Reply With QuoteFortis do a lovely cream dialled pilot Chrono. From memory, the bronze cased steinhart pilot has a grey/silver dial also.
First up, apologies for the lack of pictures.
I found myself with a few hours spare in Birmingham on Wednesday so took it upon myself to check out all the local AD's.
Unfortunately this might end up being an expensive mistake as I now want, no need, a blue Globemaster.
However, the other watches that caught my eye were not what I expected. WOS had a little collection of IWC pilot watches sat in the window that just grabbed my attention and I'm not really sure why as this isn't the type of thing I normally go for.
The 'Top Gun' edition looked amazing with it's cool case and the red highlight on the dial but below this there was a pair of Mark XVIII, black and silver which I really liked. In fact the silver one was my favorite of those three.
Given I don't have the funding for one of these and they do seem a bit steep for so simple a watch with an ETA movement what else is out there similar but cheaper (way way cheaper ideally)?
I know there are loads of black faced pilots around but does anyone else make silver / white / cream versions? Suggestions on good dark faced watches also more than welcome, Laco, Stowa, Archimedes are the ones that keep popping up in my searches but nothing so far quite along the lines of those IWCs.
Fortis do a lovely cream dialled pilot Chrono. From memory, the bronze cased steinhart pilot has a grey/silver dial also.
The Alpina Startimer range look nice, no personal experience though.
Laco and Stowa are great if you're lookimg for a B-Uhr recreation from one of the original 5 manufacturers.
Another option in a very different style is the Hanhart Pioneer which is a beautiful recreation of one of the original Hanhart pilot watches. I personally like the monopushers but there are two-pusher models as well. They come in both black and cream dials and there are 40mm and 42mm models.
Think the Oris Big Crown Pro Pilot is a lovely looking watch with the knurled bezel. It's modern enough not to be a complete homage piece. Grey prices tend to be good as well
That's a good shout, I was looking at them last night along with a Fortis and Tutima. Struggling to find white / silver dialed options though.Originally Posted by Mark lowman
Stowa Ikarus is worth checking out, and I love my Steinhart nav b ii chrono
ktmog6uk
marchingontogether!
Would a Hamilton Khaki match your needs ? ETA 2824 movement for ~ £350 ?
Not a fleiger but has some aspects common with the IWC Mark Series...
Sadly for you, now you've seen an IWC Flieger, everything else seems Micky Mouse.
The Mark XVIII, Pilot Chrono, Top Gun and Big Pilot are just plain old desirable.
This was the Fortis I was meaning:
Or
Those Fortis Chrono's are nice but just too thick - been there a few years ago with a couple of different B42's. Great and very underrated watches but I'm really after something relatively thin and just three handed.This was the Fortis I was meaning:
Or
+1Sadly for you, now you've seen an IWC Flieger, everything else seems Micky Mouse.
The Mark XVIII, Pilot Chrono, Top Gun and Big Pilot are just plain old desirable.
There's certainly a lot of choice when it comes to Pilot watches, but at the end of the day there's only one IWC.
You might find these discussions interesting OP.
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?6101-What-is-an-Aviation-Watch-A-Personal-View&highlight=Pilot
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?22768-My-Answer-to-an-IWC-Mark-XV-XVI-Question&highlight=Pilot
F.T.F.A.
My first was an IWC Mark XVII which although not loved on here I liked a lot. The bigger car appealed but it had to go to make way for something else.
I then at the third attempt on SC over a year or so bagged the 3741 mechaquartz chrono. A small 36mm which is a bit tiny for most but I have enjoyed it. It is a good entry point for under a grand and maybe worth a try before the BIG purchase.
Pitch
Surprised no ones mentioned Eddies Speedbird range yet, a cream dialled one was made but only available second hand now.
http://www.timefactors.com/speedbird.htm
Cheers..
Jase
Damasko DC56, tougher than the IWC and a lot less money. Mine's the Si version:
The IWC has a better finished case, dial and hands, but none of that improves the function.
It's usually best to buy the watch that you want. I thought about an IWC but they've moved away from their toolwatch position and I wanted a watch that was more practical with usable technology and no superfluous finishing.
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