Pilot Watch Review: IWC vs. Timex

Flex that Flieger

How would you feel about a $100 hamburger?

How would you feel about a $3 Big Mac marked up to $6 for a promotion with your favorite TV show?

These questions are at the heart of how I feel about these two pilot watches — the IWC Mark XX and the Timex Pan Am.

This latest offering from the ‘International Watch Co’ is perhaps the final form of the timeless flieger watch style. Simplicity is at the core of the aesthetic both in terms of looks and function. While it is not IWC’s most expensive watch clocking in at around $5000 (the Big Pilot chronographs can go over $30k) it is still most certainly a luxury timepiece.

But what if you could get basically the same watch at a tiny fraction of the price? Timex’s brand new Pan Am retro pilot watch is an answer to that very question. Offering a very similar look and even some additional functionality, it begs the question, “how on Earth can you justify spending so much more on the IWC Mark XX?”

By now you know I love doing these sort of comparison reviews, so let’s just dive right into it.

IWC Mark XX

Let’s talk some more about that $100 hamburger.

Some people might find the very idea offensive. “The hamburger is a humble meal for the common man!” a purist might say. Turning it into some fancy shmancy gourmet thing rings false. Others might appreciate the creativity and talent that goes into a $100 hamburger, especially if the end result really does taste better than its $5 counterpart. Is it measurably worth the extra $95? Probably not. But it can still be enjoyed and isn’t in itself pretentious. It only becomes pretentious when someone tries to argue that it isn’t a luxury.

This is how I feel about IWC pilot watches. They are extremely simple little devices whose basic functionality is easily replicated in something costing one fiftieth of the price. They represent the ultimate perfected version of a simple tool used by soldiers and explorers for generations. They only become pretentious when some dork tries to argue that they are practical “tool watches” meant to be used by real world aviators (there is not a pilot on Earth today who relies on a mechanical pilot watch). If you are blessed enough to be able to afford an IWC, just own the fact that it is a luxury and go about your day.

Flieger watches, specifically, are a subset of pilot watches originating from Germany in the 1930’s. The basic design language — black dials, Arabic numerals, minimal complications — has been implemented by numerous manufacturers over the years. IWC was one of the five makers of actual military issue b-uhren, that is, proper pilot observation watches used by the German airforce in WWII. If that bit of history doesn’t sit well with you, manufacturers from other countries, such as Vertex of England, can scratch the same itch on the Allied side.

Finishing quality is right up there with Rolex and Omega

For my money the IWC is the best in the business when it comes to high end flieger watches. The Mark XX is a newer iteration and it is just about perfect in every way. Let’s give it a quick rundown:

• The dial is flawless. Beautiful textured matte black finish, immaculate text, and perfectly balanced layout for legibility. This thing looks amazing across the room and under macro lens.
• The movement is one of their best ever. The in-house developed calibre 32111 clocks in a +1 accuracy, 21 jewels, and 28800 vph. It’s an automatic movement with a muscular 120 hour power reserve. That is double or triple what you typically get in most pilot watches these days.
• The case is absolutely stunning. The brushed finishing on the flanks is just ::chef’s kiss::, the signed crown is lovely, the polished bevels and ring are splendid and the hundred meters of water resistance are handy. At just 10.8 mm thickness it is a fairly slender watch. At 40 mm diameter it is a healthy men’s size without getting into the over the top 44+ territory of some of the other big pilot watches.
• The strap is the best of any leather I have ever worn, better even than my Omega. It is buttery smooth on the wrist and crisply stitched. It also features IWC’s patented quick-change system making it super easy to swap straps if you are inclined.
• The glass uses convex sapphire with antireflective coating on both sides. This keeps it legible in all types of lighting and scratch-free for the long haul. It is also specifically secured against changes in air pressure in case you do plan to go flying with it.
• Finally, some additional nice features: Five year warranty, helpful little date display, central hacking seconds, and very nice packaging with a leather watch box including warranty cards and manual.

This is just a fantastic little watch. It holds up incredibly well under scrutiny; under a magnifying loupe the sharpness of the lines and the flawlessness of the finishing really pop. And yet it is such a subtle unassuming piece. Next to Rolex, Omega, and Grand Seiko watches it looks out of place. Yet it quietly punches above its weight outdoing more expensive watches with its movement, strap, and humble design. For this reason the Mark XX gets a lot of wrist time from me, at the office, working alone, and out with friends. It never feels out of place. Classic designs never do.

Timex Pan-Am

Pan-Am airlines holds a special place in the hearts of many Americans. For a large part of the 20th century they were the largest international air carrier in the United States. However it isn’t just their prominence or business prowess that still has people captivated decades after their 1991 shutdown and acquisition by Delta. Rather what makes Pan Am special is their aesthetic — the sense of life the name carries. Pan Am harkens back to a time when flying was still magical in some way. Airport security wasn’t as degrading, inflight service wasn’t as miserly, and the overall atmosphere was more classy.

Is much of that just the rose colored glasses of nostalgia? Probably. But not all of it. And besides, real or imagined, the aesthetic itself has value and is worth preserving. Timex understands at least this much with this collaboration.

