Yes, I know; Robbie already reviewed the Vario 1918 Pilot for us back in July, but I’ve got my hands on one, and the watch is now available for purchase on Vario.sg, so I thought I’d add my two cents.
First off, let me agree with Robbie’s conclusion that this watch is gorgeous. The 1918 line has been tremendously successful for Vario, and for good reason. It is a perfect blend of modern materials and classic charm. Since its introduction in 202, the 1918 has spawned a broad range of options, including brass or stainless steel cases, 37mm or 40mm widths, small seconds or doctor’s layouts, and enamel dials in a host of color combinations.
With the Pilot, Vario has added a canted dial option, in which 12 o’clock on the dial is at 1:30 on the case. Some early pilots’ watches adopted this layout so that it was easier for pilots to read the time without taking their hands off of the yoke. Subsequently, it became popular for drivers as well, and for the same ergonomic reason, and likely also because there were more potential customers driving cars than flying planes. While this arrangement is an old one, it is still very much an outlier.
The 1918 Pilot uses the 40mm stainless steel case with a combination brushed/polished finish and fixed wire lugs that accept an 20mm pass-through strap. In true pilot’s watch form, water resistance is just 50m. It measures just 10mm thick from the case back to the domed sapphire crystal. Its movement is a hand-winding Miyota 8N33 (17 jewels 21.6k bph, 40+ hour power reserve) that is visible through the display case back.
So, does the canted dial arrangement work? I hopped behind the wheel of my Mighty Mighty Dadwagon to try and…
Nope. Not like that. You see, a canted dial is meant to be worn underneath the wrist, not on top. Spin that strap around and…
Yep. That’s the way it is supposed to work. Now, you will notice that my hand position changed a bit between the two photos. If you grip the wheel (or yoke, if you have access to an airplane) at the customary 10 and 2 o’clock or 9 and 3 o’clock positions, and wear your watch face down, you can twist your wrist upward enough to read it without releasing your hold. With the watch on top of my wrist, I found it impossible to do the reverse maneuver without moving my entire hand up the wheel or removing it altogether.
That said, would I wear my watch this way? No. Like wearing a watch on your left or right wrist, or attaching your straps with the buckle at the bottom or top, it’s something that either feels totally natural, or it doesn’t. In my case, it doesn’t. Besides, Audi saw fit to give me a clock right smack in the center of my instrument display. Problem solved.
Even if you don’t need the Pilot’s canted dial, it is fun to have. The 12 o’clock crown (again, at 1:30) reinforces the idea that this is a repurposed pocket watch, just like those worn by the Doughboys as they headed to the trenches of Europe.
Vario offers the Pilot in three variants: white-on-white, white-on-black, and the beautiful white-on-navy shown here. All fit Vario’s range of Crazy Horse leather bund staps and single-pass straps. An anti-reflective coating ensures a clear view of that stunning enamel dial. Potent C3 Super-LumiNova lights it up at night.
I think the Vario 1918 Pilot is a clever addition to the excellent 1918 line. If you are ready for one in your collection, you can order now for just $388 US at vario.sg and take an extra 8% off through year-end with code 1918PILOT8.
