Pilot’s license and pilot’s watch – a passion for the skies and your wrist
Celebrities have been influencing fashion trends for years, and that extends into the realm of watch-wearing. But seldom do we hear much about the famous faces who love the classic pilot’s watch. Interestingly, though the pilot watch has a specific purpose, it has always looked just as good on the red carpet as it does in the cockpit. Some VIPs take their love of flight very seriously, pairing their passion for aviation with some of the most iconic timepieces around.
A passion for flight and fine watchmaking
Very few famous pilot-watch collectors are real-life aviators. Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and Harrison Ford are among them. Long before the latter embarked on adventures as Indiana Jones, he was already in the cockpit, earning his wings as a licensed pilot. For a man who takes flying as seriously as acting, his choice of watch had to be the Breitling Aerospace, with its lightweight but incredibly strong titanium case and multifunctional quartz movement.
The Aerospace can track multiple time zones and can easily be used as a countdown timer or chronograph by activating these features with a simple push of a crown. Above all, the Breitling Aerospace, which combines durability with intelligence, feels like wearing an extension of the cockpit controls on the wrist.
Pilot’s watches look just as good on the red carpet as they do in the cockpit.
Hollywood’s affinity for refined timepieces
Ford is not the only A-list silver screen star advocating for Breitling. John Travolta is a certified jet pilot who’s also a Breitling ambassador. Known to have a soft spot for the Breitling Navitimer, he often dons the famous slide rule bezel on his wrist when flying his aircraft.
Then, there’s the Top Gun legend himself, Tom Cruise, who reportedly owns several IWC Pilot’s Watches. IWC Schaffhausen is a leader in pilot watch technology, equipping its watches with anti-magnetic cases and a clean, cockpit-inspired dial for faultless legibility.
Even Morgan Freeman, who continues to fly aircraft well into his 80s, loves a pilot’s watch. The Shawshank Redemption actor is known for his love of G-Shock watches, which pilots commonly wear for their robustness and functionality in military and aviation contexts. For these stars, flying isn’t a role, it’s a way of life.
For these stars, flying isn’t a role — it’s a way of life.
Beyond the silver screen
There are some less obvious pilot watch-wearing celebrities that are equally as fascinating. Bruce Dickinson, frontman of the metal band Iron Maiden, holds an airliner pilot’s license like John Travolta and spent many years flying the band’s touring aircraft as captain, known collectively as Ed Force One. Professional-grade watches like the Breitling Chronomat are his preferred choice in a pilot’s watches, as well as classic GMT watches.
Iron Maiden and the Ed Force One
And if you thought royalty couldn’t share the nation’s love of the classic pilot’s watch, you’d be wrong. Prince William, who trained as a Royal Air Force search-and-rescue pilot, also owns several pilot’s watches, including models from Omega and British brand Bremont.
Pilot’s watches epitomize stars whose passion for aviation never wanes.
Clearly, pilots’ watches are not just for the glamour or for status. There are famous faces out there that genuinely appreciate the pilot’s watch for its functional and practical appeal, particularly those who fly themselves. Indeed, the appeal of a pilot’s watch goes far beyond luxury. Whether it’s Ford and his trusty Aerospace, or Freeman and his beloved and very modest G-Shock – these timepieces prove that some Hollywood legends have impeccable taste and a genuine love for the pilot watch’s true purpose.
Harrison Ford and Wings Over the Rockies
The passionate private pilot and watch enthusiast Harrison Ford has supported the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in the U.S. state of Colorado for many years. The institution is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring people with the past, present, and future of aviation and space exploration.
The Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
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