Aerowatch Pilot Chronograph

[Leif]

I bought an Aerowatch LE Pilot Chronograph for £385,- from Eddie about a month ago. This watch is a replica of the pilot chronographs Hanhart and Tutima made in 1939-41 for the German Luftwaffe for use by the pilots (not to be confused with the "beobachtungsuhren" or "B-uhren", which were made for the navigators on the Luftwaffe airplanes). Today both Hanhart and Tutima makes replicas like the Aerowatch, but at a much higher price.

Eddie quoted Aerowatch for the accuracy af the watch to be +/- 20 sec. ad day. He also wrote that "we both know they can do much better than that". It does indeed do a lot better than that.

The accuracy of my particular sample is nothing short of exceptional. The watch has been running constantly for four weeks by now, and it still runs accurate to the second without resetting for those weeks. It runs this way whether the watch is worn 24 hours a day or is left with the dial up - so I have not bothered checking it in five positions. I do realize that the mileage varies between different samples of the same movement, and it may change a little when it has run for a few months (though it's my experience that modern ETA movements change less than is generally believed), but by any standard it is exceptionally good.

The finish is also first class. At this price level, one usually gets a bead blasted case and not a finely brushed one like in this case (no pun intended!). The strap is a rather cheap "chrocodile" leather strap, which I immediately replaced with a dark brown pilot strap with two rivets from Stowa. IMHO, a watch of this kind calls for plain, rugged leather, not chrocodile, but I wouldn't for one minute let a strap get between me and a nice watch.

I actually considered buying one of the modern Hanhart replicas when I stumbled over this Aerowatch at Eddies webshop. Admitted, the original Hanhart and Tutima replicas have a rotatable bezel (which I don't need), a domed and coated crystal, and a dot of luminova paint on the bezel, but the movement is the same (ETA/Valjoux 7760, handwound). However, the Hanharts and the Tutimas costs 3-5 times as much (depending on where you buy them)! I don't know of any ETA 7750/7760 chronograph these days where one can get get so much for £385,-. Eddie still has five of them left, if you lean towards the Hanhart/Tutima style.

Disclaimer: No connection with Eddie - just a satisfied customer.

[rfrazier]

It does look to be a very fine watch, I think. Enjoy!

Best wishes,
Bob

PS Pictures! Where are the pictures? ;)
RLF

[Jeroen]

of the most underrated watches Eddie sold.... well made and a timeless beauty... all 3 over here still get regular wristtime...
It's over 3 years old now and I still enjoyit every day I wear it....
and if you open it up You'll see that the movement also is decently finished



enjoy yours for a long, long time......

Jeroen

[Leif]

PS Pictures! Where are the pictures? ;)
RLF[/quote]

Sorry. I'm OK with a digital camera and photoshop, but I have not yet got arount to posting pictures. In the meanwhile, there are some good pictrures on Eddies website.

[bandylegss]

Hi Leif send me your pics and I will post em for you.
Paul. :D

[Dave E]

They do look like beauties, and according to Eddie he only has a few of them left!

[Pavel]

They do look like beauties, and according to Eddie he only has a few of them left!

It's such a fine watch that I'm seriously tempted. Perhaps the best Tutima hommage on the market.

[Fullbreakfast]

I love my Aerowatch. The anthracite-black dial with the steel camber to the subdials really does it for me.

[redmonaco]

I love my Aerowatch. The anthracite-black dial with the steel camber to the subdials really does it for me.

mmm, bet your description and pic sold a couple more!!! :)

[cricketer]

of the most underrated watches Eddie sold.... well made and a timeless beauty... all 3 over here still get regular wristtime...
It's over 3 years old now and I still enjoyit every day I wear it....
and if you open it up You'll see that the movement also is decently finished



enjoy yours for a long, long time......

Jeroen

I think there is only one left now...so someone had better be quick !

:)

Alan

[doug darter]

I did a review of this for TZ (US) a few years ago. Pictures long since deleted, but text still intact...

http://www.tz-uk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2827

[Leif]

I bought this in 2006 and back then I wrote a favorable review. When it was new, it's timekeeping was spot on - +/- 0 secs a week. Now 12½ years later it still keeps excellent time though it has drifted a little to -2 secs a week. Not bad considering it hasn't been serviced in those years. I still like it a lot and it still gets wrist time. In some ways it is closer in looks to the original 1939-41 Hanharts than the present day Hanhart "replicas" themselves. For one thing, the original ones didn't have the red chrono hands the present ones has. The ones Tutima makes now comes in the well known 7750 watch dial layout, so it's even farther away from the original bicompax dial. So it's safe to say it has been a keeper for me - but then I'm no watch flipper.

[KAS118]

I bought this in 2006 and back then I wrote a favorable review. When it was new, it's timekeeping was spot on - +/- 0 secs a week. Now 12½ years later it still keeps excellent time though it has drifted a little to -2 secs a week. Not bad considering it hasn't been serviced in those years. I still like it a lot and it still gets wrist time. In some ways it is closer in looks to the original 1939-41 Hanharts than the present day Hanhart "replicas" themselves. For one thing, the original ones didn't have the red chrono hands the present ones has. The ones Tutima makes now comes in the well known 7750 watch dial layout, so it's even farther away from the original bicompax dial. So it's safe to say it has been a keeper for me - but then I'm no watch flipper.

Great to hear you're still enjoying it 👍