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

Aristo Flieger 40 Titanium Chronograph 5H129Ti - Sapphire

The Aristo Flieger 40 Titanium Chronograph 5H129Ti - Sapphire is powered by a Swiss Made Valjoux automatic caliber, Valjoux 7750, operating at 28,800 BPH (4 Hertzs) with hacking and hand winding capabilities. It has 25 jewels with a power reserve of 40 hours.

The Aristo Flieger 40 Chronograph is clearly inspired by instrument clusters found in fighter planes. And that means it is designed with legibility in mind. The dial is kept simple and sticks to the basics. Bold arabic numbers surrounded by a tachymeter on the edge of the dial. The hands associated with the chronograph are in a contrasting red color. This design philosophy is found in most chronographs in the 80s when function is all that matters. Good amount of SuperLuminova is applied to the dial and hands for operations in the dark. The addition of a day/date window at 3 o'clock is a good addition without cluttering up the dial.

Grade 5 Titanium Case & Crown with Sapphire Crystal

Now, to the case. As the name implies, the watch measures at a good size of 40mm, a lug-to-lug size of 48mm, a thickness of 14mm and a lug width of 20mm. This is probably as thin a chronograph as it can get as the 7750 movement is already 7.9mm. The grade 5 Titanium case is made up of two parts; the combined mid case and bezel, and the screw down case back. Overall, the case finishing is fine sandblasted for a utilitarian looks. What is more, it even comes with a display back for us watch enthusiast to admire the Valjoux7750 at work. The size of the case coupled with the short 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?

Display back with Aristo signed Valjoux 7750 movement

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

The Aristo Flieger 40 Chronograph comes on a black leather strap with a matching titanium buckle.

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 40mm with a big dial opening of 36.5mm, this is a great fit on the wrist while not looking small. Great movement, great value in a titanium case. At this price, it is hard-pressed to find another chronograph from a well established brand.