P-1 Pilot

From its earliest beginnings, with the Wright Brothers in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903, powered flight never depended purely on aeronautics. The moment point-to-point flights became viable, navigational instruments became an integral part of flight equipment. Navigation meant timekeeping, for to-the-second precision, in order to make the necessary calculations for each leg of a flight.

As the operating range of aeroplanes grew, navigation relied on maps, mathematics and accurate timing rather than looking for landmarks on the ground. Timepieces, whether mounted on the instrument panel or on the pilot’s wrist, became vital, life-preserving devices, tools to ensure pinpoint accuracy whether you were bound for a target or heading home.