy (and a ton of fun). An angled view of the globe’s latitudes and longitudes are disrupted by three black sub-dials and a date window at three o’clock. Pops of yellow on the hands make this a really cool-looking timepiece.

Bremont Altitude Alt1-WT In A Nutshell

• Case: Steel, 42mm, with sapphire crystal; see-through caseback
• Functions and display: Tricompax format; world timer with 24 time zones; date window; inner bezel operational via ‘roto-click’; upto 100m water resistance
• Movement: Automatic calibre BE-54AE; 42-hour power reserve; 28,800vph
• Strap: Integrated steel bracelet with folding clasp

The Altitude Alt1-WT is Bremont’s word-timer watch created in collaboration with crews on the US Airforce’s C-17 Globemaster, a strategic carrier aircraft used to deliver troops and cargo to bases across the world

The beauty of this timepiece is the rotating inner bezel which displays the names of cities that correspond with the 24 time zones against a white ring, and controlled via a crown at eight o’clock

Bremont Altitude

₹5,67,000

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H. Moser & Cie Heritage Centre Seconds

The Heritage Centre Seconds is a retro-styled pilot watch, featuring a round steel case with thin wired lugs, a protruding onion-shaped crown, oversized Arabic numerals, sword-shaped timekeeping hands, along with a traditionally-styled railway minute track. What lends modernity to the timepiece is the use of Globolight—an innovative ceramic-based material infused with Super-LumiNova—for the hour markers. The fumé dial of the watch comes in a ‘funky blue’ hue, which appears both refreshing and calm. This timepiece is equipped with the in-house HMC 200 movement, which features an open-worked rotor and is finished with the well-known Moser double stripes. The calibre, which is visible through an exhibition caseback, beats at a frequency of 21,600vph and offers a power reserve of at least three days.

H. Moser & Cie Heritage Centre Seconds In A Nutshell

• Case: Round steel case, 42mm, with sapphire crystal; Funky blue fumé dial
• Functions and display: Arabic hour markers with three-dimensional Globolight®; onion crown; openworked caseback
• Movement: Automatic calibre HMC 200; upto three days of power reserve; 21,600vph
• Strap: Kudu; with complimentary option in black; Ardillon buckle

H. Moser & Cie. Heritage

₹16,00,000

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IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Top Gun

IWC is no stranger to the world of aviation watches, having provided aviation timekeeping instruments during both World Wars. Their Pilot’s Watch collection features ceramic editions like the Automatic Top Gun timepiece. It is named after the US Navy’s Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor programme, which trains the finest US Navy pilots. This all-black Top Gun is crafted from ceramic—41mm in diameter and water resistant to 60m—with a steel caseback that is emblazoned with the Top Gun emblem. The black dial features luminescence on the hands as well as the oversized Arabic numeral markers, which are in keeping with design codes of aviation watches, along with the large crown. This handsome piece is powered by the IWC calibre 32110, which offers a significant power reserve of 72 hours.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Top Gun In A Nutshell

• Case: Ceramic, 43.8mm, with sapphire crystal; black dial; openworked caseback
• Functions and display: Super-LumiNova applied hands and Arabic numeral hour markers; triangular marker flanked by two dots indicating 12 o’clock; big crown; upto 100m water resistance
• Movement: Automatic calibre 82100; 60 hours of power reserve; 28,800vph
• Strap: Black textile with steel folding clasp

The IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Top Gun is named after the US Navy’s Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor programme, which trains the finest US Navy pilots

This all-black Top Gun is crafted from ceramic—41mm in diameter and water resistant to 60m—with a steel caseback that is emblazoned with the Top Gun emblem

IWC Pilot’s Watches

₹9,74,000

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Aviation Watches: Longines Pilot Majetek

Originally designed for the Czech military, ‘Majetek’ is derived from the Czech inscription on the 1935 original first-issue—‘majetek vojenske spravy’, which translates to ‘property of the military’—a whimsical request made to the wearer to return the watch or majetek ‘property’ to the rightful owner; in this case, the military. The watch is touted as a navigational tool for the triangular pointer that sits under the sapphire crystal but attached to the fluted rotating bezel. This pointer is the countdown timer, positioned ahead of the desired time, inbuilt to let pilots determine the precise moment for changing course during the flight. This watch features vintage cream hands and hour markers, embossed with ‘old radium’-toned Super-LumiNova that emits yellow light. A small seconds sub-dial outlined in military rail track design sits over the six o’clock hour marker. The Pilot Majetek runs on the COSC-certified calibre L893.6 that features a silicon balance spring to battle magnetism and accuracy with maximum deviation of -4/+6 seconds per day.

