When men seek out a new timepiece, pilot watches are always one of the first things that will enter their train of thought and, truth be told, there are no shortage of watchmakers offering aviation inspired accessories. Even if we do say so ourselves, the pilot watches from MTM Watch are in a league of their own and soar high from both a style and performance perspective.

The quality of our men’s pilot watches is immediately apparent from the get-go and the adventure ready design, high quality craftsmanship and impeccable materials make these watches a triple threat and a worthy addition to any horology aficionado’s line up. We build watches with purpose, poise and performance at their core and regardless of which of our men’s pilot timepieces you go for, you’ll be adding a real touch of class to your wrist. 

We want to take a moment to introduce you to our line up of pilot watches and delve into their individual characteristics, design aesthetics and features to show you why they would be the ideal candidate to be your next purchase if you currently find yourself in the market for a new pilot watch. Check out 5 of the best pilot watches from our digital shelves below:

GREY AIR STRYK I $1170

It goes without saying that in this day and age, the uncompromising characteristics and charm of men’s pilot watches is no longer solely the preserve of those in the cockpit. 

All those men who have been won over by the style and lured by the accuracy, reliability and legibility will want to get their hands on a modern iteration of this iconic watch type, and will be fascinated by the thoroughly intriguing history that is worth delving into.

The original objective of the humble pilot’s watch was a straightforward one, as you might expect – namely, to move timekeeping from the pocket and on to the wrist. This was due to a desire for enhanced convenience that led to the emergence of a style that has lasted for well over a century now, and the love of pilot watches is greater than it has ever been. 

The aviator’s timepiece became ever more complex as it evolved over time and it rapidly became a must have device for pilots, so they could calculate stats like how long an aircraft had been in the air and how much fuel had been consumed. 

As pilot watch features became more advanced, they would eventually be used as an instrument for navigation as well. It’s the legacy of those characteristics that lends the pilot’s watch the enduring appeal it continues to have to this day.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN FOR PILOT WATCHES

When what can be considered as a pilot watch first came to be, it’s fair to say that it’s quite a long way from what we’d consider as a pilot’s watch on today’s market. The timepiece that started it all so far as aviation watches is concerned was the Cartier Santos and this was debuted well over a century ago in 1904. 

This was the following year from when the American aviation pioneers, the Wright brothers, wowed the world with the first-ever powered, sustained and controlled flight of an aircraft. Brazilian pilot Alberto Santos-Dumont was heavily influenced by their mighty impressive endeavors and would soon become the first to achieve the feat in Europe, but also to take off unaided, flying an aircraft with a wheeled undercarriage as opposed to via track like the Wright Brothers.

In his preparation for his flight, Santos-Dumont turned to friend, horologist Louis Cartier, about the regular annoyance of having to reach into his pocket for a watch while handling the plane’s controls. It was from this observation and annoyance that what is thought to be the world’s first purpose-designed timepiece for pilots was created. 

The watch – which had a square case, Roman numerals on the dial and a comfortable leather strap – quickly began to turn heads of the general public when it appeared in newspaper photographs of Santos-Dumont’s aviation achievement. The fact that the pilot also wore the timepiece on every flight he took thereafter did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm for this attractive looking timepiece and ultimately led to Cartier putting the watch into production in 1911. And, with that, the pilot watch was born.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE WORLD WARS ON AVIATION WATCHES

One of the biggest factors in the emergence of pilot watches into mainstream thinking was the dawn of the two World Wars, in which aviation was a cornerstone for strategic battle and something that gave the pilot’s watch a real shot in the arm from a popularity perspective. One watchmaker synonymous with aviation style timepieces is IWC Schaffhausen and they’re known to have created their Big Pilot watch for the German Air Force in 1940. The design is still one of the best pilot watch designs and just as recognisable today as it always was, courtesy of its bold, highly legible design aesthetic.

An important name around this time so far as watchmaking is concerned was Louis Bleriot who is said to have worn a wristwatch in July 1909 when he made the first-ever powered flight across the English Channel. As a result of this fact, the first wrist chronograph was developed around 1915, and this was a creation that was rapidly taken up by incredibly brave and fearless pilots of the First World War. 

Another name synonymous with aviation watches during the World Wars was U.S. Navy captain Philip Van Horn Weems, who was responsible for devising an independently adjustable seconds ring which was important because it allowed the pilots to precisely synchronise their watch with a radio time signal without stopping the sweep seconds hand. This was crucial because it helped to significantly reduce any potential margin for error that could send these pilots off course by many miles and potentially jeopardise a mission or their safe return to base.

