P1-Handbook

OWNERS MANUAL

P-1 Pilot

The P-1 draws its inspiration from a long line of aviation watches used by flyers in the 20th century as a vital aid in navigation. At altitude, easy and quick legibility was paramount in order to make split-second navigation decisions when travelling at high speed over ground. 

The wide open dial of the P-1 aids visibility, with its double anti reflective coated sapphire crystal, and large arabic numerals in white Swiss Super LumiNova® in low light. 

See below for the specifications, setting instructions, maintenance tips and servicing.

P-1 Pilot Specifications

  • Diameter 43mm
  • Swiss self-winding movement
  • Case and buckle in 904L stainless steel
  • Water resistance 10ATM/100m 
  • Swiss made
  • First edition run of 300 pieces
  • 3-year warranty*
  • Interchangeable straps with quick release bar 

Winding and Setting Your Watch

All Aera watches come with a screw-down crown to maximise water resistance. To wind your watch, first gently unscrew the crown anticlockwise until it pops out to the first position.

Always remove your watch from your wrist to wind it to prevent putting lateral pressure on the winding stem.

WINDING

Gently wind the watch in a clockwise direction to energise the mainspring. A minimum of 27 full rotations is needed to fully wind the mainspring. We do not recommend winding beyond 40 rotations to avoid stressing components. However if you are wearing the watch immediately, as an automatic, half that number will suffice to get it running; it will also energise the mainspring simply with the movements of your arm.

Once set, return the crown to the first position, and wind the crown in until it stops, a gentle tightening is all that is required; excess force can damage the crown, case and movement. 

TIME SETTING

From the first position, gently pull the crown out for two clicks. From this position, you are able to set the hour and minute hands. A hacking function built into the movement also freezes the second hand, allowing you to make precise to-the-second settings.

Once set, return the crown to the first position, and wind the crown in until it stops, a gentle tightening is all that is required; excess force can damage the crown, case and movement. 

AERA Straps

All Aera straps are made with a quick-release function allowing you to change out your straps with ease. All are integrated with the watch cases, creating a seamless join between the two. All Aera straps are created to fit equally well on the D-1 Diver and the P-1 Pilot. 

REMOVE YOUR STRAP

Each strap-end has a tab-operated spring bar mounted inside.

To remove a strap, slide the tab towards the middle of the strap and gently pull away from the tab side first. 

FITTING A STRAP

To add your chosen strap, repeat step 1 in reverse. Insert the pin, furthest from the tab side into the hole in the lug. Keep your thumb on the tab, so that it’s fully retracted into the strap, before aligning it with the hole in the lug. Check the pin is fully aligned before releasing. You should hear a light click as the tab engages with the case.

CHECK YOUR STRAP IS SECURE

Using a light touch, attempt to pull each strap away from the case. If the strap is fitted correctly, there should be little to no movement. If there is a gap visible between the strap end and the case, the pins may not have engaged correctly.

 If unsure, repeat the process.

Automatic Movement

On a basic mechanical watch movement, after hand winding, the mainspring power slowly drains as the watch runs until it’s wound again. As the mainspring winds down, the accuracy of the watch's timekeeping quality drops off slightly, which means keeping it wound is better for its performance.







An automatic or self-wound watch, like Aera’s P-1 Pilot and D-1 Diver, however, is designed to top up the stored energy in the mainspring with the movements of your body. The movement’s oscillating weight rotates with every movement, keeping the mainspring topped up with its potential energy.


The stored energy - referred to in watch circles as the power reserve - only starts to reduce once the wearer becomes inactive, or removes the watch. If you wear your watch every day, there is no need to wind it. From fully wound, even if you don’t wear them, Aera’s P-1 and D-1 watches have an optimum power reserve of 38 hours.

Caring For Your Aera Watch

This is the basic part. You need to have a common knowledge of the do’s and dont's when cleaning and maintaining the proper working conditions of any automatic watches. Click onto each title to find out things to do with your watch and things to avoid.

