10 of the Best Pilot Watches for Men

If you like your timepieces to have an aviation feel to them, it’s safe to say you’ll likely gravitate towards pilot watches and, understandably so, given that they are some of the coolest looking, most robust on the market. There is definitely no shortage of options when it comes to finding the perfect pilot watch for your wrist and there are so many first class watchmakers with great looking releases right now.

Check out our pick of 10 of the best pilot watches for men below:

Hanhart PRIMUS Carrier Pilot Watch – From €2740

Ridiculously classy and well made, the Hanhart PRIMUS Carrier Pilot Watch (from €2740) is one of the best pilot watches we’ve seen in a while here at Coolector HQ. This stunning timepiece from German watchmakers, Hanhart, has an in-house automatic chronograph movement HAN3809, 28,800 a / h, 4 Hz, with 28 jewels, super-LumiNova® coated hands, numerals and indexes and a textile blue strap with leather inlay for comfort. (€2740)

De Pol Tailhook Pilot Watch – $975

Aviation is in the blood of De Pol Watches and this positively shines through in their high quality Tailhook Pilot Watch ($975) which is DLC coated for an added layer of robustness and durability. Taking inspiration from naval aviation, the Tailhook represent the exclusivity of the that community. Every day, skilled pilots launch and recover day and night onboard aircraft carriers. The finesse, endurance, and bravery that goes into landing on an aircraft carrier is unparalleled and this watch is a celebration of these skills. The Tailhook has a Swiss-engineered Quartz movement for unparalleled precision, is water resistant to 100m and comes with a black leather band with fold-over DLC-coated steel clasp. ($975)

DuFrane Bergstrom Pilot Watch – $975

Another excellent looking offering from the guys at DuFrane Watches with the well made and robust Bergstrom Pilot Watch ($975). This eye-catching timepiece from the American watchmaker is inspired by the finesse of early pilots, and this classic mechanical watch exemplifies this culmination of tradition and invention. It’s phenomenal sapphire exhibition case back gives you a stunning view of the watch’s inner movements. It has been made with an upgraded and highly decorated Swiss ETA 6498-2 Movement which is famed for its precision and longevity. Not only does this movement give the watch unparalleled accuracy, it’s built to withstand with the industry’s best shock protection system, up to 50 meters of water, and it possesses a 46-hour power reserve. ($975)

Archimedes OutDoor 41 Pilot Watch – €980

Understated in its excellence, the Archimedes OutDoor 41 Pilot’s Watch (€980) is one of our favourites here at The Coolector. It has a Swiss made SW 200-1 movement for incredible accuracy and performance and the high-quality case is manufactured by ICKLER in Pforzheim. It has a 20ATM water resistance and it is crafted from the sort of robust, high end materials which is a must for a pilot watch. (€980)

Breitling Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition Watch – £TBC

Breitling Navitimer Ref. 806 1959 Re-Edition has been created with painstaking attention to every detail of the 1959 Navitimer design. Like its inspirational ancestor, it has an all-black dial with tone-on-tone subdials and, recreating one of the signature elements of the original Ref. 806. It is a direct link to one of the most impressive legacies in all of watchmaking. In celebration of the year this specific design was produced, it has been created in an edition limited to 1959 pieces, all individually numbered and engraved on the caseback. With such a rich legacy, Breitling is looking forward to creating other models that celebrate some of the brand’s significant milestones.

IWC Spitfire Longest Flight Pilot Watch – £11,920

IWC are positively synonymous with aviation and pilot watches and they are so well regarded because of incredible releases like this IWC Spitfire ‘Longest Flight’ Pilot Watch (£11,920) which is an exceptional looking and majestic timepiece that would take pride of place in any watch aficionado’s collection. Limited to just 250 pieces, this special edition is dedicated to the “Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight” project. It was developed specially for the two pilots, Steve Boultbee-Brooks and Matt Jones, to assist them in their circumnavigation of the globe in a Spitfire. The stainless-steel case, black dial and green textile wristband were inspired by the colours found in the Spitfire’s cockpit. The IWC-manufactured 82760 calibre developed specially for this watch features Pellaton winding with components made of non-wearing ceramic and has a 60-hour power reserve. (£11,920)

Bremont Arrow Pilot Watch – £3,595

The Bremont Arrow Pilot Watch (£3,595) is a true sight to behold and has exactly the sort of aviation aesthetic we love at Coolector HQ. It is a 42mm cased mono-pusher chronograph. The pusher at 2 o’clock on the two-piece hardened steel case will start, stop and reset the stopwatch on the chronometer rated BE-51AE movement. The Arrow plays on the same British military DNA as the Broadsword but is aimed at the airman with its chronograph functionality, a necessity for any timed mission. The sub-dial at 9 o’clock is a running seconds, and the chronograph has elapsed minutes on the 3 o’clock counter. Engineered with the utmost integrity, the Arrow is steadfastly accurate, durable and legible. (£3,595)

Torgoen T30 Black GMT Pilot Watch – £308

Pleasingly affordable but still incredibly well made, the T30 Black GMT Pilot Watch from Torgoen (£308) is a bold looking timepiece which makes quite the style statement on the wrist. This watch is inspired by the genius of Paul MacCready, aeronautic innovator and two time winner of the Kremer Prize. It follows his legacy of ‘do more with less’ and boasts a no-nonsense, straightforward design, with first class functionality. With a Swiss Made quartz movement, two time zones and an alarm, large displayed digits on a black dial, GMT hand, a hardened mineral crystal cover and a leather strap, this dramatic timepiece exudes speed and accuracy. (£308)

Geckota K-01 Pilot’s Watch – £359

Supremely stylish, the Geckota K-01 Pilot’s Watch (£359) has been meticulous crafted to make sure that it’s dimensions and finishing are both crisp and considered as can be. Vertical and radial brushing has been balanced with polished contrast throughout the case. It has an onion shaped Geckota ‘G’ signed crown finalises the pilots watch aesthetic. Modern upgrades are in abundance here as the crown is also screw down, making the most of the watches 100m water resistance rating. It has been created in limited numbers ensuring exclusivity and meticulous quality control checks. (£359)

Steinhart Nav.B-Chrono 47 Baumuster B Grey Edition Watch – €990

The Nav.B Chrono 47mm Gray Edition Premium Watch from Steinhart is another fantastic chronograph timepiece from the house of Steinhart with the well-tried “ETA VALJOUX 7750 premium” automatic movement that delivers a superb accuracy and performance day in, day out. It has a domed sapphire crystal glass front, which is double-coated from the inside, and the dial with white hands give this pilot’s watch an incomparable appearance. Particularly noteworthy is the design of the dial. (€990)