During the Second World War, the production of dedicated pilot watches was destined to increase dramatically, with makers in America, Germany, France and Switzerland ramping up their manufacturing endeavours to deliver highly accurate, often large-cased pilot’s watches, chronographs and bomb timers that were the true forerunners of today’s ‘tool’ watches that have become a mainstay on the wrist of modern watch aficionados.

As with any purchase, you want to make sure you’re buying quality when investing in a pilot watch. There are, alas, plenty of watch brands out there that put quantity over quality when it comes to releasing pilot watches onto the market, and knowing what to look out for when buying a timepiece of this nature will definitely stand you in good stead in the long run.

Pilot watches are amongst the most popular men’s timepieces right now and we’re rightly proud of our aviation offerings here at MTM. We’ve built a reputation for crafting high quality timepieces that those in the armed forces gravitate towards because they’re purpose built for action and adventure. However, not all pilot watches are created equal, so we’ve compiled a list of tips that you should bear in mind when it comes to spotting a quality men’s pilot watch.

When looking to pick the ideal watch for you, it’s always a good idea to pay close attention not only to the aesthetic of the timepiece i.e. that it fits in with your style sensibilities but also to all of the features and components it has. After all, the quality of materials used and the design aesthetic will determine the difference between a “throwaway” timepiece and a solidly-built accessory that you’ll want to wear for many years to come and pass on to your next generation. Here are some of MTM’s top tips on discovering the perfect pilot watch for you.

1] High price doesn’t always mean high quality

It goes without saying that some watchmakers have timepieces which cost, quite frankly, a small fortune. However, that doesn’t always mean the components that they use are any better than more affordable options such as our pilot watches at MTM – you’re merely paying for their brand name and reputation. 

Always consider the actual cost to make the watch (that is to say the materials used and their quality, the caliber of the labor, and the profit margin the watchmaker builds into the watch). You’ll be surprised that some of the top names in the watchmaking world are significantly overcharging their consumers based on the quality of materials they’ve used. 

At MTM, we pride ourselves on the quality of our pilot watches – each of which is hand-made in our LA based workshop, and our watches are highly competitively priced given the excellence of the materials we use and the high quality of our craftsmanship.

2] Pay attention to the movement

Put simply, the movement of a watch is its beating heart, its most crucial component and one of the most crucial elements to be aware of when making a purchase of this nature. Some watchmakers will charge a fortune for a movement which costs next to nothing to make, so it’s always imperative to do your research when buying a pilot watch. 

At MTM, we use a few different movements in our pilot watches such as Japanese Quartz – Miyota OS-80 and our MTM Proprietary Quartz – Swiss Ronda 763E movement. These offer great value for money and impeccable performance, reliability and accuracy day in, day out. Do your research on movements prior to buying a pilot watch to make sure you’re not overpaying. 

You’ll find that most automatic watches have a glass on the back so that you can watch the impressive movement in action. Movements are not always made equal and a functional movement will always keep your time reliably, whereas lower quality ones will have much less impressive results. You can say you’re essentially “losing time” if you own a watch with a poor-quality movement with inconsistent tick speeds so if you’re planning to purchase a pilot watch in 2021, pay particular close attention to the quality of the movement it possesses.

It goes without saying that purchasing a luxury pilot watch can be quite the financial commitment (but one definitely worth making if you ask us). Therefore, it’s important to make sure that you’re asking the right questions before taking the plunge on an aviation watch. Fear not, we’re here to help to make sure that you go into this purchase with all the right knowledge as to what you should be seeking from a pilot watch. We’ve got some excellent men’s pilot watches on our shelves here at MTM and we’d want our customers to be asking themselves these questions before making a purchase.

Check out our pick of 6 of the most important questions to be asking (either the watchmaker or yourself) before you reach for the skies and add a pilot watch to your wrist.

Are you actually a pilot?

Do you actually have to fly planes to wear a pilot watch? Put simply, of course not. Pilot watches are amongst the most stylish and versatile timepieces on the market and earning your wings isn’t something that need preclude you from wearing one. Back in the day, pilot watches were more specifically for pilots because of the features they had which made flying more streamlined and safer, but such is their popularity in the mass market nowadays that they are worn by everyone – pilot or otherwise. 

