24 best pilot watches to give your watch collection some decent airtime
Don't let your negligible intentions of ever becoming a pilot stop you from missing out on bagging a pilot-inspired watch from the likes of Longines, Cartier and IWC
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Pilot watches are almost as old as aviation itself – consider, for example, the Santos Dumont, the practical yet joyously sleek piece Louis Cartier produced back in 1904 for the eponymous pilot/inventor/adventurer (simultaneously opening the bidding for the world’s first purpose-designed wristwatch). War would see a more utilitarian timepiece take to the air, as pilots required accurate timing to guide their missions however uncomfortable the going. The realm of the skies became watchmaking manna with the advent of commercial long-haul flying, when aircrew and passengers alike sought out models with the added benefit of a second time zone or world-time function. But for those looking for its purest attributes, it pays to go back in time to the cool, retro-inspired ranges produced by the likes of Breitling, Longines and IWC.
What is a pilot watch?
Although many pilot watches trade on the glamour of man-made flight, their guiding mantra is typically that of good old fashioned utility. Just like many of the best men's watches, these timepieces are designed with legibility first and foremost in mind. Often that means a large dial of well over 40mm, a chunky crown for making adjustments on the fly and a whole lot of luminosity so that the time can be read at all hours of the day. Distraction is the deathly enemy of a pilot watch, so most tend to eschew extravagant complications for fear of distracting from their original purpose – Breitling's Navitimer is the rarefied exception to this clutter-free ethos.
For the sake of simply giving you more wrist candy to browse below, we've also thrown a few GMT watches into the mix as well. Technically, these are a different beast entirely to any pilot watch as they're made for travellers who need to keep an eye on two time zones at once – not those who are paid to jet them to their destination. Since both models wouldn't exist without the advent of the aeroplane and the Rolex GMT-Master II is a thing of absolute beauty in its own right, we're not going to get too hung up on dictionary definitions. Either way, if you're looking for a watch that reaches for the skies, start here.