Sometimes it feels like the more modern and technological our world becomes, the more we watch enthusiasts want to track our time in it using analog measuring tools. Because since we have such a passion and enthusiasm for non-digital timekeeping devices, and that many of us also have subsequent interests in travel, EDC, and vintage stuff, by wearing traditional watches everyday we make a commitment to live a certain type of life, or at the very least, we show that we aspire to it. That life could be many things for you but we can assume we all share a common interest for what is simple, more authentic, and more pragmatic. Moreover, it is easier to show our unique personality through analog watches than it is through smartwatches since there exists a greater variety of the former and that the latter are highly standardized and more of a thing that everybody wears for reasons which are miles apart from the aforementioned aspirations that we watch nerds have in common. 

And you most likely have noticed that many members of our international niche community love to travel and to talk about the trips they’re on. They blog about it and vlog about it on social media. Ten years ago, most travelers wore the usual suspects mostly stemming from the Swiss watch industry which were out of reach for many of us. Today things are different because micro/independent brands have released a flurry of GMT watches powered either by the Seiko NH34 or the Miyota 9075. This means that instead of a Rolex, Omega or Longines, we can wear a Jack Mason, RZE, or Carlingue on our adventures near or far which is generally more realistic as the latter three are much more affordable than the former three. So it’s more ok now to be on the look out for the next GMT whether a trip is impending or not. Because we’re always traveling somewhere everyday and we don’t need to impress others to justify wearing a proper traveler’s watch. 

Therefore let’s talk about the Carlingue Aviation 01, perhaps your next GMT to change diapers or explore the cobble streets of Rome. 

Specifications 

So in these chronicles from fellow watch enthusiasts, collectors, and nerds, we used to see expensive luxury tools most of us couldn’t afford or wouldn’t dare travel with. The intense marketing campaigns Swiss brands started to invest in around the 1950s paid off, because for many years we were under the impression that in order to be a proper diver we needed a Submariner, to be a proper globe trotter we needed a GMT Master, and to be a proper car enthusiast we needed a Speedmaster. Again, driving the point that most of us who live ordinary lives cannot afford to buy such expensive watches because we either made the choice to start a business, a family, or move to another country, or that we weren’t born in a wealthy family in which gifting an Oyster Perpetual to celebrate one’s 18th birthday is habitual. So in order to acquire the types of watches we yearn to have, we turn to independent brands such as Carlingue. 

We could further argue that now more of us buy GMTs thanks to micro/independent brands and that for a long time, many of us traveled sans a GMT. Removing $870 USD from our budget is easier than removing five or ten times that, as $870 USD is how much you’ll have to charge on your credit card to slide a Carlingue Aviation 01 ref. CT-002-B on your wrist. A flyer-style or “true” GMT powered by the now ubiquitous Miyota 9075 caliber (4Hz/42 hours of power reserve,) where the local hour hand jumps back-and-forth instead of the GMT hand, whose action also changes the day back-and-forth in audible and precise clicks. That is pretty much the same technology that powers the most expensive of traveler’s watches—those worn and photographed by successful business people, jetsetters, and young folks in their early to mid 20s—and that is all we realistically need even though the 9075 doesn’t come with COSC or METAS certifications. Alas. 

And whether you’d be caught in a rainstorm on your trip to your local grocery store or on a dive boat in Belize, rest assured that water won’t easily make its way inside the Aviation 01 as it comes with 100 meters of sufficient water resistance thanks to a screwed-down crown and case-back. Whether you’re changing a flat tire on your way to your in-laws for Christmas or in the Kruger National Park, the crystal of the Aviation 01 won’t scratch as it is made of a domed piece of sapphire with several layers of inner anti-reflective coating. And whether you need to check the time in the middle of the night after changing diapers or before emerging from your foxhall, you will easily be able to do so thanks to ample amounts of blue-glowing SuperLuminova on the hands, hour markers, and inverted triangle on the bezel. The Aviation 01 also comes with drilled lugs, sandblasted rhodium-plated hands, and a bi-directional 120-click bezel. 

In terms of dimensions: the diameter is 40mm at the case (41mm at the bezel,) the lug-to-lug is 49.70mm, the thickness is 13.65mm, and the lug width is 20mm. 