CORRECT CARE OF YOUR WATCH

It may sound obvious, but when fastening your watch, do it over a soft surface like a sofa or bed in case it slips out of your hand. We know from experience that watch cases and sapphire crystals don’t like marble floors.

Store your watch at room temperature. Extreme heat or cold can cause expansion and contraction, putting wear and tear on critical parts and shortening the life of the water-resistant gaskets.

Always rest a watch on it’s caseback or on its side if possible. Resting on the crown risks the watch rolling over. Resting face down can scratch the sapphire crystal when you move or pick it up again. 

When travelling, if you’re not wearing your watch, store it in a soft suede pouch, a dedicated travel case (on its own) or even a (preferably clean) sock. Just don’t forget which sock.

ACTIONS TO AVOID

Never put your watch in a pocket that also contains keys, coins and other daily necessities.

Never leave watches in checked baggage on planes.

For the same reason, if you like wearing bracelets next to your watch, consider having them in softer materials like leather rather than steel. Constant movement on your arm - and against your watch case - can create repeat patterns of scratching on the side of your watch case.

Never leave a watch face down on a surface, as particles of dust can scratch the sapphire crystal when you move it or pick it up again.

Avoid leaving your watch on objects that create magnetic fields, things like radios, speakers, cell phones and tablets. These can interrupt the oscillations of the regulating unit or balance - the heart of the movement that keeps it ticking consistently.

Water Resistance

Water is everywhere and it’s the nemesis of mechanical watches. Water resistance has naturally been a horological hot potato in watch circles for almost a century and has been a driving force in research to make watches that are more protected against the damaging effects of water. 

Although modern watches are far more protected against the ingress of water or moisture than most of their 20th century forebears, the industry almost overwhelmingly still uses the term “water-resistant” rather than “waterproof”. Given the widely varying ambient conditions (humidity and heat) to which a watch may be subjected once it’s on the wrist of a customer, such absolutes are rarely given. 

The P-1 Pilot Water resistance is 10ATM/100m, 100m watches are suitable for general day-to-day use, non-competitive swimming, bathing, COVID appropriate hand washing etc. 

What does water resistance mean?

The higher a rating - in metres or ATM - the more your watch is engineered to keep out moisture. Most watches come with a resistance rating that’s given in meters usually starting at 5ATM (or 50 meters). If you have a watch that says that, best stay indoors if you see clouds outside. Definitely don’t attempt to go swimming with it.

It is not recommended to expose your watch to places with both hot water and steam/moisture, like showers, saunas or hot tubs. The heat can in some cases cause moisture to permeate gaskets and seals. Air and its moisture content inside the case will be affected by external influences and can lead to condensation. Soaps and chemicals in public swimming pools affect the condition of the seal, while heat can harden the gaskets prematurely shortening their effective lifespan. 

Maintaining and caring for your watch

  • First, check that there is no damage to your watch and check the crown is fully screwed down and, as this may cause moisture ingress, resulting in damage to the movement. Never clean or wash your watch with the crown in any other setting than fully screwed down.
  • Remove the strap and set aside (and see separate note below on cleaning straps). 
  • Using a cold, slightly damp cloth, wipe over the watch, this will help moisten and loosen any particles, making removal easier. Do this for a couple of minutes allowing the moisture to its job. The process will already be making a difference.
  • Using a soft bristle brush, gently remove any particles that may lie in hard-to- reach areas, like the teeth of the bezel or between the lugs. Rinse the brush regularly with a trickle of room temperature water, tapping off the excess thoroughly.
  • Once your case is clean, dry using a microfibre cloth, to help remove any water marks, or left-over droplets. Leave in a fully dry environment before attempting to reset the time or hand winding your watches.

We’d love to hear how you get on with your Aera watch

Owners@aera.co is a dedicated email address for you to contact us. Think of it as a hotline to the Aera team for any questions, comments, photos you may want to send us of you enjoying your new watch, moans and groans or of course unlimited praise. In any case, we look forward to hearing from you. We feel rewarded to see our first watches come to life and can't wait for you to experience them too. 

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