A Closer Look at the Zelos Skyraider Watch

The Zelos watchmakers have recently announced the release of their latest accomplishment in the Zelos Skyraider Watch. The designers took their inspiration for the new piece from the historical period of World War II. It was a time when the Douglas A-1 Skyraider flew its missions for the United States Air Force. This new creation salutes the pilots of the propeller plane and all who served during this era in a Fleiger watch with high legibility. The wrist watch is deserving of a closer look and careful inspection.

The case

The Zelos Skyraider features a case made of your choice of high quality bronze or titanium materials. The diameter of the round shaped case is 42.5 mm with a thickness of 13 mm. It measures 50 mm from lug to lug. Each variant of the Skyraider is built with the intent to create emotion. The bronze is destined to develop a warm patina over time that make it one of a kind, and the light weight and contemporary feel of the titanium gives it a different personality completely. The crown is an easy to wind type that is purposely not the screw down type. The case back for the skeletonized version offers a clear view of the inner mechanical workings of the movement with a clear sapphire crystal protecting the internals from dust.

The dial

The dial of the Skyraider is a combination of the modern with a definite nod to a time in the distant past. We see the vestiges of yesteryear in the skeletonized or meteorite dials There are three dial options for both the bronze and the titanium Skyraiders. Theses are the meteorite, the skeletonized and the atmosphere blue. We begin with a description of the atmosphere blue example. The dial is patterned in a vivid blue turbine with a gradient that fades to black when the color reaches the dial edges. The intention is to portray the effect of a sky that is fading to black because of high altitude. The hands, indices and some other features of the dial are trimmed in a matching bronze color and the titanium does likewise with a silver coloring. Each of the dials available for the Zelos Skyraider are unique and do not share the same features. The meteorite dial is a grayish color with blue finishes on the titanium case with bronze dial finishes on the bronze case.

The movement

The movement of the Zelos Skyraider is a manual winding ETA 6498 caliber which was originally used as a pocket watch movement. It is finished with a Cotes de Geneve pattern on its main plate with the ratchet wheel featuring turbine engraving. The crown wheel offers a circular pattern. This movement runs at 18,800 vph with a power reserve of 44 hours. The Skyraider is glassed with a sapphire crystal that provides protection and clarity and the watch is water resistant for up to 50 meters.

A few words about the skeletonized dial

The components of the dial and movements are cut artistically in the skeletonized dial to reveal the inner workings of the watch. In general, most skeletonized dials are hard to read, but great care was take in the creation of the Zelos Skyraider to maintain legibility and a mixture of BGW9 and C3-Super-LumiNova is applied to the minutes track on the dial, the indices and the hands.

Pricing and availability

The Zelos Skyraider watch is currently available for prices that range in accordance with the variant. The Atmosphere blue is offered at $699. The meteorite dial is priced at $899 and the skeletonized version of the watch is $1,399. As previously stated, each of these variations is available in your choice of either titanium or bronze. Each watch comes with two straps, one being a gray canvas with Horween backing, and the other a brown leather strap. Each Zelos Skyraider watch comes in a wooden gift box and a leather travel roll. Finally, a watch that pays its respects to the World War II era and the old propeller airplanes that carried the brave soldiers to their destinations during the war, and then brought the back home again. It’s a nod to the past with an embrace of modernity.

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