Pilot’s watches as a genre are dominated by reinterpretations of old designs. In fact, what we’d consider as the archetypal pilot traces its roots all the way back to WWII-era German watches, and they were produced by IWC, A. Lange & Söhne, Laco, Stowa, and Wempe. For the most part, watchmakers have tinkered with this framework ever since, but the general pilot look has largely remained the same for 70 years.
Christopher Ward’s latest timepiece pulls from a lesser known source—specifically a Junghans cockpit clock used in the Luftwaffe’s mainstay Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter (sometimes erroneously called the Me 109). The new C9 Me 109 Single Pusher Chronograph handles the aesthetic deftly, creating something that feels fresh and inventive while keeping its roots firmly in the 1940s. Let’s take a deep dive into the details.