Staff Picks Our Favorite Pilot's Watches

I'm fresh off of witnessing the introduction of the new Breguet Type XX and Type 20 models and so my pick is somewhat influenced by what's fresh on my mind. That said, I can't help but think about how special the Type 20 is as a reference for a period in which it defined aviation timekeeping. Type 20 was more than a reference number, it was a specification from the French Ministry of Defense for pilot's watches – more specifically pilot's chronographs. To me, by strict definition, a pilot's watch has to be a chronograph with flyback so a pilot – flying by instruments alone – can time their turns while basically flying blind. And this is one of the most iconic. But why the Only Watch 2021 model?

It's nearly perfect – the syringe hands, 38.5 mm case, and big-eye subdial. Sure, you could knock it for the faux-patina tropical dial (or a civilian-style bezel), but as a lover of vintage watches, that's what I'd want to see on my wrist, something brown and worn but in a watch that can handle the wear and tear you wouldn't want to put on a real vintage piece. The kicker? The manually-would Valjoux 235 movement, which isn't the exact movement in the original (the Caliber 222) but similar and a part of the same family of Valjoux 23 movements that Patek modified for their early chronograph wristwatches. It's no wonder tha this piece-unique sold for CHF 250,000.

–Mark Kauzlarich, Editor

Look, call me lame for picking a watch I helped create, but it's been almost five years since we dropped this matte black, no-date Mark XVIII on the world, and I still wear it all the damn time. The inspiration for it was another favorite – the 3705 – and people really got what we were trying to do with it. 

It's been with me around the world a few times, seen on stage worn by no less than a few Grammy winners, and remains just an excellent, pure, and lasting vision of a contemporary pilot's watch. I love all that we do at Hodinkee, but man – I really love this one.

–Ben Clymer, Founder

The Universal Geneve Polerouter doesn't really look like what you picture when you close your eyes and conjure up a "pilot's watch." You might picture something big from Breitling, Breguet, or IWC. But the Polerouter's got a pilot provenance all its own. Universal Geneve introduced the Polerouter in 1954 in partnership with the Scandinavia Airline System (SAS), designed by a young but promising fella named Gerald Genta, then in his early 20s. The watch was designed with additional anti-magnetism in mind for the SAS' new route between Copenhagen and Los Angeles that flew over the North Pole.

Beyond this origin story, I just love the design of the Polerouter. Seeing this design come out of a young Genta must've been like watching a young Lebron James jumping over high schoolers in 2002. The guy was on a different level. For me, it's the date window that really makes the watch, a subtle trapezoid shape that hints at all the geometric fun Genta would have throughout the rest of his career. 

It might not be a traditional "pilot's watch" – it's kind of small and elegant, but hey, that's how my friends describe me too.

–Anthony Traina, Editor

A few weeks back, I was walking down Sixth Avenue here in NYC, and passed by Bucherer "3 Bryant Park." Taking a quick glance, a large, and I mean large, brand display from IWC caught my eye. It read, in super-sized, like-over two-feet-tall font, "The Big Pilot's Watch." Being the well-informed Hodinkee employee I am, I know what this means. But for a moment, I wondered what a layperson, who knows nothing about watches, would think when presented with this giant text. I landed on something like, "Oh, okay, nice. Big, for Pilot's, got it."

Since I've been interested in watches, that has been mostly my response to the IWC flagship Big Pilot's Watch (emphasis on the 's). I get it, the historical reference used by pilots; it's big for a reason, but really, the case is far too big for my taste. Even John Mayer's endorsement on Talking Watches of the ref. 5004 as the perfect travel watch did not sway my Hodinkee-crazed young watch enthusiast brain.

With the prototypical pilot watch clearly not for me, it's about time I get to my actual pick. This is the ref. 3741 Fliegerchronograph from the same brand, IWC. No, it's not the legendary ref. 3705, but rather, this one is quartz and solid 18k yellow gold – yep. Snub your nose at quartz all you want, I'll take my quirky "why did they make this" pilot chronograph and run. Production on these started in the 1990s, so I can find one with tritium lume that tends to age creamy and play off of the case tone. There's something about this watch. Every time I see one, I chuckle and imagine owning it. Someday I probably will, they trade under $5,000. At that price point, I can't see having more fun than the IWC 3741 in gold.

