Ed Hicks
24 November 2020
From 300
With many homebuilt aircraft, sometimes a call to the builder support line to seek guidance on some worry over a material tolerance will get a response that reminds you that you’re not building a Swiss watch.
Well, they probably weren’t talking to the British founder of Avionic Watches, a publicity-shy chap who likes his watches as much as building aircraft, and has finished a couple of very finely crafted aeroplanes. Just 33 years old, he’s been flying for 10 years… heartening to those who say there’s not nearly enough enthusiastic young blood in light aviation.
The watches we took a look at are from Avionic’s Aviator collection, and use high-quality battery quartz movements made in Switzerland, where the watches are also assembled by hand. In a slightly higher price bracket is the Premier collection. These watches are built using a self-winding 25 jewel automatic movement.
Made using surgical stainless steel, fine leathers and sapphire crystal or sapphire crystal-coated glass depending on the model, they aren’t too big to be considered flashy, and certainly in this homebuilder’s hands felt like something nicely put together. There’s also a style designed specifically for female aviators.
With watches being a popular gift, Avionic offers a laser engraving service, should you want to personalise it for your favourite pilot.
