In review: Szanto Heritage Aviator

As with most anything, there are a wide variety of designs available for you to choose from in the watch world. Not only that, you’ve got new stuff, more recent but still pre-owned, as well as stuff that is properly considered vintage. While those older looks can be timeless, there’s something to be said about modern manufacturing techniques, as well as movement reliability and accuracy. In that regard, the Szanto Heritage Aviator gives you the best of both of those worlds.

Now, if you’ve been following Szanto for any time, you’ll be aware that the Szanto Heritage Aviator has been around for a bit. Here, the new thing is the inclusion of blue and green dials. While I’d normally request a loaner in blue (being my favorite color), this time it was the green dial on the brown strap that called out, being such a classic color combination.

Looking at the dial of the Szanto Heritage Aviator, you can immediately tell this is intended to look like the classic Flieger / aviator style, with the dotted triangle at 12 o’clock, as well as the minutes on the outside track, and hours printed much smaller on the inner track. One great thing about this dial design is it reminds you, quite visually, that the hour hand is the smaller one, with the hand reaching that track. So, in a sense, this could also be a good watch to help a child learn to tell time on an analog watch. Not that they’d be wearing a 41mm case, but could be another benefit to having this watch on your wrist, if you’ve got little ones in the house.

Along with that recognizable dial, the Szanto Heritage Aviator also has the rounded “onion” crown that is another signature of the design. It’s not so large that it digs into your wrist, but it does give you a better feel than a small crown would when it comes to setting the time. Then again, being as this has a quartz movement (Miyota 1L45) and no date display, you’re not going to need to use that crown except twice a year if you live somewhere with Daylight Savings Time.

Though the crown is a push (not screw down) you’re still getting a 100m WR rating on the watch, which means this is one you really don’t have to worry about getting wet. Add that to the quartz movement, and it makes the Szanto Heritage Aviator a really nice grab-and-go choice if you’re looking for an aviator watch to have along with you.

As we’ve seen from other watches in the Time Concepts family, the Szanto Heritage Aviator is super-affordable as well. Whether you opt for one of the two new colors, or go with the original four, you’ll be putting $225 down on the barrel to put one on your wrist. Check them all out over at szantotime.com