Quote:
Originally Posted by AWM
There are a lot of German companies making some nice watches lately. I'm not a huge leather strap fan but this one from Stowa is really nice. I like how they run the minute and second hands way out to the edge.
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Pilot watches are classics in terms of design and functionality.
They should have a large face (examples can range from 38mm to 55mm) - the largest ones were intended to strap over a flyer's jacket. I've even been told that extra long leather straps were used to tie the watch around the thigh of the pilot as they had both hands controlling the plane. The face should have a visible, high-contrast dial and hands; numbers are large and arabic, the hands sword-type. Simple movement with no subdials. A large crown for use with gloves and, strictly speaking, the second hand would stop when pulling out the crown for precise time setting. At 12 o'clock it is typical to see a military inspired triangle with two supporting dots.
Mine is similar to the Stowa model - but is a St. Ex UTC model. It has a 24 hour display, jumping hour hand when winding, screw-in crown and inner case made of anti-magentic soft iron. Good read on the mechanism and significance here.
http://www.gregsteer.net/IWC/UTC/UTC_Pilot.html
Here are some real-life photos. It's a rich brown to match the bomber jacket of Antoine de Saint Exupéry. (photos not mine)
nice lume too
