As you recall, I got to see the new Breitling Super AVIs a few weeks ago and I’ve been thinking about them ever since. Luckily, the folks at AVI-8 might have something almost as good.
Their Hawker Hurricane Classic Chronograph is a quartz chronograph in olive drab that features the styling of the Hawker Hurricane complete with vintage-style sundials and clever coloration and design.
The company also makes an automatic homage, the Spitfire Type 300 Automatic, in Oxford blue, and something a little weirder, the Hitchcock Automatic:
Inspired by an American hero, the Hitchcock Automatic pays tribute to a Lafayette Escadrille member and national polo champion who directly influenced the development of the P-51 Mustang during WWII.
The automatics run a NH35 self-winding movement while the chronograph runs an unnamed quartz movement.
The chrono costs $235 and the automatics cost $395 – a nice price for what you get. Given you can’t get a Breitling for less than $10K right now, this might be the solution for those of us who don’t want to have to sell a kidney.
