Best pilot / aviation / GMT watch under $500???
Hello Watch Crunch!
Hope your Saturday morning is going well.
I'm on the hunt for a pilot / aviation / GMT watch that comes in around $500.
I have a few different watches in mind I'd love to experience however I know there's always some value packed, well designed watches out there that I haven't seen yet!
The watch doesn't have to be GMT nor does it have to be particularly over-engineered like some pieces out there. I do enjoy all aesthetics of aviation watches and hoping you can show me some new ones.
Please share with me your favourite watches that fall in to this category so I can add a pilots watch to my collection.
Happy Saturday!
TTT
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Kieron TTT
YouTube watch reviewer 😃
Manchester UK
Member since
Last active: 1 month ago
16.51 cm
Seagull 1963 is a pilot chrono Great value for the money and relatively well built (apart from the supplied straps which most folk swap out). Classic design and highly legible
Pilots circular slide rule sold separately. They are fiddly enough full size let alone bezel sized
Citizen Nighthawk maybe if you don't mind quartz
Only pilots watch I have would be my Damasko, a little bit more than the 500 you want to spend but it's incredibly well made, easy to read and accurate, well mine is.
Laco and Aristo make some nice pilot's styled watches and would be more within your price range, also automatics and quartz's to choose from 👍
Thanks to @Scooter theres a sale on AVI watches … https://www.avi-8.com/collections/bestsellers
Unlikely in the 500$ price range - but a real gem : Seiko Gen. 1 7A28-7120 British Royal Air Force RAF military issued
I recently discovered this Bulova. You can use the 12 hour bezel for GMT.
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-bulova-a-15-pilot-watch-hands-on
It may be a bit of an odd suggestion, but have you considered a Bertucci GMT? It is quartz, but it does have a nice pilot's dial with a GMT hand.
Hemel also makes a couple of chronographs with GMT bezels; one quartz and one mechanical.
Quartz
Mechanical
The quartz uses a Seiko Mecha-Quartz movement and the mechanical uses the Sea Gull 1963 chronograph movement.
Unlikely in the 500$ price range - but a real gem : Seiko Gen. 1 7A28-7120 British Royal Air Force RAF military issued
Wow that's a great piece. Really nice , I am not super into Seikos like some folk are but that's special.
I agree with @Watchme1, the Laco watches are fantastic for the price. You just need to overcome some part of their history (same with Volkswagen, Fanta, Hugo Boss, and so on..).
A little tip, if you order from their website you can ask for a free engraving.
Here is a nice review from @justthewatch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_TQ4MAfkug
I recently discovered this Bulova. You can use the 12 hour bezel for GMT.
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-bulova-a-15-pilot-watch-hands-on
Wow this thing is cool! Thanks for sharing. Might have found my next watch to pine after for a few months of saving.