Let’s start with the positives. The Timex Pan Am has a really clean look. The blue sunburst dial is quite impressive and similar to the blue hue used by IWC. The case and lug shape make it surprisingly wearable for its big-ish 42 mm width. The mix of brushed and polished surfaces is fairly well-executed at this price point. The 12 mm thickness give it a smart-looking profile as well. The brown strap also looks great featuring a signed buckle and rivets with the Pan-Am logo on each side. You also get some Pan Am branding on the crown, caseback, and the dial, however it somehow never feels like too much. All things considered, I have no strong criticisms of the look; it’s a really cool-looking watch that will get you the occasional compliment or nod.

The drawbacks are mostly what you would expect from a Timex. The Pan Am uses a pretty basic Miyota quartz movement. The secondhand does not even line up squarely with each minute marker on each tick. Examine the dial closely and you can see where corners were cut, from the roughly finished handset to the poorly aligned and messily finished day-date wheel text. The watch features mineral glass instead of sapphire, so expect smudging and scratching. It also only features 50 m of water resistance, so be mindful of submerging it or even showering with it on. The case brushing is very basic. The strap, while handsome, on the wrist feels distinctly stiff and cheap. The leather is too thick and the blue coloring is bound to fade and break apart quickly. Taken all together, this is a watch that looks much better at medium distance than it feels and looks up close.

Being a big fan of the idea of a Pan Am watch collab I kind of wish this were more expensive or done by another company. A mechanical watch at least would have felt truer to the era. Imagine a nice automatic watch with good finishing, a solid strap, and a nicer box with an art book showing the history of Pan Am airlines. I would have happily paid $500–$1000 for that. However I can respect Timex for making this piece more accessible with its sub $200 price point and easy purchase experience online. (I’m looking at you Moonswatch…)

The truth is that this is maybe $90 worth of watch and about $90 worth of branding. Hell you could spend $40 on a Timex Weekender and get a flieger style watch with similar features just minus the Pan Am logos. The core question is, how much is that cool branding worth to you? It obviously varies by person. Seiko regularly gets away with charging double for their basic watches by simply slapping some Street Fighter or anime color scheme on it. Omega did the same thing with its very overpriced 007 titanium Seamaster, a watch that I still love in spite of the price not because I like James Bond so much but because the watch itself is fantastic. In the case of the Timex Pan Am, I think the branding is indeed a big part of the value proposition. Simply put, it’s neat; Pan Am has an interesting history and it makes for a nice conversation piece. It suits “old soul” types who appreciate the past. It is an uncomplicated and attractive pilot watch made more memorable by the inclusion of the Pan Am design elements. It is a very charming little watch.

The TL;DR Comparison

Packaging

• IWC: Cool little leather watch box, nice manual and warranty cards, outer box has a sleeve to hold everything.
• Timex: Cool retro art on the inner box and it comes with a nice Pan Am pin.

Case

• IWC: 40 mm size, 100 m of water resistance.
• Timex: 42 mm size, 50 m of water resistance.

Dial

• IWC: Gorgeous textured black dial, date complication, sharply executed flieger design, lumed hands and 12, 3, 6, 4 markers.
• Timex: Impressive blue sunburst dial, nice day-date complication at 3 o’clock, cool Pan AM logo at 6 o’clock, zero lume.

Strap

• IWC: Quick-change system, tightly stitched simple black design, very supple and comfy leather, signed buckle.
• Timex: Attractive brown and blue design with Pan-Am rivets, signed buckle, feels cheap and stiff on the wrist.

Finishing

• IWC: Masterful brushing, textured crown, shimmering polished bevels, immaculate dial, just 10 out of 10 across all details.
• Timex: Case is not too bad, Pan Am logos on strap and crown are nicely textured, day-date text is messy and not well-aligned, feels a bit better than a typical inexpensive mass produced quartz watch.

Glass

• IWC: Sapphire with antireflective coating on both sides
• Timex: Mineral

Movement

• IWC: In-house calibre 32111 with superlative chronometer accuracy, solid 28800 beat rate, and innovative 120 hour power reserve.
• Timex: Basic quartz Miyota maybe worth $15. It tells the time.

Concluding Thoughts

Pilot watches are fun and fliegers are a neat subset. Thanks to their simple design they are incredibly versatile and there are offerings across a wide range of price points. How much you should spend is a function of your use case for the watch and your economic situation.

If the markets have been kind to you the last few years then of course the IWC is the way to go. I don’t know of any brand that can compete in terms of heritage and execution for specifically this style of watch. However if you want to stay in the $100s of dollars range, Timex may or may not be a better option. I would say if you can afford to pony up a few hundred more dollars you ought to opt for a Laco. You get the same level of authenticity from an original German watchmaker and the same great look. Hamilton also makes some good options in this range.

The Timex I think makes the most sense if you have a hard limit of $200 and really want that vintage Pan Am branding since that is where a lot of your money is going. All the better if it will get a lot of wrist time from you. I personally feel the execution is a bit too cheap for it to make sense to buy it purely as a collectible.

Whereas the IWC is a $100 gourmet hamburger, the Timex is the $6 Halloween seasonal special Big Mac. The novelty might be worth the markup to you. Depending on your wallet and appetite, both meals can be equally enjoyable. The same is true of these two watches.