I recently discussed the standard Archimede Pilot XL Automatik watch here, for which there is a manually would analog, that has a subsidiary dial. A lot of you mentioned liking the good looks, fine iteration of the pilot watch look, and of course the reasonable price of $650. For those of you who are looking for a bit more, well here is something a bit more special with everything you liked about the original watch with a super nice movement. This is a version of the manually would model of the Pilot XL and has a subsidiary seconds dial. In all its German goodness it has a Swiss movement. Not just any ETA movement, but a “TOP” grade one. What does this mean though?
It is a funny thing — that I could give or take a Flieger, but you throw and GMT complications in the marketplace, and then I am all ears. To this end, we’re currently talking with all the brand to find out if we could get one in to receive a hands-on opinion (and inspection) for you. Meanwhile, don’t hesitate to let me know about other interesting Flieger-style watches below.As I teased in our first writeup a few months ago, we were working to acquire an Archimede Pilot 42 GMT in for inspection, so we could see if our impressions from the photos held up when beholding the watch in the steel. Keep reading to get our impressions.With this overview of the Archimede Pilot 42 GMT, I want to jump into some details you may not normally concentrate on first. Well, when it comes to Archimede (and sister-brand Limes) you should really look closely at the Ickler-designed cases. At the surface of this, the 42mm case of the Archimede Pilot 42 GMT is nothing especially note-worthy. Smooth, brushed surfaces abound, and it holds everything together. With the several watches I’ve reviewed in the brand, but I have begun to appreciate the attention they have on producing compact cases.Now, no one will say 42mm is a small case size. The bezel is, as they say, wafer thin, keeping the focus on the watch. Maintaining the lean theme going, the circumstance is not much taller than the diameter of the crown molding. There’s no wasted space here (well, possibly in diameter, since the 2893-2 isn’t filling all of that). This is further evidenced by just how close the dial is into the crystal. This closer distance makes it so that you do not need a chapter ring keeping the focus on the dial.
Well most ETA movement arrive in various grades. Take for instance this caliber 6498-2. There is a basic version, and maybe a few until you get to the top. The highest level one uses the best parts and is nicely decorated. All this decoration ends up making the same movement much better, and multiplies the time production significantly. The second you are unsure about this you need just flip over the watch and admire the movement through the large decorated sapphire caseback window. You can in the image the blued screws and Cotes de Geneva polishing on the surfaces.
Archimede was able to get a few of these these movements, not sure how many though. The TOP movements also have Glucydur balance wheels, Nivarox mainsprings and hairsprings, and an Incabloc shock protection system. The movement is more accurate than the more basic versions, and has a longer power reserve of 50 hours. I mention this to show you how it is a bit more than a mere cosmetic upgrade. The rest of the specs should be the same as the standard Archimede Pilot XLH (“H” stands for handwinding). There aren’t many of them, and the price is $1,070 each.