The Best Pilot and Military Watches of 2025

The unabating appeal of pilot and military watches stems from several factors. The nostalgic, historical association of this genre with WWI and WWII pilots and soldiers is one factor, but so is the robust, utilitarian build of these watches, paired with uncluttered, high-contrast dials that prize legibility. 2025 has seen its fair share of cockpit and military watches, some leaning into more vintage territory while others soar with unexpected flights of colour. Having taken a look at this year’s releases, these are our Top Five Pilot and Military Watches of the year.

Bremont Altitude MB Meteor Stealth Grey

Founded by brothers Nick and Giles English in 2007, Bremont’s identity was forged upon aviation and military-inspired watches with a strong British accent. Now piloted by CEO Davide Cerrato, fans were delighted with the release of the Altitude MB Meteor that continues the saga of the iconic MB1 originally released in 2009, complete with the patented hyper-robust Trip-Tick case with two crowns designed to withstand the extremes of Martin-Baker’s ejection seat trials. The monochromatic Stealth Grey reference, with its 42mm titanium case and ultra-matte, light-absorbing finish, captures the look and feel of stealth aircraft. Pursuing the stealth theme, the grey dial features an embossed meteorite, while the yellow central seconds hand pays homage to the original MB1 with its black-and-yellow looped counterweight inspired by the ejector seat’s pull handle. Powered by an automatic calibre based on the La Joux-Perret G100 with a 68-hour power reserve, we can’t think of a better companion for your first ejection seat experience.

To find out more about this indestructible watch, click here.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Miramar

IWC and pilot watches are practically synonymous, and its 1936 Special Pilot’s Watch (ref. 436) set the template for the genre. The brand’s popular “Colors of TOP GUN” line, which pays tribute to the US Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), originally based at Miramar, proves that pilot watches don’t always have to have black dials. Inspired by the light blue t-shirts worn by elite TOPGUN instructors underneath their flight suits, the distinctive Miramar colour is used on the 41.9mm ceramic case, dial and strap (there is also a steel version with a Miramar blue dial) of the 2025 Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun. A classic tri-compax layout, the watch is powered by IWC’s in-house automatic calibre 69380 protected by a soft-iron inner case.

Enjoy the video and article of this Top Gun candidate here.

Longines Spirit Pilot Flyback

The Longines Spirit Flyback made our list thanks to its well-calibrated dose of retro charm combined with contemporary specs. Fitted with a sophisticated flyback chronograph, a vital function for an aviation-inspired model, Longines was the first to produce a flyback chronograph wristwatch in 1925. Powered by a hand-wound movement, the Spirit Pilot Flyback gets points for its more compact 39.5mm case, surmounted by a rotating bezel with a black ceramic insert and a countdown timer. A nice vintage touch is the box-shaped sapphire crystal, and the black dial with contrasting gilt elements and luminescent Arabic numerals looks sharp. Powered by a proprietary Longines calibre based on a modified Valjoux 7750 base, the manual-winding movement has been upgraded with a column wheel, a practical flyback function and a silicon hairspring. Available on a steel bracelet or a brown leather strap, this model distils a charming retro spirit while performing to today’s standards.

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Panerai Luminor Marina Militare PAM05218

If you’re looking for a military watch with top brass credentials and a great story, look no further. As one of the first watches available to civilians after decades of top-secret military commissions, Panerai released the Luminor Marina Militare 5218-202/A in 1993. With its 44mm blackened steel case, matte black dial and ETA Unitas movement, the few remaining Marina Militare 5218s that weren’t supplied to the Italian Navy were sold privately and have become the stuff of collectors’ dreams. Thirty-two years later, Panerai unveiled a faithful reedition of its military grail watch with updated specs. The 44mm Luminor steel case is now coated in black DLC with a sandblasted finish, features the hallmark crown protection device, and is water-resistant to 300 metres. Like the degraded tritium of the 1993 Luminor that took on a dark orange hue, the new Luminor features recessed indices and numerals treated with dark beige Super-LumiNova. The Luminor is powered by a manual-winding calibre with a robust 72-hour power reserve. If you’re hunting for a stealthy underwater watch for your next top-secret mission, take note that the Luminor Marina Military PAM05218 is available exclusively upon request.

Find out more about the intriguing life of the Marina Military 5218, here.

Tudor Ranger Dune White

Despite its somewhat hazy beginnings and strong resemblance to the Rolex Explorer 1016, Tudor revisited its Ranger in 2014 and again in 2022. A classic no-nonsense exploration or field watch, the Tudor Ranger reappeared this year in two case sizes – 36mm and 39mm – prepped for action with a screw-down crown, a solid screwed caseback and 100m water-resistance. What won us over at MONOCHROME was the new Dune White dial with a subtle grainy texture. The epitome of a straightforward instrument watch, the large black Arabic numerals and indices stand out remarkably well against the Dune White dial, even without luminescence. To consult the time in the dark, there are small lumed dots on the minutes track, and the black-framed hands are filled with beige Super-LumiNova. Powered by a Kenissi automatic COSC-certified movement made for Tudor with a beefy 70-hour power reserve, this is one companion that will not let you down when the going gets tough.

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