At just a glance, the AVI-8 Hawker Hunter AV-4052 appears to be a well-balanced timepiece, with obvious touches that have been inspired by the actual jet. In fact, a number of features on the watch, as well as the actual aesthetic appearance of the watch, pay a subtle amount of homage to the jet. Without being as cluttered and hard to manage as the actual cockpit of the jet.
It proves to be a rather attractive looking timepiece, with a genuine leather strap that complements the aesthetic appearance of the watch with ease. The strap itself comes in a number of different colours including black, brown, grey, and tan. For any consumer that likes eye-catching pieces, this watch would be favourable. Whereas people that prefer the subtle touch of a day-to-day watch would be less likely to find this watch appealing.
This timepiece does initially come across as quite invasive when you first look at it, but after a while, it quickly grows on you. It proves itself to be a watch that is both practical and balanced. In our opinion, the AV-4052 is going to catch a lot of attention when worn, not just due to the attractive features, but also due to the rather large 45mm case diameter.
Unique Design
As we have already mentioned, the Hawker Hunter is rather large. It features a polished stainless steel case that measures in as having a diameter of 45mm, so it might look too large on people who have very small wrists, although after wearing it for a while I have found that it seems to wear small due to its unique case shape. The actual watch itself does not stick out too far, as it is only 12mm thick.
The thickness of this watch is important, as it allows the actual depth of the case to stand out. By viewing the watch from one side, you can see just how many features the watch actually has. One of our favourite features of this watch is the way that the indices go all the way to the edge of the dial, which is a nice feature opposed to them cutting off.
The dial is made up of a monochrome color scheme, which makes the second and sub-dial hands stand out even more against it. The dial itself also adds an extra level to this contrast, as it is not smooth the way that a standard dial would be, instead it is rough like the features of the instrumentation that would have been found in the jet. This really draws your eye to the shine of the polished bezel.
The back of the case is also worth noticing, as it has a beautifully engraved back that features the AVI-8 logo. The stainless steel has been carefully brushed in circles. Another feature that can be found on the back of the case is the classic wording that goes around the logo, saying that the watch features quartz movement, is made of stainless steel, and runs to be water resistant up to 50m. There is also a small AVI-8 logo situated on the crown, which looks as though it has been carefully laser etched on.
The large numbers on the dial of this watch can appear to stand out a little bit too much to start with, but once you are familiar with the layout of the AV-4052 it can actually prove to be both practical and aesthetically pleasing. It literally looks as though someone has taken the instrument panel out of the jet, and introduced it to the wider world.
AV-4052 Features
This AVI-8 pilot watch features a number of dials, including a small 24-hour dial next to the 3 o’clock point. There is also a date function window between the 4 and 5 o’clock points, and a standard second counter at 6 o’clock. Your eyes will be drawn into the movement of the 10-minute retrograde, that effortlessly sweeps across the dial opposed to jumping.
The movement is both practical and durable, as it features reliable Japanese quartz movement. That is not the only benefit of this particular type of movement, as the lightweight nature of the movement also means that the watch itself is actually much lighter than mechanical watches of a similar size.
A watch with this many features and dials can sometimes be difficult to read, as usually, the hands will actually block out the different dials. The hands of the AV-4052 have had their centres cut away, so that you can make out the dials at all times. A great little feature in our opinion!
In an effort to make the watch even easier to read, it also features a decent amount of lume. This lume gives you the ability to easily read the time, even in incredibly dimly lit areas.
Final Impression
It is easy to see just how much the actual jet has influenced the design and structure of the AVI-8 Hawker Hunter AV-4052, with the homage to the jet being paid in almost all of the features. It even comes in a green/khaki coloured canvas box.
This particular series of watches has been designed to honour aircraft from the WWII era, and this watch really stands out among them, making it a really great choice if you’re looking for a quartz powered aviation inspired timepiece!
For more info on pricing and specifications head over to AVI-8’s official website by clicking here.
I just received my Hawker Hunter. The hands do not glow in the dark, although the numbers appear brightly luminescent. Was this the case with your sample?
Just read the Amazon reviews on this thing! I was going to get one but after the generally very unfavorable reviews I will not be risking any money on a watch with terrible quality control