Longines Pilot Majetek In A Nutshell

• Case: Stainless steel cushion shaped, 43mm, with sapphire crystal; black dial; closed caseback
• Functions and display: Super-LumiNova applied hands and Arabic numeral hour markers; small seconds counter; bidirectional rotating bezel; upto 100m water resistance; screw in crown
• Movement: Automatic calibre L893; 42-hour power reserve; 28,800vph
• Strap: Brown leather

Oris Big Crown Wings Of Hope Limited Edition

The featured watch is one of the two variations of aviation watches that Oris created to raise money for Wings of Hope, an American aeronautical humanitarian organisation that brings medical support to marginalised groups in over 50 countries. This 40mm stainless steel watch falls under the brand’s Big Crown Pilot line, in a limited edition of 1,000 pieces. The white dial features large Arabic numeral hour markers and baton hands, all Super-LumiNova applied—under a protective sapphire crystal. This two-handed watch features the small seconds as sector sub-dial at six o’clock. Powered by automatic winding Calibre Oris 401, it offers an impressive power reserve of five days. The watch comes is secured to a Cervo Volante sustainable deer leather strap with steel pinbuckle.

Oris Big Crown Wings Of Hope Limited Edition

• Case: Multi-piece stainless steel, 40mm, with sapphire crystal; white dial
• Functions and display: Date aperture, Super-LumiNova applied hands and hour markers; upto 50m water resistance
• Movement: Automatic winding Calibre 401; five days of power reserve; 28,800vph; uni-directionally rotating rotor; high anti-magnetism
• Strap: Brown leather with steel Ardillon buckle

Oris Big Crown

₹3,60,000

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Aviation watches: Tutima Grand Flieger Chronograph

The Tutima Grand Flieger (German for ‘pilot’) line feature day-date and chronograph aviation watches. This line evolved from the brand’s 1941 chronograph that became iconic back then, for its durability and accuracy. The new Grand Flieger chronographs feature a 43mm stainless steel case, with dégradé dials; the dial features a dark centre that gets progressively lighter at the edges. These aviation watches come in three dial hues—‘classic blue’, ‘military green’ and ‘velvet black’—and are packed with timekeeping features of hours and running seconds, Super-LumiNova-coated hour and minute hands, central seconds hand, and chronographs at six, nine, and 12 o’clock, and day/date display at three o’clock. Atop the case sits the bi-directional rotatable bezel made from scratch-resistant ceramic, with a red marking point for quicker reading of time. Anti-reflective sapphire crystal glasses on the dial and the openworked caseback provides improved legibility under all lighting conditions, and is one of the factors ensuring the watch’s impressive water resistance of 200m. The chronograph edition is inbuilt with an automatic calibre 310, offering 48 hours power of reserve when fully wound.

Tutima Grand Flieger Chronograph

• Case: Steel case, 41mm, with sapphire crystal; green, blue or black dial; openworked caseback
• Functions and display: Day-date aperture, bicompax format; Super-LumiNova applied hands and hour markers; bidirectional rotating bezel; upto 200m water resistance
• Movement: Automatic calibre Tutima 310; 42-hour power reserve; 28,800vph
• Strap: Grey Cordura with steel folding clasp

Tutima Grand Flieger Airport Shop The Collection

Zenith Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Rescue

Zenith is the only brand allowed to use ‘Pilot’ on the dials of its aviation watches as they trademarked the term. The Zenith Pilot Type 20 pays tribute to the brand’s longstanding association to aviation, which include episodes such as the epic flight that French aviator Louis Blériot took on his monoplane across the English Channel in 1909 wearing a Zenith watch. The latest version of the Pilot Type 20 now features the ‘Rescue’ appellation in its name. This timepiece features aged black calfskin leather straps, redolent of the classic shearling leather flight jackets. Yellow is a colour associated with modern aviation, and hints of this hue are present on its slate grey dial like the logo, tip of the central chronograph hand, five-minute intervals on the outer minute track, and along with rivets and stitching on the strap. For improved legibility, the Arabic numerals and rhodium-plated cathedral-style hands are filled with Super-LumiNova. The movement is an automatic high-frequency El Primero 4069 column-wheel chronograph, which beats at 36,000vph and has a power reserve of 50 hours. Another standout feature is the flying instruments logo etched on the titanium caseback.

Zenith Pilot Type 20 Chronograph Rescue In A Nutshell

• Case: steel, 45mm, with sapphire crystal; black dial; titanium caseback
• Functions and display: Bicompax format; Super-LumiNova applied cathedral-style hands and Arabic numeral hour markers; central chronograph hand; upto 100m water resistance
• Movement: Automatic calibre El Primero 4069; 50 hours of power reserve; 36,000vph
• Strap: Black leather with steel Ardillon buckle

Zenith Pilot

₹6,79,400

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