Duzu Watches Pilot
Titanium Case
86 grams
42mm Width
Miyota 9122 Automatic Movement
14mm Thick with Crystal
50mm lug to lug
22mm Lugs
SAPPHIRE Crystal
100m water resistant
C3 lume.
Price $545
https://www.duzuwatches.com/shop/
A good 8-10 years ago, the Duzu Watches Pilot would have probably been at least 45mm. As with all things-fashion, watches, cars, etc, some trends come and go, and size is always the main contention for a watch. Now, there are still large (or what most consider large) watches out on the market, but the current trend is for smaller watches, and I see this from mainstream brands as well as micro. Under 40mm seems to be very popular actually, and for me, that is not a trend I am fond of. Long gone are the days of me wearing a 48-50mm watch. Nothing wrong with those who still prefer a large watch, or those who prefer a small watch or if you are like me, and are more middle of the road. Now, that all depends on body and wrist size to a certain extent as well, but I would consider 42mm to be more mid-size these days. So that is a long, roundabout way of saying the DW-P2 is a good size and because and very lightweight due to the titanium construction. It does appear to be thicker than it is though, one of those optical illusions with watch cases because with no bezel to break it up, it looks like a thick, chunky beast, where in reality it is under 14mm thick, and that includes the domed sapphire crystal.
For those not paying close attention, the dial is not a chronograph, but a day/month/date complication, and it is an interesting sandwich dial. The numbers and markers are still printed, usual for a sandwich dial, with the subs-dials coming from the lower dial, as well as the lumed logo. This creates a nice depth to the dial not usually seen, especially when looking at it from different angles. I saw a comment on the YouTube review saying that this dial was useless with this complication, and maybe I am in the minority but I could not tell you the last time I used a chronograph on a watch. In fairness, I don’t use a dive bezel either, but in this use case, I find the day/month/date complication very useful. I don’t know about all of you, but this year has been one big blur to me, and most days the redundancy has taken its toll, and while I have a smartphone to tell me all I need (including the time if you want to do down that road), it is nice to have a watch display more than just the date, and I like how this Pilot watch has integrated it. The dial itself is relatively clean as well, with the most minimal dial text in with a font that I don’t find to be generic nor over the top. It just works.
The titanium case of the Duzu Watches Pilot is all brushed for that tool watch feel, and even though the screw-down crown sticks out a good way even when fully closed, it does not touch the back of the hand and become a nuisance. The 2 o’clock pusher is for the day/month sub-dials and has a nice tactile feel to it when depressed. The more I look at this watch though, the more I have to question it being dubbed a pilot watch. It doesn’t have anything we normally associate with a pilot watch, no chronograph, no tachometer, no 24-hour scale, so maybe to me it is more field watch than a pilot, though not sure if that fits as well. Maybe just a multi-purpose watch? However you want to categorize it, the case, dial, crown, and case back are well put together. Speaking of the case back, it is not every day you see one that is acid etched, and I think most by now know I am a sucker for a nicely engraved or in this case etched case back. Most automatic movements are very mundane and undecorated. I honestly loathe most of the Miyota movements in terms of looks and will always prefer to have a case back like the one on this Duzu.
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