When longtime IWC head honcho Georges Kern left his position at Richemont to become CEO of Breitling, some saw it as the latest salvo in the two Swiss brands’ historical duel for horological supremacy in the air. Here we explore in depth how both brands have made their marks on the history and evolution of pilots’ watches.

In contrast to dive watches, pilots? watches do not have to meet any objective criteria. Good legibility under all light conditions is generally all that?s needed, and good design makes the watches what they are. A pilots? watch looks like a pilots? watch. But it?s precisely the design that shows the different approaches to pilots? watches by IWC and Breitling. Both brands base their own unique designs on their long traditions and histories. In the case of IWC, the company relies heavily on its Big Pilot?s Watch from 1940, which it, and other companies like A. Lange & So?hne, supplied to the German Air Force. Icons: IWC has offered its Big Pilot?s Watch with its accurate pocketwatch movement since 1940. Breitling introduced its first Navitimer with chronograph and slide-rule bezel in 1952. Both were originally designed for use in aviation.
Typical features included the military-style triangle with two dots at 12 o?clock, sans-serif numerals (a plain, unadorned bar for the numeral 1), and dagger-shaped hands. Today these same features are found on every pilots? watch made by IWC. Even the Mark XVIII follows this same family design ?...