A classic: The legendary Tutima Flieger Chronograph
Viewed from above, many things look different — and better. A pilot’s watch can only demonstrate its full potential when given the chance to face the challenges it was actually designed to meet. During the first few decades of aviation, absolute precision and reliability were essential characteristics for watches. In an age long before the arrival of the fully electronic, computer-aided flight deck, the quality of a pilot’s watch was frequently a matter of life or death.
As aviation advanced over the years, many watches were to become a pilot's indispensable companion, but only very few achieved classic status. One of these legendary classics is the unmistakable Tutima Flieger Chronograph from the 1940s: a voluminous, nickel-plated brass case with screw-down case back ensured the manually wound movement was safely protected against damage. Luminous numerals in combination with striking luminous hands ensured excellent contrast and superb legibility, while the coin-edge rotating bezel with its unique red reference marker enabled precise times to be set.
The original: the Tutima Flieger Chronograph developed in 1939/1940 outfitted with addition stopwatch and flyback functions. UROFA Caliber 59.
By the year 1945, the Glashütte workshops had produced around 30,000 of the Tutima Flieger Chronograph before Russian troops brought production to an abrupt end. Pilots who still possessed such a watch after the war guarded it carefully as a unique specimen of engineering and horological history, and the chronographs became highly prized collector's items.
The modern version of this classic watch, which is a faithful replica of the original, is now the central element of the Tutima Classic line.
