Flieger 42 Blue Chronograph 4H174M - Sapphire

When we think German, we think precision engineering and quality. And this is precisely what we have here today from Aristo. Aristo was founded in 1907 by Julius Epple in Pforzheim, jewelry and watchmaking city in the black forest, Germany. The company has been producing timepieces for the last three generations.

Aristo Flieger 42 Blue Chronograph 4H174M- Sapphire

The Aristo Flieger 42 Blue Chronograph 4H174M- Sapphire is powered by a Swiss Made automatic caliber, Sellita SW500 , operating at 28,800 BPH (4 Hertz) with hacking and hand winding capabilities. It has 25 jewels with a power reserve of 40 hours. The Aristo Flieger 42 Blue Chronograph is inspired by instrument clusters found in fighter planes. And that means it designed with legibility in mind. The dial is kept simple and sticks to the basics while featuring an impressive sunburst blue dial (blue is the evergreen black).

Bold Arabic numbers surrounded by a tachymeter on the edge of the dial. The hands associated with the chronograph, broad-sword handset, for excellent legibility without one losing sight of them when looking for time. His design philosophy is found in most chronographs in the 80s when the function is all that matters. The right amount of SuperLuminova applied to the dial and hands for operations in the dark. The addition of a day/date window at 3 o'clock is beena excellent addition without cluttering up the dial.

Day-date display w/ sunburst blue dial

Now, to the case. As the name implies, the watch measures at a proper size of 42mm, a lug-to-lug size of 48mm, a thickness of 13mm and a lug width of 20mm. This is probably as thin a chronograph as it can get as the Sellita SW500 movement is already 7.9mm. The high polished case is made up of two parts; the combined mid case and bezel, and the screw-down opened caseback.

Overall, the case finishing has an old-school Chrono touch, while staying on the path for a utilitarian look. What is more, it even comes with a display back for us watch enthusiast to admire the Sellita SW500 at work. The size of the case coupled with the compact lug-to-lug dimension makes this a great fit on all wrist sizes. Oh, did we mention this watch is made specifically for Gnomon Watches with a domed sapphire crystal?

Full polished case paired with milanese bracelet

As with many other Aristo models, the Flieger Chronograph has a considerable dial opening. That means this watch is all dial. It makes it look visually more prominent than the size suggest. This also helps legibility.

The Aristo Flieger 42 Blue Chronograph 4H174M-Sapphire comes on a curved-end link Milanese mesh bracelet that fits the overall theme, further elevating the Chrono’s elegance.

Green Superluminova glows brightly in dark environments

In conclusion, if you are in the market for a chronograph and appreciates one that does not come in the typical big size, this is the watch for you. At size 42mm with a big dial opening that allows the sunburst blue dial to dance more in different lightings, this is an excellent fit on the wrist while not looking small. Great movement, a great value in a high polished case. At this price, it is hard-pressed to find another chronograph from a well-established brand.