Introducing the Fortis PC-7 TEAM Aeromaster Chronograph and Day-Date 

Fortis has announced their first big product launch since an ownership change in September of last year, and it’s perhaps not a surprise at all that the new release places a strong emphasis on brand heritage and a longstanding partnership with a component of the Swiss military. This is a brand that has produced rock solid tool watches of all sorts over the years, and the new PC-7 Team Aeromasters are right in their wheelhouse: hearty, purpose-built aviation watches. Let’s take a closer look. 

The PC-7 Team is an aerobatics team of the Swiss Air Force that has its roots in the 1982 introduction of the Pilatus PC-7 plane. These watches, a chronograph and a three hand model both with day-date indicators, celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the official establishment of the PC-7 Team in 1989.

PC-7 Team Aeromaster Chronograph

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: Blue
• Dimensions: 42mm
• Crystal: Sapphire
• Water Resistance: 200 meters
• Crown: Push/pull
• Movement: Valjoux 7750 / 48 h power reserve / 25 jewels / Certified C.O.S.C Chronometer
• Strap/bracelet: Steel bracelet & blue cordura performance strap
• Price: CHF 4,450
• Expected Release: June 2019

PC-7 Team Aeromaster Day-Date

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: Blue
• Dimensions: 42mm
• Crystal: Sapphire
• Water Resistance: 200 meters
• Crown: Push/pull
• Movement: ETA 2836-2 / 42 h power reserve / 25 jewels / Certified C.O.S.C Chronometer
• Strap/bracelet: Steel bracelet & blue cordura performance strap
• Price: CHF 2,450
• Expected Release: August 2019

The watches themselves are a product of Fortis consulting with PC-7 pilots for input on their design. Not surprisingly, these professional aviators requested timepieces with a focus on legibility and precision. To that end, each of the 300 pieces for each model is a COSC certified chronometer, and the dials are expansive and use generous amounts of lume on the large applied Arabic numerals. The deep blue color of the dial is a natural choice for a watch worn by pilots who fly above the clouds, and the 42mm Aeromaster case has a completely brushed surface to minimize the risk of unwanted reflections in the cockpit. 

Never a brand to skimp on useful watch tech, Fortis has added a bunch of additional mostly unseen features into the PC-7 Team editions. The sapphire crystal is double domed and uses Fortis’ AR027 anti-reflective coating to ensure legibility in any lighting condition, and even though the crown does not screw down (which would be counterintuitive in real life flight scenarios) these watches each boast 200 meters of water resistance thanks to the brand’s “In-crown-double-gasket-system.”

A close inspection of the dial reveals a variety of finishing techniques you wouldn’t normally expect on such a pure tool watch, but there is some very subtle circular graining in the subdials of the chronograph, and each model uses sunken elements in the rehaut for visual interest and to create a sense of depth. And, naturally, each watch features applied miniature representation of the PC-7 aircraft flying in a V formation at 9:00, making this a suitable collectible for anyone who has been associated with the team over the years, or those who are just fans of their impressive aerial acrobatics.

Both watches will be available this summer, with the Chronograph delivering in June, and the Day-Date following in August. Fortis