The first pilot's watch was designed at the beginning of the 20th century by Louis Cartier as a gift for his friend, the pilot Alberto Santos Dumont at the time. It was intended to ensure that pilots landed at the right time and in the right place. At the beginning of the First World War, pilot watches were then made available to most pilots. At that time, however, it was not yet a wristwatch but a pocket watch. At that time, wristwatches were still considered an accessory worn exclusively by women. It was only during the war that the wristwatch became established for men as well, which made it possible for soldiers to easily read the time while flying without having to resort to the pocket watch. Typical pilot watches are somewhat larger so that they have a dial that is easy to read. This is usually matt black to avoid disturbing reflections and has luminous line indices. Nowadays, the pilot's watch has numerous other functions such as a tachymeter, a stop function or even a compass. The pilot's watch must also fulfil a number of functions: It must have certain functional requirements such as fast and accurate readability both during the day and at night. It must also be resistant to external stresses such as a change in pressure and vibrations. To ensure that everything functions properly during flight operations, it must also have no magnetic effect on the on-board instruments. Meanwhile, pilot watches are particularly popular as a fashion accessory, since most functions are already integrated into the on-board computer.
