Introducing the Avi-8 Hawker Hurricane Bader Chronograph

Avi-8’s latest collaborative limited edition watch has been unveiled: the Hawker Hurricane Bader Chronograph. This is a quartz chronograph in multiple colorways, made to honor one of the most celebrated British war heroes, Douglas Bader. A double amputee, Bader did not let his physical handicap impede him during the war effort. He became famous as one of the most gifted pilots of the Royal Air Force, credited with 22 aerial victories through the duration of World War II, and is a uniquely inspiring figure to have come out of the British war effort. As with other Avi-8 limited editions, the Hawker Hurricane Bader Chronograph serves as not only a fun aviation inspired chronograph, but contains a bunch of fun nods to history that will surely make World War II buffs pleased. 

Avi-8 Hawker Hurricane Bader Chronograph 

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: Black, blue, green
• Dimensions: 44 x 12mm
• Crystal: Mineral 
• Water Resistance: 5 ATM 
• Crown: Push/pull  
• Movement: Time Module VD 52
• Strap/bracelet: Leather strap + mil-strap 
• Price: $285
• Reference Number: AV-4072-01, AV-4072-02, AV-4072-03
• Expected Release: Available for pre-order November 8
  

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The watch itself is presented in a style that’s similar to other special edition Avi-8 watches before it. At a distance, this looks like a typical vintage-inspired pilot’s watch, with the classic aviator style case shape, big pump pushers, and oversized hands and numerals for enhanced legibility. Looking closer, of course, reveals a whole slew of Douglas Bader specific content that makes this watch unique. Most prominently, we see Bader’s signature in relief across the bottom of the dial, spanning the distance between 8:00 and 4:00. The counterweight of the chronograph seconds hand is in the shape of Bader’s Hawker Hurricane, and the “22” on the 24-hour scale around the outer perimeter of the dial is highlighted to commemorate Bader’s 22 confirmed aerial victories. 

Other small details abound, even on the strap, which features stitching to match the colors of the rear fin on Bader’s aircraft, and multi-colored keepers on the leather strap match the color scheme of the pennant associated with the No. 242 Canadian Squadron, which Bader commanded for a period of time. Flipping the watch over reveals the seal of the Douglas Bader Foundation, as well as a unique limited edition number. 

The Hawker Hurricane Bader Chronograph is on the large side at 44mm, but that’s in line with other similar watches from Avi-8, and not terribly out of place in the realm of military-style pilot’s watches. A case can be made as well, I think, that the extra “content” included here that pays tribute to Douglas Bader necessitates a larger size (otherwise, a lot of these little features just couldn’t be seen clearly). 

Available in blue, green, and black dial variants (each in a limited edition of 242), the new Bader Chronograph goes up for pre-order on Avi-8’s website on November 8, with 10% of all sales being donated to the Douglas Bader Foundation. AVI-8