Top Gun : watch out for take-off!

Are you a fan of aviation, watches? Tom Cruise, movies? Or all four at the same time? Here is the must-have selection of "Maverick's" favourite watches, as well as those that have made the biggest impact on aviation. Silence, aaaand action!

Ahh, you've been waiting for it too? Let your spirits rise because Tom Cruise is back on the screens. Yes! Top Gun II, which was delayed many times due to the pandemic, has been in cinemas for a few days. But then, what is the official Top Gun watch?

Many people don't know this, but "Top Gun" is a collection of watches whose name has been registered by IWC. There is no longer a direct link between the film and IWC's Top Gun watch, but the latter remains a pilot's watch that is constantly being updated.

It was updated just a few weeks ago in Geneva. The TOP GUN Chronograph Edition "Lake Tahoe" aviator's watch has a white ceramic case and a black dial. The "Woodland" Edition combines a dark green ceramic case and dial with matte black Ceratanium pushers, crown and case back. Both watches are powered by the IWC calibre 69380. Annual production of the new models will be limited to 1000 pieces each. But the aviator watch is actually much older... Who are the stars? Here is an overview!

The most iconic: Breitling Navitimer

An icon of aeronautical watchmaking, the Navitimer has successfully negotiated all the technical changes of its time to become one of the most reliable chronographs, with its famous bezel and XXL case. Do you know where its name comes from? It is the contraction of Navigation and Timer. It was launched in 1952 and its slide rule combined with its Venus 176 chronograph, followed by the Valjoux 72, made it a legend. It is still in production, with a genuine manufacture movement. A myth!

Back on top: Blancpain Air Command

It's an old piece that had almost disappeared from the radar: the Air Command. It took Blancpain boss Marc Hayek years to find one in good condition, complete and 100% original. From this original example, a tribute collection was born. The rare Blancpain chronograph from the 1950s is thus reflected in the vintage look of the new 2022: the layout of the counters and tachometric scale on the dial, the shape of the luminescent hands and hour-markers, the piston-type chronograph pushers and the glass box sapphire crystal. In gold, titanium or steel, it remains a (very, very) rare bird!

The coolest: Bell & Ross BR 03-92 GREY LUM

The latest addition to the LUM collection, the BR 03-92 GREY LUM offers optimal legibility thanks to the Superluminova C3 designed to facilitate day or night reading, as in a cockpit. The colour of the hands (hours, minutes) as well as the indexes and giant numerals (3, 6, 9, 12) on the radical anthracite grey sunray dial is reminiscent of runway lighting: an intense green light with an unrivalled brilliance. The case retains the "round in the square" principle, an iconic Bell & Ross signature in reference to the silhouettes of aircraft cockpit clocks. A watch designed for aviation enthusiasts!

The most affordable: Longines Spirit

Can you treat yourself to an affordable pilot's watch? The answer is yes, from Longines. The brand with the hourglass has accompanied Amelia Earhart, the bride of the sky, since the 20s, then Howard Hughes or Elinor Smith. The Longines Spirit collection pays tribute to them. And the one we prefer is the latest Pioneer Edition...

The best fairing: Zenith Pilot Type 20

It's hard to deny its aeronautical inspiration, with its dial that reproduces the riveted sheet metal plates of planes! Zenith was one of the first brands to bring back the original aesthetics of pilots' watches, with their cathedral hands and a very vintage look in an oversized case, corresponding to the standards of the time when pocket movements were fitted on the wrist. But it is nevertheless a recent Type 20 Extra Special Silver with a fairing-type dial that stands out as the most creative of the current pilot watches. A rare gem, as rare as a meeting with Tom Cruise - unless you were in Cannes a few days ago!

So, ready for take-off? Action!