Pilot Watch

Jase

Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2017
Location
Melbourne
Looking around for a Pilot style watch - budget <$1000, happy to buy 2nd hand to get closer to $500 for a decent one if I can. Hamilton and Torgoen have styles I like within range - what are these brands like? I'm pretty clueless when it comes to watches - never really worn one much before. Anything else I should be looking at?
 
Hamilton are a nice brand and do the 'traditional" German styles, like Laco. See Long Island watches

http://www.longislandwatch.com/Pilo...ch_return=all&sort_by_field=Price+High+to+Low

Don't discount Seiko if you want lots of features/busy dial design. Seiko might not have the allure of Swiss or euro brands, but they innovated practically everything the Swiss industry now does as standard. But Seiko do it for real world prices and sell a lot of watch for the money.

SSC263P1_LRG.jpg
 
Check out weatchgooroo on eBay, specifically their Glycine range, which asking them their best price, is likely to shock you in a positive manner :)

IIRC, Glycine revolutionised the aviation watch scene, worth researching their history.
 
That's quite the minimalist German made watch there.
I suspect that it might even gain the approval of @todras :)
 
That's quite the minimalist German made watch there.

Yeah I'm drawn to the vintage utilitarian feel of this style. This one has a glass back case with visible movement too which appeals to my mechanical curiosity.
 
I'm keen on traditional b-uhr style, been doing a bit more research today and am now really liking the Steinhart nav b-uhr 44.

https://www.steinhartwatches.de/en/flieger-watch/nav-b-uhr-44-handaufzug.html

Nice Pilot style in the IWC mould, without the stupid celebs-only price. What on your priorities - are they aesthetic or performance based? Because a quartz/kinetic/solar movement will provide greater accuracy than a mechanical auto. To get the same sort of accuracy as these in an mechanical, you have to pay big money. Also, with any euro watch you will pay more over any comparable product from Japan.
 
Nice Pilot style in the IWC mould, without the stupid celebs-only price. What on your priorities - are they aesthetic or performance based? Because a quartz/kinetic/solar movement will provide greater accuracy than a mechanical auto. To get the same sort of accuracy as these in an mechanical, you have to pay big money. Also, with any euro watch you will pay more over any comparable product from Japan.

Yeah priorities are definitely more aesthetic than performance(to a point of course!). Aesthetic and craftsmanship - but with craftsmanship also comes price. The Steinhart is about all the 'craftsmanship' I am willing to afford at this point! I was also tempted by the Ticino Pilot watch which looks very well priced:

http://www.ticinowatches.com/product/pilot-watch-44mm-vintage-hand-wind-6497-mov-ss/

Well its all academic now as I just pulled the trigger on the Steinhart! I was looking around at 2nd hand examples on the web but after doing the sums on buying new direct from Steinhart, the price was quite attractive and I get full warranty and support.
 
My watch arrived earlier in the week, very pleased with it and the whole ordering process through Steinhart was smooth and quick.

 
Top