Few brands, watchmakers or otherwise, are as symbolic of the early days of aviation as Longines. Its original dual timezone watch from 1908 was the first of its kind, but the brand didn’t stop there. For over a century, the Swiss firm has been a favorite of pilots and jet setters alike. Its latest release pays homage to yet another model from its historic catalog.
Running on an in-house L893 automatic movement, the new Pilot Majetek revives a watch commissioned in 1935 by the Czech Air Force to aid its aviators. The project came with a specific request that the model features a rotating bezel with a triangular arrow to mark the elapsed time of a given flight. And with a 40mm case diameter, which was quite large for the era, the timepiece provided greater readability.
Bumped up even more to 43mm, the reissue pilot watch sports a stainless steel cushion-style case with a fluted bezel, which altogether looks objectively antique. Unlike the original, however, the triangle nose affixed to the bezel doesn’t rotate along with the crystal (which is something that actually happened). Featuring a lumed minute and hour hand, the black dial also bears a seconds subdial at the bottom.
Adorned with one of three strap options — brown or green calf leather or olive NATO fabric — the Pilot Majetek is priced at $3,750 on Longines’ website.
