It is a very nice surprise that MATWATCHES offers us at the end of the year with a new watch for the pilots of the Naval Aviation. This come-back takes place in a different aesthetic context from the first watch one, the UTC Naval Aviation. A few months ago, Jerry "Leekster" Leekey, pilot of the Nav
It is a very nice surprise that MATWATCHES offers us at the end of the year with a new watch for the pilots of the Naval Aviation. This come-back takes place in a different aesthetic context from the first watch one, the UTC Naval Aviation. A few months ago, Jerry "Leekster" Leekey, pilot of the Naval Aviation asked his friend Fabrice Pougez, founder of MATWATCHES to release again a new series of watches following the success of the first series. It would have been easy to keep the same UTC base but Fabrice Pougez decided to move to a smaller and more elegant case. This decision is not insignificant because it reflects the general direction of the brand.
I remember very well what the MATWATCHES collection was when I bought the watch made with the Foreign Legion. The collection was primarily based on the characteristic case featuring a 44mm diameter. This case gave a feeling of robustness accentuated by the prominent crown guard and the thick bezel. Even if it was well positioned on the wrist thanks to the short lugs, it was primarily created for customers who were looking for a manly and strong design!
Fabrice Pougez could not confine his brand in this niche market at the risk of prohibiting any expansion of its customer base. Thus, little by little, more reasonable, more elegant watches appeared in the collection without however denying their military inspirations. The brand has built its credibility and success on the sincere partnerships that exist with many military units and this strength remains. But a little sophistication does not hurt and it is the reason why the "Etat-Major"(General Staff) line was created with within it, the use of smaller cases: 42.5mm, 39mm or even 34.5mm .
The brand new Naval Aviator is interesting because it uses the 42.5mm steel case without looking like the other "Etat-Major" watches. It has its own identity enhanced by the unidirectional rotating blue aluminum bezel which features gilded numerals that echo the main hands and the Naval Aviation's logo. The absence of a crown guard reduces the perceived size and makes the watch unquestionably more refined than the UTC Naval Aviation.
The dial is finished with care and I really like the sunray navy blue background. I know that Fabrice Pougez spent a lot of time choosing the ideal blue and he found it. Darker, it would be too close to black. Lighter and the watch would not be serious anymore. Here, the dosage is perfect. The dial is completed by the numerals and index coated by superluminova. These figures and indexes are large and generously occupy the dial so that once the logos of the brand and the Naval Aviation are added, there is not much space left. We must clearly love the well filled (if not busy) dials but I think that all these elements work properly together. In a pinch, I would have deleted the UTC inscription because the red hand of the second timezone is sufficiently explicit.
Being a "travel" watch, the movement is logically the ETA 2983-2 caliber (coming with the elaborate grade) which is in fact an ETA 2892-2 with the addition of the second time zone. Being a reliable and widespread movement, it powers without any problem the Naval Aviator. Its frequency is 4hz and its power reserve, usual for this family of movements, is 42 hours, which is a bit short by today's standards but sufficient.
The caseback is solid and that's great news. It allows to find again the logo of the Naval Aviation and to especially bring a touch of personalization. The line occupied on the photo by the word "prototype" can contain up to 16 characters of your choice. An excellent idea that makes sense given the quality of the inscriptions which are deep enough. The engraving of the logo appeared to me to be much better than many examples coming from more prestigious brands, some of them close to be ridiculous.
The MATWATCHES Naval Aviator is a watch that I liked and which I think is one of the best timepieces coming from the brand. It offers a very good balance between character (diameter, thickness of 13.5mm, bezel etc ...), performance (waterproofness of 200 meters, luminescence) and style (navy blue dial and gilded details). I liked its visual rendering on the wrist and its comfort thanks to the usual short lugs of the brand. A very nice and successful piece but be careful! There will be only 150 happy clients so if the watch appeals to you, it will be necessary to purchase it quickly as to order at the same time the personalized text.
The MATWATCHES Naval Aviator is sold at a price of 2.080 euros including VAT and comes with 3 bracelets (1 blue leather, 1 navy blue rubber and 1 navy blue canvas).
Pros:
+ a very beautiful blue dial
+ an excellent perceived quality
+ very decent performances
+ the customization of the caseback
Cons:
- a busy dial
- a short power reserve according to current standards
