HISTORYTIME
versions of the 1760 invention by John Harrison of a portable chronometer for ships’ navigation. So the Cartier wristwatch was the first to be designed for a man and with a new practical use.
1914-18➤ The needs of military forces drove
further development. During World War 1, from 1914-18, air force and army personnel on all sides of the conflict found wristwatches much easier to use than pocket watches. Pilots used their wristwatches in conjunction with sextants, flight charts and compasses, but as battles on land sea and in the air became more complex, so did the need for greater accuracy.
1928➤ By 1928 long-established
Swiss luxury watchmaker, Longines, had patented its Weems watch, developed with the eponymous German Luftwaffe
pilot. It included a rotating centre seconds dial in a wristwatch with, at that time, a massive 48mm diameter case.
1936➤
The blueprint for many of today’s pilot-inspired watches is undoubtedly the German Luftwaffe’s B-Uhren watch. The classic version was developed by IWC in Schaffhausen in 1936, but in 1940 the German government asked five watchmakers to supply accurate “observation” watches, IWC among them. In 1942, 1200 pieces were supplied. Key features, often replicated today in pilot-inspired wristwatches, include:
• Oversized crown – originally for adjusting the watch while
wearing gloves
• Extra long strap – so the watch could be worn over a thick
aviator’s jacket
• Triangle and dot marker at 12 o’clock for night flight clarity.
1952➤
In 1952, Swiss watch brand Breitling took the complexity of pilot’s watches further. Always known for its technically innovative watches, it launched the Navitimer, which incorporated a circular slide rule in the bezel. It was developed with the International Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association.
1962➤ In 1962, a 24-hour dial Navitimer
was specially developed for astronaut Scott Carpenter and the Mercury Space Programme. IWC went back to the 1930s in 2002 with its retro Big Pilot watch with one of the largest movements in the world – a 51111 calibre. Christopher Ward continues to build on the heritage of these iconic aviator watches. Its best selling C8 Pilot and C5 Malvern Aviator have both been updated – see details below and in the Directory on pages 46 to 51.
The C8 Pilot Mark II The updated version features
•Oversized 44mm diameter case •Semi-exhibition back
•Super-Luminova hands and indices
•A large crown
•A soft-iron anti-magnetic inner case to protect the movement from electro-magnetic fields
C8 SWT-Mk2 £299.00
C8 SKT-Mk2 £299.00 24/7 Orderline 0844 875 1515 41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52