AVI-8 Bader Chronograph Limited-Edition Watch

Aviation watches are very much our bag here at Coolector HQ and the guys at AVI-8 are amongst the best in the business so far as entry level timepieces of this sort are concerned and their latest limited edition offering, the Bader Chronograph, might well be one of our favourites to date. This striking timepiece takes its name from Sir Douglas Bader (1910-1982), who was a late, great British flying ace. Bader was not just credited with 12 victories during the Battle of Britain (22 in total) but also for epitomising the bravery of the allied forces. A double amputee, Bader’s heroism was honoured by Queen Elizabeth II when he was knighted for services to disabled people in 1976.

The AVI-8 Bader Chronograph Limited-Edition Watch is available for the excellent price of just $285 and when you combine this with its limited edition release and the eye-catching aesthetics that it boasts, you can rest assured these won’t be hanging around on the shelves for long and you’ll need to move quickly to get your hands on one. It is Bader’s unerring legacy that AVI-8 hopes to perpetuate with the release of the AVI-8 Douglas Bader Chronograph Limited-Edition watch.

A War Time Hero

It goes without saying that Sir Douglas Bader is a war time hero and the perfect figure to inspire an aviation themed timepiece. AVI-8 have done a great job of serving his memory with an excellent looking timepiece that excels both in aesthetics and performance. It comes in three colourways and in limited runs of 242 pieces for each with 10% of all sales being donated to the Douglas Bader Foundation, in addition to a lump sum that will help the charity continue its valuable work promoting the mental and spiritual wellbeing of persons who are without one or more limbs or are otherwise physically disabled.

The foundation was established in 1982 — the year of Bader’s death — by a group comprised of family and friends of the aerial expert. The superb looking AVI-8 Bader Chronograph Limited-Edition Watch is committed to ensuring that this work continues and is confident that the money raised from this project, in addition to the standalone donation, will be put to good use helping to effect real change in the lives of people living with disabilities.

The watch itself has been crafted with Bader’s preference for precision and reliability front and centre. It has been outfitted with a Japanese quartz chronograph module (VD52), which records elapsed time using two subdials. At 12 o’clock, styled to look like a cockpit altimeter, the chronograph seconds can be located, while the 60-minute counter is found at 9 o’clock. The hour, minute, and seconds hands showing the normal time are all centrally mounted, while the subdial at 3 o’clock houses a 24-hour register. For enhanced dial balance, the date display is positioned at 6 o’clock through an unobtrusive window in the dial.

Devil in the Detail

Just above the date window, Sir Douglas Bader’s signature can be seen debossed in the dial which is a neat little design feature of this watch. It has a screw-down plate between the signature and the centre of the dial which shows the AVI-8 logo, pleasingly pared back so as not to take away from the overall focus of the design. It has a simple, 44mm × 12mm stainless steel case with a finely blasted utilitarian finish stays within a military lane, while an anti-reflective mineral crystal and luminous applied indices ensure first class readability in low light environments.

Priced at $285, this limited edition release from AVI-8 is a fitting tribute to a hero of the skies in Sir Douglas Bader and it is is lightweight (weighing in at just 75g) and durable, with a water resistance of 50m. All three dial designs are fitted to a color-coordinated leather strap, each one stitched with the colours of Sir Douglas Bader’s Hurricane’s Fin Markings for an added touch of reverence. Each one also comes with nylon NATO straps, which are decorated with the No. 242 Squadron Leader Pennant. Each AVI-8 Bader Chronograph Limited Edition has a uniquely numbered caseback, which is also engraved with the Douglas Bader Foundation logo.