Timex’s Affordable Pilot’s Watch Goes Sky-High with a Pair of Midcentury Throwbacks

From the 1950s through the 1970s, Pan Am, the now-defunct airline, was the darling of the passenger air travel industry. The brand’s exceptional midcentury styling was so impactful that it remains a go-to design example to this day.

Now, a new pilot’s watch collaboration has been unveiled, showcasing the airline’s timelessness (pun intended) on a pair of stunning, affordable timepieces. For anyone pining for the golden age of travel, the Timex x Pan Am Waterbury Ace Collection — which includes the Waterbury Ace Chronograph and Waterbury Automatic Ace — is sure to be a hit.

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High-flying ace

This isn’t the first time Timex and Pan Am have teamed up. The last time was toward the tail-end of 2024 (almost exactly a calendar year ago.) However, when comparing the latest collaboration with the previous one, there are some noteworthy differences.

Aesthetically, this new pair of timepieces is a lot more refined. For instance, they both feature an airplane silhouette at the 12 o’clock position, which is a nice stylistic touch missing in the last collab.

Furthermore, while they still boast Pan Am’s signature coloring and the airline’s logo above the 6 o’clock marker, these new drops are notably less busy.

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Partially, that can be explained by these new watches’ functionality. The former collaboration included a GMT and a flyback chronograph, whereas this new collab keeps it more minimalist with a standard chrono and a straightforward pilot’s watch.

However, it’s also due to the base watches the brands chose to collaborate on. These are rebranded and styled-up takes on Timex’s recently released Waterbury Aces, which were heavily inspired by IWC’s Pilot’s Watch line — largely considered the definitive pilot’s watch.

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First-class looks, economy prices

As mentioned, this Pan Am collab is split into two watches. What might surprise some is that the more budget-friendly of the two is the chronograph.

However, this is easily explained: it comes down to the movement. The chronograph features a quartz movement, which, while highly accurate, is a lot less expensive than the automatic caliber found inside its sibling.

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Even then, the automatic is still pretty affordable for an automatic, especially when you take into account the breadth of what it has to offer. Along with its automatic movement, it has an exhibition caseback, a beautiful stainless steel case (with an oversized crown) and a stitched leather strap with a debossed airplane icon that matches the one on the dial. (The chronograph has a similar strap, but in brown instead of blue.)

In either case (again, pun intended), these watches are a great addition to Timex’s new Waterbury Ace lineup. They should be favorites among anyone with a taste for midcentury styling and aviation history.

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Pre-order now

Both of the Timex x Pan Am Waterbury Ace Collection watches — the Waterbury Ace Chronograph and Waterbury Automatic Ace — are now available for preorder, priced at $269 and $349, respectively.

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Timex x Pan Am Waterbury Ace Chronograph

Specs

Case Size	41mm
Movement	Quartz analog
Water Resistance	100m

• $269 at Timex

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