This Old-School Pilot’s Watch Just Got a Sleek Modern Makeover

One of the original Flieger manufacturers brings its WWII watch into the 21st century.

a stowa pilot watch floats in the clouds

Published June 7, 2024

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There are a handful of pilot’s watches out there I’d consider iconic (like these), but perhaps the one watch style that’s most recognizable for its aviation chops is the Flieger.

Originally produced by five brands during WWII, the simple and legible style — whether in its “Type A” or “Type B” guise — remains the archetype for a pilot’s watch even today.

But even design classics can undergo changes with glorious results (see Omega’s recent white Moonwatch for evidence of this). The latest proof of this concept comes from Stowa. The affordable German watchmaker was one of the five original Flieger manufacturers, and today it’s unveiled a modern reimagining of this legendary pilot’s watch.

Stowa Flieger Verus 40 Baumuster B

$862 at Stowa

Subtle Changes Make a Big Difference

Stowa’s new take on the Flieger is the Verus 40 Baumuster B, its modern reinterpretation of the classic Flieger Type B. If you look at this watch on its own, it may not appear all that different, but put it next to a traditional Flieger and the differences become obvious.

The first change can be found in the finishing on the 40mm stainless steel case. Although both old and new Fliegers have a matte finish, the Verus’s case is bead-blasted rather than brushed, giving it a more uniform and cleaner look.

This clean and modern aesthetic extends to the dial. The traditional Type B has old-school blued hands, block-printed numbers and a lined minute track. The Verus, meanwhile, goes with bright white, full lume-painted hands over blued steel, has rounder, more three-dimensional lume-painted indices, and goes with free-floating minute markers in place of the more formal minute track of the original watch.

The new model also uses the more contemporary Super-LumiNova formula BGW9 instead of formula C3 for its lume, as it appears whiter in the daytime and glows blue at night instead of green.

The biggest change, however, comes in the strap. One of the key hallmarks of a Flieger watch is the typical leather strap accented with steel rivets. The look is decidedly old-fashioned and admittedly not for everyone, so Stowa has kicked this strap style to the curb on the Verus, instead offering you the choice of a sleek black leather strap without rivets or a steel mesh bracelet.

Speaking of choices, you’ll have plenty when it comes to the movement. In typical Stowa fashion, you can get the watch with either a basic or top-grade Sellita SW200 automatic movement — with or without a date — or you can opt for a Sellita SW201 manual wind. These are the same movement options you’ll find on many of the brand’s other Fliegers, and as usual, they’re all visible beneath a sapphire caseback.

stowa watch caseback showing the movement — Opting for the “top-grade” version of the movement gets you some nice decoration.

The Flieger Needs an Update

Look, I get that the Flieger is an iconic style, but let’s remember who was wearing the original watches. These were produced for the German military in the 1930s and ’40s, so I’ll let you do the math there.

Despite the style’s sordid history, Fliegers have remained popular simply because of how good they look. The style is clean and classic and it’s what everyone pictures when they think of a pilot’s watch.

If you love the style but have a hard time separating the Flieger from its original usage, then the idea of a watch that takes the style’s basic design but modernizes it without additional baggage — like Stowa has with the new Verus (there’s already a Verus A Flieger, if that’s more your speed) — may be just what you’re looking for.

The Flieger Verus 40 Baumuster B is available now from Stowa and is priced starting at 798,32 €, which as of this writing converts to roughly $862.