Aviator Vintage REC Auto Black 98101REC-1 - Sapphire

One of the most fulfilling aspects of owning a vintage watch is the nostalgic connection to a piece of history and is often appreciated for its rich horological heritage. For the very first time, Gnomon Watches is presenting an exclusive limited series from Aristo Watch Co. that captures the rustic charm of a vintage military flieger, rediscovering the spirit of classic pilot watches with a rare NOS (new old stock) automatic caliber by the legendary Record Watch Company, a distinguished Swiss watch and movement manufacturer back in the early 19th century. Aristo Aviator Vintage REC Auto Black 98101REC-1 - Sapphire Tool watches are unquestionably made to be tough, ready to take a beating and handle specific purposes it is designed for. These were traits that were very much needed for timepieces worn in the harshest of conditions, such as watches that would be worn on the wrists of military pilots during combat missions. During the second World War, it marked the birth of German Flieger watches, meaning ‘air man’ (or also referred to as Beobachtungs-Uhren, or B-Uhren) that were originally produced for Germany’s air force ‘German Luftwaffe’ to reference time during combat operations and aerial warfare. 

While the Swiss may represent the pinnacle of haute horlogerie, the impressive production, impeccable precision and engineering mastery from the Germans in the field of watchmaking is truly worth a closer look. Coming from a German watch manufacturer that produced timepieces since 1907, Aristo Uhren (known today as Aristo Watch Co.) was founded by watchmaker Julius Epple in Pforzheim, southwestern Germany, a beautiful city that earned the nickname “Goldstadt” or “Golden City” for its jewelry and watchmaking industry. Today, the brand calls upon their great watchmaking legacy to offer remarkable military-inspired watches with outstanding value. Now, what if both Swiss and German watchmaking comes together? Its definitely a rare opportunity and Aristo recently made it happened. The Record brand has been around since December 16, 1903, by a group of Tramelan investors and released numerous highly regarded watches before being acquired by Longines in 1961. From producing amazing chronographs and one of the “dirty dozen” contracted by the British military to make W.W.W. watches for the Ministry of Defence. Since the early days, many had regarded Record’s watch movements to be high quality for its time. And today, Aristo managed to source some of these NOS movements for its aviation collection. Simple and minimal military-inspired layout Unlike original flieger watches that were massive, with case sizes over 50mm that housed movements meant for pocket watches, the Aristo Aviator Vintage REC Auto Black - Sapphire Ref. 98101REC-1 comes in a wearable, more refined vintage form factor bringing forth a cultivated appearance sitting closer to the dimensions of an elegant dress piece despite having its core design inspired by military pilot’s tool watches. Measuring with a tasteful case diameter of 38.5mm, a lug to lug distance of 43.5mm and a pleasantly slender case thickness of merely 9.5mm thanks to the reliable vintage movement. Naturally, these dimensions allow the watch to fit splendidly on a wide range of wrist sizes. Built out of 316L stainless steel, the case is finished excellently with retrograde satin brushing at the top of the lugs and the side of the case, contrasted with a thick highly-polished bezel around the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal for a dressy flair. Accompanying this suave timepiece, the accompanied German handmade leather strap handsomely elevates the old-school glamour of the timepiece with a delicate full matching stitching.
 316L stainless steel with Sapphire crystal In contrast with many Swiss counterparts, German timepieces are largely influenced by the Bauhaus philosophy of emphasizing functionality over decorative elements. Likewise, the Aristo Aviator Vintage carries a rather simple and minimal