Design 

You may have already picked up on the heart of the matter regarding the Carlingue Aviation 01—that it is a discreet GMT tool watch and not a flashy faceted 800-carat Swiss diamond. And that is the type of watch many of us seek and prefer to own rather than the fancy snazzy $10K one. And so the design of the Aviation 01, just as much as its specs do, indicates who and what it is for. It is heavily endowed with a military heritage and aesthetic which we also found on the Military 01, and in the brand’s third collection as well. The military comes from the large Arabic numerals printed in white and complemented by thin silver surrounds and the matte-finished syringe-style hour and minute hands. So indeed a pilot arrangement hence the model’s name which is superbly legible day in and day out and at any angles thanks to the dial which is black and finished with a radial brushing from which emanates a sunray-like pattern. 

So matte hands + a radially brushed dial = superlative legibility at all times. The seconds hand continues with the utilitarian theme for its tip is shaped akin to an arrowhead, and all three main hands are lumed. The GMT hand properly flies under the radar for about 80% of its body is painted black to blend in with the dial, whilst its triangular tip is painted red and lume-filled for easy nighttime readability. While the Carlingue Aviation 01 also exists in green and blue (and multiple strap and case finishing combinations,) I wanted to check out the black version on account of the red accents found on the minute track which work symbiotically with the red-tipped GMT hand. The minute track is printed on a gently raised portion of the dial and is fully graduated, with numerals marking the five-minute increments, white hash-marks marking the individual minutes, and four tiny red lines marking the quarter seconds between them. Lastly, a discreet beveled date aperture lives at the six. 

As it is always the case, the case (nice one you!) complements the package. Though it is large from a dimensions standpoint—the lug-to-lug is 49.70mm—it wears just right on a 6.50”/16.5cm wrist as pictured here. But it is not a small watch by any means nor is it a large watch by any stretch of the measurements either. In other words, it feels appropriately sized for a 100-meter flyer GMT tool watch, that is a watch that must accommodate a fourth hand which requires extra vertical space within the case and dial. The Carlingue Aviation 01 commands a commendable wrist presence (nice one again you!) on account of its large dial opening and thin bezel which contribute to the inherent legibility this watch was meant to be endowed with. And so great efforts were made to profile the case in a simple shape and to keep it as thin as possible. The result is a utilitarian 316L steel body with an all-brushed finish and bulbous crown. 

The Heart of the Matter

A point was attempted to be made multiple times throughout this review. This encyclopedic write-up on the Carlingue Aviation 01 is yet another ode to utilitarian tool watches which some of us adore and cherish and use and abuse everyday at home or abroad, cooking pasta or chasing poachers across the Serengeti. We have such an intense passion for these watches because they are practical, discreet, and reliable, and perhaps most importantly, they do not, through their outward appearance and inward mechanics, try to impress anyone. Correct yourself if you’re wrong, but you don’t wear a military-inspired watch to dazzle anyone in the same way you might want to do so with precious-metal made, COSC/METAS equipped, and luxury-looking watches. You wear the former because it means something to you. And you would wear the latter because it means something to someone else. Because some of us firmly believe that certain watches are made to wow others while certain others are made to be used. 

In other words, the Carlingue Aviation 01 isn’t the type of watch we typically see on the wrist of jetsetters, successful business owners, or younglings taking yet another paid-for trip. But instead it is the watch that we would see on the wrist of regular folks who live regular lives and do regular things, most importantly, who do so for themselves. Naturally, the way we see watches of various types depends on who we are, where we come from, and what kind of job we have. These past 1,600+ words were written from the perspective of someone who is currently in the process of happily settling down into what is considered to be a normal life. But that same person (me, yeah) is also someone who traveled and explored a lot before, and who might do some again some day in the future. But whatever is happening, I would be wearing a Carlingue Aviation 01 because it is by far a pragmatic timepiece. One indeed I would define as being for the doers. 

Conclusion 

So the Carlingue Aviation 01 ref. CT-002-B is just one of the 14 versions of the Aviation 01 one can get. Through recent collaborations with tattoo artists which gave birth to unique straps, and the release of limited editions of the Aviation 01 with PVD-coated cases, there are indeed many versions you can choose from. Blue dials, green dials, and of course black dials, with nylon or leather straps, your $870 USD/750,00 € does go a long way here and does provide you with a complete, good-rounder tool and traveler’s watch which comes with its unique visual DNA codified by the brand’s founder, Alexandre Voirin, who we talked about in the review of the Military 01. So I encourage you to check out the brand’s website to discover all of its three collections including the Aviation 01. 

Thanks for reading.