PANZERA is no stranger to the watch industry. Manufacturing exclusively mechanical automatic watches since 2009, this Sydney based watch company recently launched their latest pilots watch collection called FLIGHT MASTER. Built in their workshop located in the magnificent Ticino region in the south of Switzerland, this new collection features a Swiss Made mechanical automatic movement by popular Swiss movement manufacturer Sellita. The SW200-1 movement, as you would expect from a Swiss movement is of a very high calibre. It features a 28,800 bpm ensuring smooth sweeping seconds hand, and with 26 jewels, full hacking, date and 38 hour power reserve, it is a movement that is built to last.

Each Flight Master timepiece is hand assembled and is created with extremely high quality components. At 45mm case diameter it would appear that the watch is extremely large in size. However due to the curved lug design and busy instrument dial appearance it wears more like a 42mm timepiece of other pilot watch designs. It also has a very slim line appearance. At a case thickness of just 11mm the bulk you would normally associate with a 45mm size watch is completely removed.

FLIGHT MASTER exhibits one of the most strikingly clear dials ever seen on a pilots watch. Significant attention to detail to the black dial, white hands and index markers, flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating work in perfect harmony to present perfect readability without glare or reflection in any light conditions. At night, the hour and minutes hands and major interval markers illuminate. Even the cut-out design of the hours and minutes hands ensure the date window is never obscured further adding to the outstanding readability on this timepiece.

There are 2 case options currently available in the collection; polished and brushed silver which give the timepiece a classic and timeless aviation personality or a matte black finish for extra stealth and military appearance. All cases are made from 316L surgical grade stainless steel and all have an exhibition display back to observe the Swiss movement in operation inside the watch.

Although not usually required in pilot’s watches, the FLIGHT MASTER has a water resistance rating of 50m and can be worn with confidence when swimming which is another nice feature.

In summary the FLIGHT MASTER collection from PANZERA is a high calibre Swiss Made pilots watch with Swiss mechanical movement at an extremely competitive price. Starting from just USD$500, it would be very difficult to find another pilots watch of this calibre at this price.