AVI-8 Hawker Hunter Aviation Inspired Mens Watch
Aficionados of flight from the days of prop warplanes to modern day jet fighters will appreciate this masculine timepiece. The aviation inspired design of the AVI-8 Hawker Hunter men’s watch pays homage to the Royal Air Force. Durable design accented with contrasting dial elements give the timepiece a contemporary styling. The AVI-8 Hawker Hunter is a nice casual automatic watch filled with character that works great as an everyday casual or active watch.
Design Aesthetics
The AVI-8 Hawker Hunter features an interesting dodecagon polygon shape with round dial nested inside. While the round dial is Green, the outer circular layer is black enhancing the layering design of the dial. The face of the case body is accented with hand polished faux lugs and multi-layered dial covered with sapphire coated hardened mineral lens. The Multi-layering dial creates depth increasing readability and is cleverly modeled like an aviation instrument panel or more specifically a flight altimeter gauge.
The Hawker Hunter comes in a 44mm diameter 316 L Marine Grade stainless steel case body which isn’t overly large by today’s standards but the extended footprint lug to lug might be slightly large for those with smaller wrists. It measures 11mm in thickness; Thin enough to get your shirt sleeve over it but thick enough to feel like a man’s watch. The fit is smooth and a nice interesting change from the traditional round design and surprisingly very comfortable to wear at just 100g.
The HH 4043-02 comes in an army green military canvas style box with appropriate button snap that not only sells the look but gives the Hawker Hunter a nice place to rest when you need to slap the wheel blocks in place for storage.
Dial Elements
Enlarged zero and six o’clock hour indices with triangular shaped split air-intakes that mark the 9 and 3 o’clock positions. Easily readable skeletonized super luminous coated hour and minute hands are joined by a 24 hour sub dial offset from center aligned at the 9 o’clock position.
The date window is sectioned off by Black and Yellow to resemble the markings on a flight deck. The Crown and Case back are adorned with the traditional red and blue roundels that the British warplanes used to be easily identified by friendly troops on the ground during battle.
The Movement
The AVI-8 Hawker Hunter 4043 men’s automatic watch features a 21 jewel Miyota 8217 self-winding movement visible not only through the case back but also through the opaque dial. The HH is engineered with a non-hacking movement and features the ability to hand wind the watch with the crown. Water resistant to 5 ATM or 50 meters in case you have to bail out over a body of water.
Pull the crown one stop and turn counter clockwise to set the date, the crown adjustment only travels in one direction. Pull the crown to the 2nd position to set the time and turn in either direction. Rotate and set the time such that the 24 hour sub dial reflects AM or PM. Depress the crown back to the closed position.
As with an automatic the Hawker Hunter self-winds with almost any movement easily without the need for a battery. In the closed position, one can also manually wind the watch by rotating the crown (in closed position) clockwise. When fully wound, the AVI-8 Hawker Hunter 4043 holds a 36-hour power reserve.
Comes with a beautifully appropriate 22mm wide genuine leather band with stainless steel buckle makes the HH suitable for casual wear, work or play. The band can be a bit stiff to bend initially and one should be careful not to break the attached leather loop on the band.
Conclusion
The Aviation inspired styling salutes the RAF and aviation fans from the days of warplanes to jet fighters. The retro instrument panel aesthetics offer a familiar love for flight aficionados with a modern spin. The slightly large face, still somewhat tame in size by today’s standards is able to tuck neatly under your shirt sleeve. The AVI-8 Hawker Hunter is relatively lightweight at just 100g for comfortable all day wear and is designed with lots of character. A great watch for anyone with a love of flight and the military
The AVI-8 Hawker Hunter AV-4043 comes in three variations, Hunter Green dial with polished stainless steel and matching hunter green leather band; Ionic Black Plating with Grey dial and Stone leather strap; Stainless Steel case with Black dial and Tan leather strap.
AVI-8 Hawker Hunter AV-4043-02 $360.00
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