AVI-8 Spitfire Type 300 Automatic

Description: Ref. AV-4073-44 Automatic movement Stainless steel 42mm case What is noteworthy about this watch is its namesake aircraft. The Spitfire preceded the P-51 by a few years and was every bit the contender having been manufactured by the Brits (Supermarine to be exact) rather than us Yanks. When North American designed and built the Mustang, they no doubt took cues from the Spitfire. Fast, sleek and agile, the Spitfire evokes the images of dogfights unlike any other aircraft of its time. It takes a lot of guts to even think you could emulate this aircraft in any form let alone use its namesake for a watch. This aircraft requires an homage far beyond a basic timepiece but we're kinda missing the point and getting way more profound than the purpose of this simple history lesson was intended to serve. While aviator watches (namely Bell and Ross) have earned themselves a functional and practical purpose, the category itself has become diluted by imitators seeking to emphasize the namesake aircraft rather than merits alone of the timepiece. This example smokes most of its competitors in terms of its aesthetics and three dimensional architecture. In other words, the nuances and attention to detail bely a much more costly watch. With an automatic movement, exhibition caseback and high grade stainless steel construction, the watch is extremely comfortable, light weight and pleasing to the eye. AVI-8 has hit several homeruns in their design department while leaving something to the imagination under the hood. The timekeeping accuracy is adequate but the long term durability has not achieved its airworthy certification in our experience. Consider this as a collector's watch for the display case rather than an everyday wrist presence. I could only imagine what AVI-8 as a company could have become were they to provide entry level and premium editions of each aircraft-inspired theme. It would seem appropriate to also prioritize the mechanics, boasting time-tested, possibly hand finished, movements from Japan or Switzerland, without changing a single thing on the dial-side. Add a deep water rating and now you're looking at a grandslam. I guess that in a perfect world we could all have it "our way" but casting metal, building production lines and costs low is a bit more complex than serving hamburgers. On second thought, buy two and keep only one in your display case next to the hand finished scale model Spitfire you spent the last 6 mos. perfecting.

Price: 395 USD

Location: Miami, Florida

End Time: 2024-10-26T17:14:09.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD