The main selling point behind AVI-8 watches is the aviation aesthetic. The watches themselves have decent build quality for an entry-level quartz watch, but you’re really paying for the look of a unique pilot watch. They are popular aviation enthusiasts and as gifts for pilots, flight attendants, or anyone who likes the military vibe of a pilot watch.

Avi-8exploded onto the watch scene in 2013 with a huge catalog of watches inspired by aircraft — British warplanes to be exact. The range includes both quartz and automatic movements and a host of designs that range from the industrial to the retro to the truly off beat Harrier II collection. For this review, Avi-8 provided a Hawker Hurricane 4014-03.

AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Kent Review

The crystal sits nearly flush with the bezel, and as such it doesn’t attract too much negative attention. It has not scratched while I’ve worn it. As mentioned, reflection is a bit of a problem here- on a sunny day it can be hard to see the time when in direct sun. One of the most popular models is the AVI-8 Hawker Hunterhoused in a marine-grade stainless steel case. This one’s a Japanese retrograde split time chronograph that has skeletonized hands and three subdials. What makes this model unique, aside from the robust and heavy-duty design, is the organization of all the features on the dial. Everything is legible, and the overall appearance is not cluttered despite the many features. This watch has the Miyota 6S50 movement, which can be slightly seen through the dial. AVI-8 created the dial in such a way that even the subdials remain very legible. Also worth noting are the sword-style luminous hands and the baton indexes. Watch buyers on Reddit are generally favorable towards AVI-8 noting that they are good value for money based on the build quality and movements while some do criticize the oversized dials (although this is a general trait on many pilot watches). Overall, users on other watch forums express the same general opinion: decent build, fair price but oversized for small wrists. The final collection is called Flyboy, which like the Lancaster collection has watches that are more for those who are looking for a less busy dial.

AVI-8 has five main collections: Hawker Hurricane, Hawker Hunter, Hawker Harrier II, Lancaster Bomber, and Flyboy. All of these pay homage to aviation and have each their own unique designs and functions. We’ll talk about some of the best watches in detail below. This line was inspired by the Hawker Harrier and the Hawker Harrier II, which according to AVI-8 were “designed to be operated in advanced theatres of conflict where air bases or runways would not be accessible.” This is a modern aircraft that continues to be updated to this day.

AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Kent – The WRUK Verdict

The 4050 line has a neat arrangement of a number of features: day, date, seconds, and 24-hour readout. The design is inspired by the board of the Lancaster, where the pilot reads details like altitude and fuel. Flyboy

The AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Clowes is a really nice watch that adds just enough of a twist to the standard Flieger design to justify adding it to your collection. It’s a big watch- so bear that in mind if you have a smaller wrist – but if you can pull it off I think it’s a worthwhile buy. Buy an AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane Clowes Automatic According to toolwatch.io, the quartz chronograph inside this Hawker Hurricane is -0.90 seconds per day. That’s not bad, putting it off by somewhere around 25 – 30 seconds per month. The company is also relatively new, so there isn’t much history provided online. We will, however, be able to take a closer look at its collections that have made the brand popular, which we will continue below. If you’re looking for a less complicated design, the Lancaster Bomber collection is a good AVI-8 line to consider.

We’ve covered all of these in our list of Best Pilot Watches– if you want to further explore this genre of watches. I feel that their price point is a little on the high side considering the materials and movement used. If you’re someone that values a watch based on the materials used, you may find the value proposition challenging. However, despite this, I’m okay with the premium because of how styled and well done it is. I think that the Hawker Hurricane is a watch with personality, and that’s worth something. The Hawker Hurricanewatch was inspired by the same aircraft,s a single-seater fighter used during air battles in World War II. The plane, which hawker Aircraft Ltd. produced. The Royal Air Force is known to be one of the most successful aircraft that delivered Allied Victory.

I like how complete the style on the Hawker Hurricane is. Every piece, from the crown to the clasp, has been considered and done really well. The watch looks the part it’s trying to play, and that really adds to the fun. The Hawker Hunter fighter aircraft was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the RAF from the 1940s to the 1950s. This homage timepiece, the AV-I Hawker Hunter, according to the brand has an “angled off squared shape that echoes the key pieces of the Hunters own instrumentation.” Always remember that AVI-8 let reviewers keep their watches and that I get a percentage of sales I refer with the WRUK discount code. I’ve criticised quite a few of AVI-8’s watches so I hope I come across at least somewhat impartial in my review of their watches.The mustard-coloured leather strap looks appropriately like the era the watch is based on. From a distance, you could almost think that this watch would be part of the kit for a fighter pilot or paratrooper in WWII England. The lume is certainly bright enough for the job. The theme is consistent across the Hawker Hurricane’s surfaces. Top, bottom, and on each side, there’s something to remind you of the inspiration that gave the Hawker Hurricane its name and informed its style. If you don’t know what a “record” is, please don’t tell me, just look it up on Wikipedia and let me grow old in peace. I really love when a watch is designed well, and I’m impressed overall with how AVI-8 has styled the Hawker Hurricane. It breaks away from the usual and goes all-in on the fighter plane theme. I love that.