Often, people ask us what we like about Microbrand Watches World. Luckily, the best answer is watches like the AVI-8 Hawker Harrier Farley Multifunction. A great-looking watch that doesn’t look like many other pilot watches, with a highly affordable price tag. Let’s dive into this watch together and get to know the story behind it.
First of all, we must admit we didn’t know who John Farley was, so we went to Wikipedia to read more about him. We were amazed to know that John Frederick Farley, OBE, AFC was a British fighter pilot and test pilot for the Royal Air Force who was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his work in aviation. As a test pilot, he was heavily involved in the development of the Hawker Siddeley P.1127 and latterly the BAE Harrier. During his aviation career Farley flew over 80 different types of aircraft and was the first British pilot to fly the Mikoyan MiG-29.
Founded in 2012, the AVI-8 brand inspiration and design excellence originates from the collaboration between pilots and engineers who served in air forces around the world. This combination of design, attention to detail, and passion has resulted in the success that is the AVI-8 story. Every collection is an explicit homage to the planes, people and history of military aviation. Each timepiece brings to life the detail and narrative of the inspiration to delight and engage the wearer.
So what would be more natural than a watch from AVI-8 honoring John Farley and his legacy?
The watch comes in a 44mm stainless steel case. The case diameter is 44mm, and its thickness is 14mm. The watches are equipped with a mineral lens with an anti-reflective coating, and they come with applied indexes with swiss newlite.
The dials of these watches are striking if you’re an aviation fan. AVI-8 presents four models –
Stratosphere – a white dial model with black and blue accents.
Terrain – a black dial model with beige and red accents.
Regiment Blue – a blue dial model with white and red accents.
Night Sky – a black dial model with red and dark grey accents.
But the colors are not the highlight of the dials; it’s the layout and the displays. Besides the three-hand setup, every dial comes with a date display at 3 o’clock, with a square frame surrounding it. At 9 o’clock, we find a 24-hour display that looks like a speed indicator, and at 6 o’clock, we find another 24-hour display designed as a retrograde indicator. Both of these displays are placed on a square plate, which emphasizes their look and style. The overall look is unique and eye-catching and looks like a dashboard of an old plane.
The watches are matched to leather straps, and their prices range from $230 to $250. At this price point, you can’t expect to find anything but Quartz movements, obviously. The watches come with two years international warranty.
Overall, these watches have a cool look and unique design, and one doesn’t have to be an aviation fan to enjoy wearing one of these pieces, which will be an excellent conversation piece, with their legacy to the legendary pilot John Farley.
