Blancpain looked to the original scales and functions used in 1950s military aviation and brought them into the modern era in its Air Command watch. It is a re-issue of a chronograph it developed for the US Air Force; a very limited number were offered to American military pilots. The rugged 42.5mm watch is highly legible thanks to oversized orange-colored Super-LumiNova-coated numerals and markers, and the bi-compax flyback (instantaneous zero reset and restart) chronograph dial design with 12-hour and 30-minute totalizers. Additionally, the actual dial size is larger than the original, and the sapphire box-like crystal offers easier viewing.
Sporting a tachymeter scale on the outer flange of the sunburst black dial, the watch displays hours, minutes and central seconds. It also has a bi-directional ratcheted countdown rotating bezel with ceramic inserts. The rotor of the self-winding high-frequency (5 Hz) watch is shaped like an aircraft propeller and visible via the sapphire caseback.
Price: $19,800 in stainless steel
Contact: Blancpain in New York, +1 212 396 1735, blancpain.com