The brand of Bell & Ross is most well-known for its aviation themed ‘flight instruments’, those distinctively large square cases designed like aircraft cockpit instruments. What is less known are their ‘vintage’ collection, introduced in 2010, and the ‘marine’ line,… Read More ›
Pilot’s watches
A military classic – a look at a Heuer Bund
Produced by Heuer Leonidas S.A. in the late 1960s and early 1970s for the West German Air Force (Budeswehr), these flyback chronographs using Valjoux 22/ 222/ 230 movements known as ‘Heuer Bunds’ are amongst some of the most collectible and… Read More ›
A truly iconic calibre – the 13ZN Longines
As mentioned in the ‘who are we?‘ post, there are many types of watch enthusiasts. A lot of them get quite excited by movements, and a subset of these are driven to find examples of iconic or important movements. One… Read More ›
A rare unissued Waltham WW2 watch
Watches labelled as ‘NOS’ (new old stock) are oft prized. For watches, as it is for books or many other collectables, the idea of something that has been untouched, especially vintage watches, is tantalising. The words ‘new unissued in box’ were enough to draw me into the unknown world of vintage military watches. The lure of an untouched 1945 watch was too great.
A look at a 1939 Longines Lindbergh
In March, I wrote about a rare Longines Wittnauer Second Setting watch. Thanks to a distinguished collector friend of JPVFX, we now have a follow-up post of an even more well known and rare Longines aeronatical beast – the Longines… Read More ›
Casio and Royal Air Force collaborate for new G-Shock
In one of the more practical watch brand collaborations that we’ve heard for a while, Casio has been working with Britain’s Royal Air Force on a new range designed for use in combat. Formed in 1918, the RAF is one… Read More ›
The rare Longines-Wittnauer Second Setting watch
One of the reasons I carry a camera with me all the time is because I never know when I might meet an unexpected watch. Firstly, a bit of history. The relationship between Wittnauer and Longines goes back a long… Read More ›
Panamera Flieger 47
Pilots’ watches, whether they be B-Uhr heritage fliegers from the ‘knowns’ or one of the plethora of small brands which you only hear about through word of mouth or on watch fora, are one of the constants in the watch… Read More ›
A look at a vintage Glycine Airman
Founded in Bienne in 1914 by Eugène Meylan, for a company whose modern history has been closely tied to functional and “tool” watches, it is interesting to note that Glycine’s early commitment was to create the smallest movements possible for… Read More ›
Hands-on with the Aristo Sextant
The Aristo Flieger Sextant has its roots in a German sextant watch used by Wernher von Braun and his team at the Peenemünde rocket proving ground (“Heeresversuchsanstalt Peenemuende”) in the early 1940s. Wernher Magnus Maximilian Freiherr von Braun (23 March… Read More ›