5 of the best pilot’s watches to keep you on schedule in the cockpit

Zach Blass

Of all the sports watch categories, if dive watches are the most popular, pilot’s watches are likely the second most popular. For such a specific classification, pilot’s watches are far less homogenous in design than dive watches. Pilot’s watches can be chronographs, with or without slide-rule bezel models, more simple Flieger styles, or even timezone-hopping GMTs or wolrdtimers. At the end of the day, a pilot’s watch must be legible, if not large and legible, with a robust build. So, without further ado, here are five of the best pilot’s watches from least to most expensive. I have made a concerted effort to make a pick below US$1,000, US$3,000, US$5,000, US$10,000, with just one watch beyond US$10,000.

Bulova Lunar Pilot

A watch with very high significance but a very low price, the Bulova Lunar Pilot is a great pilot’s watch option for those looking to start a watch collection or simply just add another interesting design to wear-rotation. The designs range from 43.5mm to 45mm in diameter, but all of the watches share the heritage of being a descendant of the original 70s watch that, like the Omega Speedmaster, has the claim to fame of being worn on the moon during the Apollo 15 mission. In fact, during this mission, NASA’s fourth lunar landing, whilst David Scott was exploring, the crystal of his Omega Speedmaster issued by NASA came off. Fortunately, he had also brought along his personal Bulova Chronograph Model ref. 88510/01 – the very watch the Lunar Pilot takes inspiration from. This was very lucky, considering how crucial a chronograph timer was to his mission.

While the modern Bulova Lunar Pilot starts at just US$556, Scott’s personal Bulova, understandably, sold for USD$1.6M in 2015. However, the modern Lunar Pilot has the advantage of utilising Bulova’s high-precision quartz 262khz movement that is pledged to be accurate within seconds per year. But, before quartz snobs cry foul, the movement’s incredibly high rate nets a watch that has sweeping hands, rather than deadbeat, despite being quartz-driven. Price: starting at US$556 (on NATO)

Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Day Date Auto

If it is good enough for the fictional pilot Cooper, worn by Matthew McConaughey in the film Interstellar, surely the Hamilton Khaki Aviation Pilot Day Date Auto is a supreme pilot’s watch, no? Jokes aside, the watch offers a ton of value for the money, with a robust 100-metre water-resistant stainless steel case, large and legible black dial with day and date complications, and an 80-hour automatic calibre. The case is 42mm in diameter, but at 11.85mm thick, it is rather slender and at 48mm lug-to-lug compact enough for most wrists. Price: US$1,045 (on bracelet)

Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT

With current Rolex GMT-Master II watches largely ‘unobtanium’ at retail, and the OG GMT-Master ‘Pussy Galore’ commanding high prices on the auction block, to get the best sense of a 50s cosmopolitan pilot’s GMT watch, you really cannot do better than the recently revealed Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT. A longstanding wish turned into reality at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024, Tudor’s crown guard-less 50s-inspired GMT went on a much-requested diet – slimming down in diameter and more importantly, thickness. It also offers a T-fit on-the-fly micro-adjustment clasp and a gilty coke bezel to further satiate our thirst. Package this all with a 70-hour automatic calibre and 200 metres of water-resistance… Chef’s kiss. Price: US$4,600 (on bracelet)

Breitling Navitimer B01 Chronmograph 43 Copper

It would be criminal not to include a Navitimer in a best pilot’s watches buying guide – it is one of many models that has made Breitling a premier watchmaker in the eyes of aviators. While a classic pilot’s watch icon, my personal Navitimer pick has to be the recent B01 Chronograph 43 Copper. Copper, or salmon as we all ultimately associate its hue with, treads the line between vintage and modern in that it is certainly not a dial shade that was born in the present –  but it is very much on-trend in the modern era. Add in the panda flavour with its colour-contrasting black chronograph counters, and you have a Navi that hits all the right visual notes. Price: US$9,550

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert

Rounding out my best pilot’s watches picks is a well-known favourite of our very own Marcus Flack: the IWC Pilot’s Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert. At the model’s core, it is the most approachable pilot’s chronograph from IWC in size (41.9mm (D) x 15.5mm (T) x 50.8mm (LTL)) and it retains brand signatures such as a large and legible dial and 12′, 9′, and 6′ positioned chronograph counters that leave ample real estate for both the IWC Schaffhausen branding and day and date complications to be comfortably positioned at 3′. This more compact pilot’s chronograph also presented the brand’s fan-favourite Mojave Desert ceramic colour in a sub-42mm case for the first time. Where I really have to hand it to IWC is that the brand managed to inject such a playful, striking, and distinct colour into its design without compromising the legibility of the dial. It may be colourful, but it also means business and can viably serve as a pilot’s watch. TLDR: in my opinion, you cannot find any other [quality] watch remotely like this from another brand. Price: US$11,700