Pilot watches and IWC feature in the FT's special supplement

"...The news that Tom Cruise will reprise his role as Maverick and return to the navy fighter jet cockpit in the long-awaited sequel to the 1986 hit movie Top Gun confirms the notion that pilot watches are once again in vogue from New York to New Delhi.

Movie heroes aside, aviator watches and timepieces with aeronautical stylings have represented the romance of flight since the 1930s.

However, there are also utilitarian reasons why they are enjoying such a revival. Pilots’ need of reliable, easy-to-read watches has found a resonance among professionals and mainstream watch lovers alike.

Watchmakers have responded accordingly – be it with authentic pilot’s watches or those influenced by the “look”...."

"...Michael Williams, the proprietor behind the style blog “A Continuous Lean”, agrees. “A 48mm IWC Top Gun Big Pilot is certainly not undersized,” he concedes, “but pilot watches are one of the few styles that can get away with this, because even the vintage watches of this type were big in diameter.”..."

"...There is also the notion that watch design follows the same trajectory as men’s styles. Nick Sullivan, fashion director of US Esquire, says: “We seem to be exiting a period in which men’s fashion was all about jazzy accessories, funky shoes and zany tweeds all thrown together with that kind of sprezzatura vibe.

“A much cleaner aesthetic has returned and a timeless pilot’s watch fits in well with this new ‘less is more’ moment.”

Ted Stafford, fashion market director at American GQ, cites the influx of military styles from Dior Homme to Balmain to Ralph Lauren (and the associated bomber jackets and epaulettes) as complementing this watch style.

“They have range – from IWC to Timex – and guys like them because they’re durable and not superprecious,” he says.

Being linked to such an emotional profession serves as a strong source of inspiration for both pilot watch wearers and manufacturers.

At IWC, Gianfranco D’Attis, North American brand president, points to the company’s ability to allow the consumer to emulate the lifestyle of an actual pilot. By associating itself not only with Top Gun but also with Antoine de St Exupéry, whose memory the company is celebrating this year with a limited edition chronograph in 18-carat red gold, IWC is able to create legitimacy while enriching its brand.

Today’s vanguard is the new Miramar line: a tribute to the home of the Top Gun fighter school in California.

Breitling, whose Chronomat 44 bears the official seal of the US. Navy Fighter Weapons School, is another brand with deep roots in aviation...."

"...Truth be told, wearers of pilot watches, much like diving watches, generally buy them for their rugged looks; the functions that define them are rarely, if ever, used.

Esquire’s Mr Sullivan comments: “These types of watches all have positive associations for men, that kind of James Bond thing.

“It’s like your watch hints quietly that when you’re not in your day job you are a man of action.”...."

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