Just recently, Peter Speake-Marin (and his eponymous company) introduced quite an intriguing new model, the aptly-named Spirit Wing Commander. Not only does this continue with the design DNA we’ve seen in previous designs from the brand, it gives us a refreshing take on an aviation watch.
The Spirit is quite a visually-interesting piece. Tucked into that 42mm titanium case is one of the most legible dials I’ve seen. The black background is contrasted by large and crisp numerals and indices (all luminuous, of course) on the dial, and topped by PVD and lume-filled hands.
The thing that was immediately interesting to me about the piece was the fact that the large date display shows up at the 12 o’clock position – something I don’t know that I’ve ever seen before on a watch. Next up, you’ve got a fuel-gauge style power reserve indicator down at 6 o’clock. This display is superluminova white when the reserve is full, goes black when it’s 50% depleted, and then red when it’s about to run out of power.
Quite an ingenious readout that’s paired to the in-house 1024SPM calibre and it’s 48-hour power reserve. The final interest piece on the dial is of course the sub-seconds wheel that’s over at 9 o’clock. This takes the look of their topping tool, and I can only imagine is quite the trip to see in motion.
If you’re looking to pick one of these up, get your wallet ready – pricing is said to be around 7,500 CHF (which is just under $8,400 at current conversion rates). It’s pricey, but it’s certainly one of the most interesting pilot watches I’ve seen in some time. speake-marin.com