Anyone can enjoy a capable pilot watch with roots in aviation and, if you are actually a pilot, this sort of timepiece will often ramp up your appreciation of both the watch and the sophistication of contemporary aeroplanes. If you don’t fly planes but have a penchant for all things aeronautical and still want to sport a pilot’s watch, there’s definitely nothing stopping you.

Do you want a mechanical or quartz movement?

The movement is the beating heart of a watch and when buying a pilot watch, you should be thinking about whether you’re seeking a timepiece with a mechanical or quartz movement. Mechanical movements are typically a more expensive option and will often be less accurate than their quartz counterparts, but they can add an extra sense of luxury to watches, and this might be something that you’ll be after when buying a pilot watch from a watchmaker with a considerable heritage. 

It’s important to realise, however, that the majority of pilot timepieces are chronographs, which means mechanical variations are often extremely expensive. Quartz watches provide a better value for money for the consumer and they can also deliver an abundance of features and digital tech that would come in handy for modern pilots. For example, you can use GPS and radio signals to automatically adjust to changes of time zones, and some modern pilot watches are specifically designed to record flight times and other crucial data.

Thinking about adding a pilot watch to your line up in 2021? You’re not alone. Pilot watches are some of our most popular offerings here at MTM. But it’s often difficult to know which features you should be on the look out for and which typify an aviator’s watch, but fear not – we here at MTM are experts in such things and have some top class pilot watches on our digital shelves to prove the point. We know what makes a high caliber aviation timepiece and will impart this knowledge on to you so you can make the right decision when purchasing a pilot watch in 2021.

Whilst dive watches have an official definition of certain features that they need to possess in order to be considered a dive watch, no such definition exists for pilot watches so it can be a little open to interpretation but, in most cases, there are some common design elements which you should be looking for when you’re planning to invest in a new pilot watch for your wrist. Each and every watchmaker will have its own take on what a pilot’s watch should be, depending on the needs of the wearer. However, there are some key elements that single these watches out from the crowd and it is these which we will take a look at in this article.

Aviator watches are exceptionally popular in horology circles and for good reason. They are so highly valued due to their utilitarian visuals and impactful readability. They are seen more as statement pieces nowadays than the essential tool watches that they were first used for in the air. It’s fair to say that pilot’s watches, much the same as dive watches, were born from necessity. Most consider the first wristwatch to be considered a “pilot’s watch” was devised by Louis Cartier for dapper aviator, Alberto Santos-Dumont, in order for him to accurately time his flights. Its technical specifications were simple, much more basic than seen with the military watches of the mid-20th century, and have come to typify what we would expect to see in a modern day aviator’s watch.

SKY HIGH DESIGN

First and foremost, pilot watches have to be sufficiently sizeable to be easy to read quickly whilst flying. Also, for the sake of readability, aviator watch dials were as contrasted and luminous as they could be and operating these timepieces was also made as straightforward as possible in order to avoid errors and inaccuracies in monitoring your flight path and distances. As you would expect, accuracy and precision were the most pivotal features and other crucial components of a pilot watch include protection against shocks, magnetic fields and sudden drops in pressure (with a crystal secured against any displacement) – all of which are factors that might well come into play whilst navigating the skies.

Something that you’ll often witness with an aviators watch is a flyback chronograph. This feature is much loved by pilots as it saves time when recording several elapsed times in a row and the fact it can be returned to zero and restarted with a single tap of a button. Rather than the traditional stop-reset-start sequence, which requires three operations, the Flyback Chronograph feature of an aviator watch goes through all the steps by just pressing the reset push-button once. This is important for pilots because these resets assisted waypoint navigation and grid searches, meaning pilots could transition “on the fly” as it were.

Dial shape is another defining feature of a pilot timepiece and, traditionally speaking, you’d often expect to see an “onion” or “conical” crown on this type of timepiece. When flying back in the day, pilots were exposed to exceptionally cold flying conditions, which facilitated them wearing heavy gloves to prevent their hands from freezing. As such, a bold crown design was a much-needed feature so as to be able to operate the timepiece effortlessly, even with cumbersome, gloved hands. This is why most pilot’s watches came equipped with oversized (so-called “Big Crown” watches) crowns, with two recurring shapes: onion (rounded) or diamond (conical) being the most commonly witnessed varieties.