21 best pilot watches to give your watch collection some decent airtime

The re-edition of Seiko’s 1924 wristwatch, the SPB441 in 35mm, shouts vintage perfection. Marking the 100th anniversary of the first wristwatch with the Seiko name, its small enamel dial has exquisite detailing and crisp legibility. Early 20th-century aero feels make us want to book that single-engine flying lesson we’ve always wanted, chocks away.

If you were to doodle your dream, no-nonsense watch which was super easy to read, chances are it would look a lot like Oris’s new Big Crown 473. As well as wearing its big crown energy very well, it has a big boy movement inside too. It’s no secret that Oris is a real watch geek favourite and the winning blue dial and brown strap combo shows exactly why. Also getting a bit design technical here, but can we have a moment to pause and acknowledge how sensual those lugs are – because they are the reason why this watch sits so snugly on your wrist.

Oh, to have such aeronautical affiliations as these Schaffhausen toolmasters. Despite the loss of Breitling’s winged logo (RIP), the battle-ready Super AVI leaves you with no doubt of its capabilities up in the air. Not only does the GMT Mosquito Night Fighter have a punchy name for a pilot’s watch, it’s not shy at 46mm. The kicker: packed with functionality and hunk as it might project, the Super AVI is super light thanks to its ceramic case.

Modelled on early Zenith cockpit instruments, the Type 20 is the archetype of an early pilot’s watch and, over the years, the brand has stuck faithfully to the original aesthetic, carefully ageing the finish of the pieces for an authentic look. With 2020’s new watches, though, the design is brought into the 21st century, thanks to the polished steel cases and slate-grey dials. The large Arabic numerals retain the look of early models, however, and they are made in solid Super-LumiNova to increase the length of glow at night. An aged and riveted calfskin strap is a further nod to the past.

Black, ceramic, and mission-ready, the IWC Pilot Chronograph might not be new but it still occupies a significant amount of space in my mind. Were it a person, it could be a brooding Cillian Murphy or even Batman (Christian Bale’s). And now it’s more versatile in size. At 41mm, its black über-stealth vibe is still very tool-ish but you’ll also be tempted to wear it with a way-too-formal fit, which we applaud.

Yes, Blancpain lays claim to one of the first diver’s watches in the Fifty Fathoms, but don’t let that get in the way of the more dressy Air Command. With a twin register chronograph functionality and a deep navy, busy mid-century dial, its 36mm size will trick you into thinking it’s bigger than it is. The details are exquisite enough to emanate flyboy energy with the full chronograph functionality still packed into a one-for-all Goldilocks size. And it’s titanium, making it a pilot’s grail watch for sure.

It’s hard to picture the GMT-Master as anything but a grail but this icon actually started life as a pilot’s watch designed for Pan-Am captains. That doesn’t take away from its massive presence, which is made even stronger by this year’s new two-tone trophy in rich tones of cocoa and Everose gold. A time-travelling pilot’s watch by name, it’s popular with everyone from actual flyboys to Jack Harlow and Raheem Stirling for a reason.

With a natty line-up of monochrome tool watches more retro than most, the 356 range from Sinn is a sweet-fitting 38.5mm piece that has a bit of an IYKYK vibe to it. With an all-brushed case and warm beige-to-brown fumè dial, the twin-register PILOT Classic is a functional nugget of tough that would definitely get noticed on a first date. Just don’t go to deep on its teutonic build quality – save that for the fourth date.

Ask Lewis Hamilton or Tom Brady their opinion on what’s a mega pilot’s watch, and they’ll probably say you can’t go wrong with an IWC Big Pilot’s Watch. Getting advice from GOATs who get paid to wear IWC might seem a bit disingenuous but they’d be right. That regal crown, that face – legibility has rarely looked so sexy. Under the bonnet, there’s an in-house movement that gives you 60 hours of power reserve, which means you only have to wind it up every two and a half days. And if buckles are your thing, that leather strap is an added bonus.

No, you haven’t strayed into the dress watch section. Sure, just like Rami Malek seems a natural Cartier ambassador, the Santos wants you to suit up. But this curved piece of French horology has deep aviator roots. Powered by their 1847MC caliber, its rivet-look case and the heptagonal crown have a story. Created for Cartier’s friend Santos-Dumont, a Cartier sat on his wrist while being the first person to ever be filmed while flying an airplane, in 1906.

When Zenith re-ignited the afterburners of its Pilot range, it went full throttle. Our clear-cut fave is the all-black stealth 40mm time-only version with deadly sword hands and broad-shouldered case design. The dial has a rakish striated look with massive, lumed numerals that shout the time at you. It’s a great comeback for the Zenith Pilot and with two interchangeable straps in khaki and mission black too, we need it.

If you were on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and the question ‘What is the most famous pilot’s watch’ popped up on the monitor, Breitling’s Navitimer would be the answer to put your money on. Phone a friend and most will agree with you. Yes, it has the storied history on which to build its status, but really it’s all about the design. It’s done that clever thing of evolving over 70 years while still keeping up with the cool kids. The colourway of this 43mm Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Boeing 747 suits Brentford fans just as much as it would diehard Sheffield United supporters, which is probably not exactly what CEO Georges Kern had in mind – but then such is the draw to a Navitimer.

And so the legacy continues. Giles and Nick English set up Bremont in 2002 in honour of their father, who sadly passed away after a tragic aircraft accident in 1995. Today, its latest pilot’s watch is testament to their continued success. Called the Fury, it’s meaner than Tyson and cleaner than brother Tommy’s right hook. With more and more of its components now being created at Bremont’s impressive watchmaking HQ in Henley, this three-hander, classic blue option is proof that a winning pilot’s watch doesn’t need to be any bigger than 40mm.

There could be no better brand to head a story on Pilot’s watches than IWC. Trying to outdo the vibrant fits of Lewis Hamilton is a tough thing to do, especially when he’s adding the extra flair of the Miami Pink edition to his look. This special edition of the tool’s tool watch in partnership with the AMG Petronas F1 team has a racy combo of searingly pink strapology and minty dial markings. Optimal titanium wristwear for a Miami blast, race day or not.

On Sinn’s home page, you’ll find this under ‘Instrument Watches’, which says it all. The cult favourite 104 has Leica-like haptics in the clicks of its countdown bezel, while the monochrome dial is the most legible in the business. The crisp dial has the bonus of a day/date window for those summer days when you have trouble navigating the week, let alone an aeroplane in flight. German engineering myths made metal for £1,445.

With ES meaning stainless steel, its soft hug on a black bund leather strap has a storied past. Today’s 42mm reference is only slightly larger than the original and military pilot’s spec 417ES, bringing with it a different, rogue-like charm. Fun fact: this was the fave wrist-piece of über-tough guy Steve McQueen while doing enduro motocross races in the American desert. Strap it on and we dare you to not feel that sweet tingle of nostalgia.

Surely the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe belongs with the divers? We see this chronograph, however, as a perfect pilot’s watch alongside its Air Command. Monochrome tough in weapons-grade 23 titanium with a dash of suave, its button indices seem to float on the sunray dial. The 43mm case is remarkably light, while those polished button indices seem to float on the brushed sunray dial.

A square watch? Bell & Ross has been making them for decades now, and they are as cool as they are quintessentially French. To tell you the truth we love contrasts, and this is Juxtaposition City (Ville perhaps?). Nothing will prepare you for the seemingly mad, yet maths-focused segmented rings of colour. Like an alien version of the Navitimer, you can choose between three tachys, one pulsometer and an asthmometer.