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Pilot Watch Under $1000 You Can Get on Gnomon Store
Looking for modest Pilot Watch? Alpina, Aristo, and Yema are here for show.
May 15, 2021
Whether as a commercial airline captain or a fighter jet commander, the daring and adventurous lifestyle of a pilot captures our hearts and minds like nothing else. Perhaps it's the prospect of soaring thousands of miles above sea level that makes you feel this way. Maybe it's the jet-setting lifestyle. What better way to harness all the suspense and excitement of the pilot lifestyle than by wearing one of the best pilot watch in the world on your wrist?
Cartier, an aviation pioneer, invented the pilot watch in 1904 for a friend, Albert Santos-Dumont. Today, the world's best luxury watch brands are clamoring to adorn our wrists with aeronautically-inspired timepieces that not only act as dependable companions in the sky, but also look dashing on the ground.
Here are three pilot watch you should not overlook this week.
Yema Flygraf Pilot M1
Case
This watch, which measures 39mm in diameter, 12.9mm in thickness, and 48.1mm from lug to lug, takes the basic dimensions of the 39mm Superman, applies a little thickness to the case rather than the crystal, and adopts a more clean, clear look with a focus on legibility.
Dial
The Flygraf Pilot was created with today's flight crew in mind, so it naturally prioritizes efficiency and dependability. Since telling the time is the most important feature of a watch, this new Flygraf features an ultra-readable and polished dial inspired by military aviation watches from the 1960s. This latest watch, which is water-resistant to 300 meters, was created to assist pilots in any situation. The Flygraf Pilot features the MBP1000 in-house movement and is available in two dial colors: black (M1) and grey (M2) (M2).
The dial on this piece is filled with white lume, which improves legibility even more. When the lights go out, the advantage is obvious, but you still get to enjoy the beauty of the white lume on the grey dial backdrop when the lights come back on.
Bezel
The case is brushed for the most part, with the edges of the bezel being the only polished areas noticeable when wearing the watch. In terms of the bezel, we have a vertically brushed steel bezel that complements this watch beautifully. It's a refreshing change to see Yema go for a subdued look in a world where most brands go for rotating bezels with details all over them.
As we switch to the dial on the Flygraf Pilot, we are greeted by unobstructed legibility. We can see both 12 and 24-hour indexes through the sapphire crystal, with the latter sitting in the center of the dial (like a proper pilot watch should), easily distinguishable hands (with a red tip on the second's hand for good measure), and a lovely soft, vertical brushing finish to finish this look.
This watch strikes an excellent balance between modern wearability and appeal, as well as historical tidbits sprinkled throughout. Along with the words automatic and 990 feet, a plane motif at 6 subtly hits at the history.
Movement
This latest Flygraf is powered by the Yema MBP1000 in-house automatic calibre. This is a French-made movement with a 45-hour power reserve, 28,800 vph, and 31 jewels.
Yema Flygraf Pilot M1 is available on Gnomon Store for $621.00 USD.
Aristo Flieger 38 Pilot 5H85 - Sapphire
Flieger (German for Pilot) watches from the 1940s are clearly influenced the Aristo Flieger 38. And that means it was created with legibility in mind, which was a requirement for the pilots at the time. The dial is kept easy and straightforward. It's extremely legible, and the dial's use of just black and white, as well as minimal text, results in a refreshing and fuss-free dial. The matte black dial and the classic Flieger sword-style hands are both packed with SuperLumiNova. The 12 o'clock triangle is flanked on each side by two dots, keeping with the pilot theme. The inclusion of a date window at 3 o'clock is a welcome addition.
Case
Now it's time to get down to the case. The watch has a decent size of 38.5 mm, a lug-to-lug size of 45 mm, a thickness of 10.5 mm, and a lug width of a whopping 20 mm, as the name suggests. The combined mid case and concave bezel, as well as the screw down case back, make up the grade 5 Titanium case. The Flieger 38 has a satin brushed titanium case, which sets it apart from the rest of the Aristo Flieger titanium collection.
Movement
The Swiss-made ETA2824-2 automatic caliber powers the Aristo Flieger 38 Pilot 5H85 - Sapphire. It runs at 28,800 BPH (4 Hertz) and has hacking and hand winding capabilities. It has 25 jewels and a 40-hour power reserve.
Furthermore, it includes a display back so that we watch enthusiasts can appreciate the ETA2824-2 while at work. The case's scale, combined with the short lug-to-lug dimension, ensures a comfortable fit for all wrist sizes. Oh, and did we mention it has a sapphire crystal designed especially for Gnomon Watches?
Dial
The Flieger 38 has a very large dial opening, which is an interesting feature. This watch is fully dial. It gives the impression of being larger than its actual size. This also improves legibility while remaining wearable on a wide range of wrist sizes.
Strap
A dark brown full stitched leather strap with a matching titanium buckle is included with the Aristo Flieger 38.
Finally, if you're looking for a high-quality German style watch with an ETA2824-2 movement that won't break the bank, the Aristo 38 range is well worth considering. This is a perfect everyday watch because of its size and dimensions, which will match most wrist sizes, male or female. And particularly at home when you need a smart-looking shirt that fits under the cuffs and has some personality. You can have Aristo Flieger 38 Pilot 5H85 - Sapphire for $480.00 USD.
Alpina Startimer Pilot Automatic White 44mm Ref. AL-525S4S6
Case
The new Startimer Pilot watch collection's lightweight 40mm additions, on the other hand, may cater to a slightly wider audience. For starters, the latest models have a simple and restrained style that can be used in a variety of professions. This 10.25mm-high timepiece, for example, can easily be slipped under the cuff of a work shirt by a businessman. Similarly, the current 40mm case size may now cater to women, as demand for larger women's watches has exceeded the slim and delicate designs of the past.
Alpina has remained committed to producing basic pilot watch with pared-down designs that focus on the essentials. This allegiance is bolstered by the arrival of these latest 40mm additions. Every new model's 2-part case construction is equipped with 100-meter water resistance and features an etched picture of the Alpine peaks on the sealed caseback.
These new 40mm automatic pilot watch capture the essence of the Startimer collection admirably, retaining the purist look of Alpina's classic pilot watch aesthetic in many ways. The index hour markers, which are normally found at 12 and 6 o'clock, have been replaced with horizontal baton markers. Other features, such as Alpina's red vertical triangle at 12 o'clock and the base of the seconds side, haven't changed.
Dial
The new models have luminous-coated indices and hands and come in a variety of dial colors. The dark grey dial on the black titanium PVD-coated stainless steel model is complemented by a black leather harness. The stainless steel models come with a black leather strap and a navy blue or white dial, while the rose gold-plated steel models have a navy blue or dark grey dial.
Movement
The AL-525 calibre, which is based on the Sellita SW-200 automatic movement and has a 38-hour power reserve and a date window at 3 o'clock, powers all five models.
The decision to shave 4mm off the case while leaving the rest of the Startimer Pilot design practically unchanged appears to have paid off for Geneva-based watchmaker Alpina, which has once again captured the aeronautical spirit of the Startimer quite appropriately, this time for both male and female audiences.
Get your own Alpina Startimer Pilot Automatic White 44mm Ref. AL-525S4S6 now for $830.00 USD.
