AVI-8 were kind enough to send me their Flyboy watch to review. The colloquial term 'Flyboy' was and is often used to describe a pilot belonging to the air force and this, along with the rest of their watch selection, is squarely aimed at that market.

After 3 weeks of daily use, I can honestly say I am impressed! It is a sturdy solid piece of kit. It is waterproof (you might want to get a non-leather strap if you are going to submerge it as the leather NATO strap is a work of art in itself which should improve it's look with age). It has a very reliable, standard-setting self-winding 8215 automatic movement from Miyota which can be seen in action through the glass back of the watch.

It's a simple 3 hand watch, without the extra dials and rotating bezels that many aviation watches come with, but this appears to be a simpler, more classic watch that is subtle in what it portrays rather than shouting 'AVIATION' down your throat. Proportionally, it's a nicely balanced watch.

The case diameter is a huge 42mm and 11mm thick - a nice chunky aviation watch. The design, in solid stainless steel, harks back to the vintage watches of a bygone era, possibly designed to be an instrument in the cockpit. The 'coin edge' adds to a vintage feel to the watch, enhanced further by it's simplistic classic look. The slightly textured dial face is very clear and easy to read due to the large luminous indexes. All in all, it's a work of art on your wrist! It stands out from the crowd. Whilst out on a photoshoot with it on my wrist, 3 different people came over and asked about the watch (not my photography!) so it is certainly a conversation starter (even when you are busy and just want to take photos!!!). ;)

Their website is www.avi-8.co.uk with a 20% discount at the moment if you sign up to their newsletter!