Alright, enough of my love letter to bronze as a material, as that’s only one facet of the watch. For daily wear, I found the 42H to be an amiable companion. While initially I thought the larger crown might dig into my wrist, I didn’t notice it to be an issue (which is good, because it’s a perfect size for setting and winding the watch). The handset is appropriately sized for the case, and being lume-filled, it makes the time easy to read whether the room is dark or bright. The date display is color matched (thankfully) and fairly unobtrusive, so it’s only noticeable when you go looking for the date.
The dial itself has a matte finish to it, and has cleanly printed indices and numerals, as well as the dotted arrowhead that we’ve come to know and love on our pilot watches. Our review sample was paired with a black leather strap that features bronze rivets, a bronze buckle, and contrast stitching that serves to balance the black and brown combo you’re ultimately getting here. All in all, it’s a very cleanly put-together package. Of course, if you prefer something even cleaner, you can opt for a version of the Pilot 42 that omits the logo and the date display.
The Pilot 42 Bronze that we reviewed starts at a price of around $650 (exclusive of VAT). Opting for the no logo / no date version gets you a starting price of $675. And, if you’d prefer a splash of color, they also have red, white, or blue dials available, which also start at $675. There are also a variety of upgrades available (such as a sapphire crystal, deployant clasp, or engraved rotor) that allow you to customize your piece a bit. Whichever option you would go for, you’re going to end up with a classic pilot style watch, with a bronze twist. archimede-watches.com
Necessary Data
>Brand: Archimede
>Model: Pilot 42H Bronze (ref. UA7929-A1.1-BR)
>Price: $650 – $675
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: The one who’s looking for a pilot watch that hews to the classic presentation, but wants a bit of a twist
>Best characteristic of watch: The bronze case – it really helps to set this model apart from other similarly-styled pilot watches
>Worst characteristic of watch: As the bronze oxidizes, you may end up with some green marks on your skin. This is just inherent to the material, and washes away easily.