–Rich Fordon, Client Advisor

A pilot's watch isn't typically my style, at least not the usual flieger type, but there is one specific model that I've had my eye on for a while – and even came close to purchasing a few times these last few years, and it's from a brand that's known more for their fashion watches and jewelry. Despite this brand's reputation as a high-end fashion house, it's interestingly also responsible for being the first to strap a watch on a pilot's wrist. I'm sure you all know that story by now, so I won't bore you with the details, but my choice for the top pilot's watch has to be the Cartier Santos.

The Santos is a versatile watch that I can see myself wearing for literally any occasion. It's dressy enough for the boardroom (or just a Zoom call with my colleagues) and casual enough to pull off at a pool party, sipping some ice-cold adult beverages in Palm Springs. I know this probably isn't remotely close to anything my fellow editors selected, and no, the watch doesn't make me pine for the early days of aviation. I might be cheating a little bit with this selection, but it is still technically a pilot's watch.

Now, there are a few different variations of the Santos, but, of course, I'm not doing stainless steel. I'm doing yellow gold baby! And for size, I'm definitely sticking with the medium because the large is too big for me. Unfortunately, the gold version is a little outside of my budget, but I'll take the two-tone as a consolation. Enjoy the skies from your airplanes, my friends – a big cheers with my piña colada from this fabulous poolside soirée. 

–Brandon Menancio, Editor

Before I joined Hodinkee and in the early days of my (serious) watch enthusiasm, I become drawn to the IWC Mark series. There was something about the simplicity and legibility coupled with the fact that it wasn't a Big Pilot – something my wrist just couldn't support. Back then, it was the Mark XVII, a 41mm watch with a date window that looked like an instrument cluster. I thought it was cool but wished that it was a hair smaller and a bit more conservative. Cue 2016 and the release of the Mark XVIII, which saw a reduction in size to 40mm and a design that harkened back to the Mark 11.

Then, just last year, we got the Mark XX – my choice for this assignment. With shorter lugs and a refined dial layout, IWC had made its most wearable "mini" pilot's watch in years. I had the chance to wear one at an event I hosted recently and really caught the bug. I'm no pilot, but I do fly a lot, and there is something about this watch that balances aviation heritage with everyday capability. It comes in a bracelet configuration with a very cool adjustable clasp, traditional leather strap, and even rubber. It's one of those watches – especially with the black dial – that is a perfect choice for a reason.

–Danny Milton, Managing Editor

While it was hard to not pick an IWC 3717 Doppelchronogaph, this list has plenty of IWC and I had to be true to myself. Deep down, I'm an Aerospace boy. Breitling has a legendary history in the development of the post-modern pilot's watch (in terms of theory, think post-WWII). With that in mind, I figure one either starts at the beginning, with watches like the early Navitimers (swoon), or where the whole concept evolved under the pressure of modern technology and gave birth to the Aerospace. While vastly different from its forebearers, the Aerospace came out in 1985 with the goal of outright function. Quartz was still a relatively new idea, and the Aerospace applied the technology, arguably in its nerdiest form (ana-digi – 'til I die), with deeply toolish intentions. 

While I have love in my partially digital heart for just about any Aerospace, my fav range is the second-gen 40mm E56062 models. I have written about them in the past and owned a lovely full-grey example that I regret selling. Thin, made of lightweight titanium, and rocking a digital crown that controlled additional features like a second time zone, chronograph, perpetual calendar, and alarm, the Aerospace feels like a tiny instrument pulled from the cluster of a mid-80's plane. Later examples offered screens with backlights, and you better believe I have a long-standing alert for the solid gold Aerospace K75362. You know, for market research. 

–James Stacey, Lead Editor