Aeronom Aero One BLK
Fergus NashIndustrial watch design comes up a lot when discussing brands such as Hublot and Ball Watch Co, but any fan of Rammstein can assure you that nobody does industrial like the Germans. Aeronom was founded to be brash and bold, inspired by the urban sprawls of city architecture, streetwear and hip-hop. Their first release focused on forging a unique style in limited production to bring its owners closer together, and the Aeronom Aero One BLK takes things in an even grittier direction.
The case
The Aeronom Aero One BLK is larger than life in every sense of the term. Its wide, flat surfaces grant it a powerful wrist presence that’s as solid as a tank. It almost looks as if it’s been pulled directly out of a submarine instrument cluster, welded to a bracelet and taken to an exclusive club. The black DLC coating brings with it a matte blasted texture, along with scratch protection that the usual brushed finish didn’t have. It’s also more suited to wear with casual clothing, and is slightly less visually intense than raw steel.
Dimensionally, you should be prepared for a bit of a monster. Excluding the crown, you’re looking at a 45mm diameter and a 51mm lug-to-lug length. The 13mm is surprisingly reasonable, and the crown screws down to seal in 100 metres of water resistance. The bezel has a deeply-knurled grip around its edge for even more of a militaristic style, although the black diamond embedded at 12 o’clock offers a kind of gothic bling.
The dial
The name Aero One BLK was chosen because of the founder’s love for pilot’s watches, although its resemblance to a typical flieger isn’t really obvious. The dial is stern and functional, letting the case do the talking for its big personality. That said, the 24-hour subdial at 9 o’clock and the open date window do add the kind of complexity which makes the watch look more like flight equipment.
Black-on-black tends to disappear, so the black hands are filled with strips of lume to appear floating when in darkness. In the light, legibility is clearer thanks to the glossy sheen of those black hands above the satin black of the dial. The applied hour markers follow the same philosophy, with those at 3 and 9 removed for the complications. The different lengths of the hands are easy to follow too, with the minute track reserved for the rehaut chapter ring to clean up the dial.
The movement
Peering through the small sapphire window in the solid caseback, you can watch the beating balance wheel and spinning rotor of the automatic Miyota 8217. The watch may be German enough to claim the “Made in Germany” status, however using this Japanese movement is the best way to keep the price low and the reliability high. It has a 3Hz beat rate and a 42-hour power reserve, suiting daily wear well. The movement has also been regulated in-house to half the quoted accuracy margins, now within -10/+20 seconds per day.
The bracelet
Modelled after a President-style, Aeronom’s “tank” bracelet has been murdered out in DLC coating just like the case. Whereas it looked a little bit more formal on the steel model, here it feels much sportier. It’s secured with a butterfly clasp that’s engraved with the Aeronom logo, but one small complaint could be with the fixed centre link where it attaches to the lugs. This could make it a little harder to wear if your wrists aren’t big enough, but the 22mm lug width ensures you’ll find easy replacements if you want to wear it on a different kind of strap.
Aeronom Aero One BLK pricing and availability
The Aeronom Aero One BLK is limited to 200 pieces and will be launched on September 20th 2023. Price: A$750, €595
| Brand | Aeronom |
| Model | Aero One BLK |
| Case Dimensions | 45mm (D) x 13mm (T) x 51mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | DLC-coated stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres (screw-down crown) |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Matte black |
| Lug Width | 22mm |
| Strap | DLC-coated stainless steel bracelet, butterfly clasp |
| Movement | Miyota 8217, automatic, regulated to -10/+20 s/d |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, 24-hour indicator |
| Availability | Limited to 200 pieces |
| Price | A$750, €595 |