The Best Pilot’s Watches of 2024
Taking to the skies with what we believe are the top aviation-inspired watches of the year.
The Pilot’s Watch has always been one of the most popular types of watches, and for good reason. The utilitarian nature of the aviator watch lends itself perfectly to everyday life, thanks to excellent legibility (often), striking looks and robust construction. This year is no exception, as plenty of very cool new pilot watches entered the market. But which are the best ones? And do we see some new and unexpected entries takeover from established pilot’s watches? We’ve put our heads together to mull over what we think are the best Pilot’s Watches of 2024, and it’s a wonderful mix of bld and new!
Albishorn Type 10 Chronograph
First up is an unexpected newcomer, the Albishorn Type 10 Chronograph. This fledgling independent watchmaker is headed by Sébastien Chaulmontet, a chronograph specialist and Head of Innovation and Marketing for Sellita. Under the moniker of “imaginary vintage“, Albishorn seeks to capture the spirit of what could have been back in the day. The Type 10 Chronograph takes form as the imaginary ancestor to the legendary Type 20 military-issued pilot’s chronographs. It comes with a heavily reworked Valjoux 7750, now stripped down and re-engineered as a manually wound monopusher chronograph. The result is an amazing and quite original-looking pilot’s chronograph in a run of 25 pieces per colourway (there’s also a gradient green one), retailing for CHF 3,950.
For more details about the Albishorn Type 10 Chronograph, please check out our detailed hands-on story here.
Blancpain Air Command flyback chronograph 42mm Green
Although it’s presented in a new green colour, the Blancpain Air Command Flyback Chronograph, as a whole, is not exactly new. Still, it captured our eye thanks to the lovely combination of an almost military-green dial with beige numerals and markings. The Air Command is based on a watch that never went into full-blown serial production, with just a handful of prototypes known to exist. Coming in at a stout 42mm across, the Air Command is crafted in stainless steel and relies on Blancpain’s excellent high-frequency flyback chronograph movement, the calibre F388B. Its 5Hz frequency ensures it can measure elapsed times down to 1/10th of a second. With a green leather strap, this one is limited to 200 pieces and will set you back CHF 20,100.
For more details about the wonderful Blancpain Air Command 42mm Green, please head over to our in-depth review here.
Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified
Late in the year, Omega launched a new and pretty cool edition of its famous Speedmaster chronograph. Presented as the civilian version of a watch made for US military pilots only, the Pilot Flight Qualified uses the symmetrical Speedmaster case and infuses it with modern features a pilot might need or appreciate “on the job”. The two sub-dials are modelled after instruments found in pretty much every single cockpit, with the altitude indicator on the left and the burn rate indicator on the right. Power comes from Omega’s calibre 9900, which is, of course, a METAS-certified Master Chronometer. Strapped to the flat-link stainless steel bracelet known from the Speedmaster 57, it comes with a complementary grey NATO-style strap in the box. The Pilot Flight Qualified retails for EUR 10,400.
For more information about the rather special Omega Speedmaster Pilot Flight Qualified, head over to our initial coverage here.
Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT Zulu Time x Marine Nationale
Tudor is perhaps more known for its dive watches, with the Pelagos and Black Bay collections adopting a predominantly aquatic look and feel, but the Pelagos FXD GMT Zulu Time is a different beast. Crafted from titanium, it’s made in partnership with the Marine Nationale with input from their Aéronautique Navale. The 42mm wide case, fixed bars and all, is topped by a bidirectional rotating bezel with a black and cream 24-hour insert in ceramic. This matches the matte black dial, which has grown an extra GMT hand to make this a very robust and legible flight/travel companion. The single-pass green textile strap is the only difference between this civilian one and the one issued to the airmen and -women of the French Navy. The price is set at EUR 4,690.
For more details about the Mil-Spec Tudor Pelagos FXD Zulu Time x Marine Nationale, please check out our in-depth video review here.
Zenith Pilot Automatic & Big Date Flyback Blue Boutique Editions
Last but certainly not least are Zenith’s Pilot Automatic and Big Date Flyback, both dressed in captivating blue to serve as the brand’s Boutique Editions. The collection was remodelled last year and made available in stainless steel or matte black ceramic. Now, though, the steel version gets a navy blue update for the dial and strap. We were indecisive about whether to pick the Automatic or the Big Date Flyback, so we went for both. Size-wise, it comes down to 40mm for the Automatic and 42.5mm for its more complex brother. There’s also the apparent difference in mechanics and functions displayed on the horizontally grooved dial. Both are fitted to a blue ‘Cordura’ effect rubber strap, with an extra brown leather strap in the box. Prices are CHF 7,500 for the Automatic and CHF 11,400 for the Big Date Flyback.
For more information on the Zenith Pilot Automatic & Pilot Big Date Flyback Blue, please head over to our hands-on review here.
1 response
that blancpain is a dinner plate