One of the most legendary lines of watches, that every collector wants to own, which even have their own range of watch straps, are the well-known Pilot watches or Flieger watches. Let´s learn more about Flieger watches and their straps, his history and curiosities.
The history of this military watches, also known as Flieger watches or Pilot watches, is closely related to aviation, and has its roots in the First and Second World Wars. These watches were designed to meet the specific needs of pilots and, over time, have become an icon of watch design.
Due to their simple and functional style, they are one of the most legendary watch lines that every collector wants to own, and for which a specific line of watch straps was even developed at the time.
My first watch was a Flieger-inspired Tissot that I still have today, and which has been joined by other aviator watches. It is one of the most beautiful branches of watch collecting, and it is so not only because of its aesthetics, but because of its history.
And it is that a design that today would be described as simple, when you wear it on your wrist, it seems to give you powers, suddenly it seems like Wagner is playing in your head and you would be able to assault the enemy lines in any battle that arises.
That is its soul, and there is no other watch design that has achieved that effect.
(Sinn Watch with our pilot leather watch strap color green)
The history of the pilot’s watch is linked to the birth of the wristwatch, it was in the First World War when it began to emerge and be necessary to coordinate in the trenches, at first they were simply pocket watches with leather straps made by the combatants themselves to tie the watch to their wrist, since in the middle of a battle to look for your pocket watch was to waste time and risk dying.
The next step was taken by the American watch manufacturer Hamilton by creating the first wristwatch designed for the army in 1919.
Although focusing on the watch for aviation pilots, experts state quite clearly that the first aviator’s watch was the Santos Dumont, a pocket watch design that Louis Cartier made in 1904 at the request of aviation pioneer Alberto Santos Dumont, since the pocket watches of the time were not very practical when flying.
Although the Santos de Cartier collection does not feature the typical pilot’s watch design that evolved later, its importance lies in the fact that it was the pioneer in thinking about the development of more comfortable and useful wristwatches for pilots, and in popularizing the novel wristwatch itself, to the detriment of the pocket watch.
From that moment on, several aviation pioneers, such as the Frenchman Louis Blériot who crossed the English Channel with his Zenith Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 and Charles Lindbergh (photo) who made the first transatlantic flight with his Longines Lindbergh, ended up popularizing the pocket watch for its practicality and usefulness.
In 1939 with the beginning of World War II, the watch became a tool for aviators that helped them determine their position on the battlefield, and at the same time, allowed bombers to synchronize their releases of explosives.
These watches were large in size, since the machinery they carried came from pocket watches, and also because they were designed to be worn over the pilot’s clothing, his sleeve or his glove, in order to be consulted quickly.
For the German pilots of the Luftwaffe, the observation watch “Beobachtungsuhr” or “B-Uhr” was created, popularly known as “fliegers” with a design that stood out and triumphed for its resounding practicality and that laid the foundations for what an aviator’s watch should be.
The Reich Ministry of Air Transport entrusted five watchmakers with the manufacture of watches for their pilots and bomber crews, these mythical brands that designed and manufactured the B-Uhren, were four German and one Swiss:
The German companies Laco, Wempe, Stowa, A.Lange & Söhne and the Swiss IWC Schaffhausen.
The essential characteristics of an aviator watch that were developed at that time and that persist today with slight changes, are robustness and usefulness, and for this:
- Large 55mm diameter case with large dials, with large white and luminescent hands and Arabic numerals to be easily consulted in the dark.
- Large crowns: These watches usually have large crowns so that they can be handled with gloves, a fundamental feature that could save your life.
- Robust construction: manufactured to withstand the rigors of aviation, their cases were generally made of stainless steel and scratch-resistant crystals, and their manual winding movements were simple but robust, with 15 and 17 jewels.
- Minimalist design: Flieger watches have a simple and uncluttered design, which helps pilots focus on essential information.
- Very long leather watch straps: these watches were fitted with very long leather watch straps to be able to fasten the watch over the sleeve of the jacket or glove, this way the pilot could check his watch quickly.
It is curious to note that the watches were not the property of the pilot, and that every time he finished a mission he had to return it for safekeeping to the Luftwaffe.
During the flights, the pilot manually synchronized his watch using radio signals received from the German Naval Observatory, thus synchronizing the attack and bombing times.
As for their evolution over the decades, pilot watches have evolved and adapted to modern watchmaking standards.
Many of them have automatic movements, and additional functions such as dates, chronographs, GMT dual time use or digital tools for the space age, or geolocators with beacons like the modern Breitling ones.
( Breitling watch with LorenteStraps leather brown strap)
But despite all the technological revolution of recent decades, the original Flieger or Pilot watch design dating back to the world wars continues to be preferred by collectors and watch enthusiasts, with a high value as a collector’s item, due to its classic and functional design.
There is also a wide variety of modern pilot watches on the market that pay homage to classic designs, making them instantly timeless pieces, something that certainly doesn’t happen with other designs or watch trends.
As for Pilot Watch Straps, there is also a great variety today, recalling the designs that were originally used.
If you have a Flieger watch or are thinking about getting one, in our ONLINE STORE OF LEATHER WATCH STRAPS you will find a wide variety of designs and colors.
Pilot Leather Watch Straps made with the best European tanned leather, and following the same artisanal production method as in the past.
Recommended designs:
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Pilot Pull Leather watch strap – Black
59.00€ -
Pilot Pull Leather watch strap – Brown
59.00€ -
Pilot Pull Leather watch strap – Golden
59.00€ -
Pilot Pull Leather watch strap – Green
59.00€ -
Pilot Pull Leather watch strap – Red
59.00€ -
Pilot genuine leather watch strap – Black
45.00€ -
Pilot genuine leather watch strap – Dark brown
45.00€ -
Pilot genuine leather watch strap – Light brown
45.00€ -
Pilot genuine leather watch strap – Blue navy
45.00€
I would like to finish by recommending two books that bring us closer to the moment of the creation of pilot watches, and that help us understand in a broader way the scene of their birth:
World War II at sea.
It is an incredible book that narrates in great detail all the battles and military operations that took place in all the oceans during World War II, an essential book for any student of this period.
Visual history of the Second World War.
Another essential, unique, and precious literary creation, full of data to understand the conflict, it has precise information about the economic and military capabilities of all those involved, masterfully presented and explained graphically.
With these readings and your Aviator watch on your wrist, you will enjoy like never before, the Flieger atmosphere will take over your living room. And if you want even more, a film title that is quite faithful and realistic in its representation of the battles in the Pacific, where the pilots were of great importance, is the 2019 film Midway.
I also leave you some links that for me summarize the best options when buying a Flieger watch, for this I have counted on two factors: the first that they are watches from legendary companies that participated in the manufacture of the original watches in 1939, and the second their competitive quality-price ratio:
The Stowa Flieger Classic 40 for me is one of the most beautiful.
We also always get it right with Laco Aviator watches, and it is a piece that is repeated in many collections.
Here I also leave you the link to our Online STORE where you can find all our options in Pilot watch straps for your Flieger watch, and many more models, designed and manufactured by ourselves in our workshop in Valencia.
