AVI-8 Men's 42mm Spitfire F-16 Sq. Chilean Air Force Japanese Automatic Watch with Leather Strap

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Upon close examination, the dial has a lot going on, but it’s a breeze to read on the wrist. As with any proper pilot watch, legibility is key.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a watch with the word Spitfire in the name, but it’s the first time we’ve seen one with a dial inspired largely by the knots gauge of the namesake plane. AVI-8 didn’t miss a mark on this design and even made the minute hand look like the needle of the gauges. The slim fixed bezel makes the 42mm diameter almost all dial, adding to the legibility and field of view. Toss the Spitfire on a mil-strap, and you’ve got a completely different vibe. It gives the watch more of a military look. It’ll also work well with leather (admittedly, I don’t have any 22mm leather straps on hand) for a more classic aviation vibe. The green and yellow dial lend themselves to looking sharp with a variety of different colors, but my preference would lean towards a nice gray or khaki, or a perforated deep brown leather strap. Conclusion In designing a watch that takes its cues from the Spitfire, AVI-8 has looked at both the obvious and subtle details of its design and fabrication, purposefully injecting them into this timepiece.The Spitfire ships on a stainless steel bracelet with Oyster style links. All of the earlier AVI-8 watches were on straps, so it’s really nice to see them developing decent bracelets. The endlinks slide right up against the case to create seamless consistency, nothing janky here. When buying this model from AVI-8 you’ll get a leather strap for an entirely different look, however, this may not be the case when purchasing from other retailers. It’s hard to remember the last time AVI-8 put out a piece with a flat dial. They are really big on textures and multiple levels. The markers on the spitfire are raised, and to add more depth, the half dial in the center has a sandwich style appearance for the 07 and 09 markers – more on this later. The screw heads at 6:00 and 3:00 are also applied and raised out of the dial with a subdued finish that reflects at certain angles. As with all of the watches AVI-8 produces, the design of their latest model is influenced by aviation. The brand is pronounced aviate after all. This time, they went with the WWII era Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft. Final thoughts: The more I spent time with this watch, the more I appreciated all its details. To get a good sense of the watch’s strengths and weaknesses, I decided to only wear this piece for a week, and I didn’t get tired of it.

The crystal is sapphire, with an anti-reflective coating. I’d want this type of watch at this type of price to feature this, so it’s great to see they haven’t cut corners. The anti-reflective coating is very effective at reducing reflections, helping to make this arguably the most legible wristwatch I’ve reviewed on this blog, even in direct sunlight. More details at AV-8 online store. Technical details Model: AVI-8 Spitfire Type 300 Automatic Edition, Reference AV-4073 The 07 and 09 have a sandwich look to them at a wrist’s length away, but there isn’t a plate underneath, and it isn’t lumed. It’s more of a debossed or stamped effect. There is text on the knots gauge in the Spitfire plane with a similar appearance. The metal screws are also found on the gauge. The Type 300 employs a custom modified Japanese made, 21 Jewel movement based on the robustly reliable Miyota 8 series. The rotor is shaped after the silhouette of the Spitfire as an ever spinning reminder of the plane that has inspired the watch.If you’re searching for a gift for a young enthusiast or to introduce someone to this hobby, I think you should consider the Smith Automatic. The bracelet finish is also satin brushed and looks like any undesirable desk diving swirlies would be easy to clean up. The best way is to use a polishing machine with a satin wheel, but you could always hit it up with a Scotch-Brite pad if needed! Arguably no battle was more important than the Battle of Britain, where side by side Hurricanes and Spitfires equipped with Rolls Royce Merlin engines helped successfully defend the skies over Great Britain in what was to be a crucial and pivotal stand against the Nazi Luftwaffe. AVI-8 Spitfire Type 300 Automatic Edition