Carlingue Aviation 01: Take Flight

Aviation watches were not born to charm. They were designed to be read instantly, in sometimes extreme conditions, where mistakes are not an option. It is this functional constraint that has shaped their aesthetics since the early 20th century: legible numerals, strong contrast, clearly prioritised information, mechanical robustness.

The Carlingue Aviation 01 clearly lays claim to that heritage. I’ve been wearing it on the wrist for several days now, keeping its purpose in mind—beyond an aesthetic I happen to like a great deal.

The pilot’s watch concept: legibility above all

In aviation, legibility is a matter of safety. The great historical navigation watches—civilian or military—were all built to the same brief: the time must be understood without thinking, at a single glance.

The Carlingue Aviation 01 follows that logic. The Arabic numerals are large, well spaced, with no unnecessary ornamentation. The hands are sized to be seen instantly, and contrast remains high whatever the lighting conditions. Information is prioritised—clear and efficient.

This isn’t an aesthetic tribute to aviation watches. It’s functional continuity.

A worked dial, without ever sacrificing readability

The dial on this version (ref. CT-002-A) deserves a special mention. Its green gradient, paired with a circular satin finish, catches the light with subtlety. Depending on the angle, it shifts slightly in tone, without ever producing distracting glare.

This is important. Many textured or fumé dials end up harming legibility. Here, the balance is under control. The dial has life, but it doesn’t distract the eye from its primary function: telling the time.

Even in full light, the numerals and hands remain perfectly legible. This respect for function is, in my view, one of the watch’s strengths. Carlingue could easily have given in to the temptation to sideline the primary purpose in the name of pure aesthetics—at a time when pilots no longer need that level of legibility—but no.

What are the 24-hour bezel and GMT function for?

The 24-hour bezel paired with the GMT hand is not decorative. It allows you to track a second time zone—a GMT function historically tied to aviation, where shifts in time references are constant.

The principle is simple:

• the GMT hand makes one full rotation in 24 hours,
• the bezel lets you offset the reading to another time zone,
• two times can be read simultaneously, without calculation.

The bezel is legible, well contrasted, and firm enough to be operated without the risk of accidental misalignment. It fulfils its role perfectly, without weighing down the dial.

Miyota 9075 movement: a rational, coherent choice

Carlingue has chosen to equip this Aviation 01 with a Miyota 9075, a Japanese automatic movement beating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, with a power reserve of around 42 hours.

It’s not a prestige movement, but a reliable, robust, stable one, known for taking daily wear in its stride. In the context of a modern aviation watch, the choice makes sense. The mechanics are there to serve use, not rhetoric. So a “workhorse” movement is appropriate.

On the back, you can explore the movement and its handsome Geneva stripes.

Case, proportions and wrist comfort

With a 40 mm diameter and 13.65 mm thickness, the Carlingue Aviation 01 strikes the right balance between presence and wearability. The 316L steel case, in black PVD, is soberly finished with no pointless effects—important for a tool watch. The domed sapphire crystal, with anti-reflective treatment on the inner surface, improves legibility while adding a subtly vintage touch.

The 100-metre water resistance allows for everyday use without constraints. It’s a watch you wear without thinking about it, which remains an essential criterion for a so-called tool watch.

A pilot’s watch, but also an everyday watch

Despite its strongly defined DNA, the Carlingue Aviation 01 isn’t limited to technical use. Thanks to its restrained proportions, its worked dial and the ability to change straps easily, it can also be worn in a more dressed-up context.

This level of versatility is rare among aviation watches, often too bulky or too specialised to step outside their lane. Here, the balance is well judged. Indeed, put a Bell & Ross on your wrist and everyone will understand you have a certain affinity with the world of aviation.

Value for money: a well-positioned equation

At €760, the Carlingue Aviation 01 offers:

• serious construction,
• a domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal,
• a proven automatic movement,
• a genuinely usable GMT complication,
• a very high level of legibility,
• Swiss assembly.

At this price point, it’s hard to find an aviation watch that is as technically coherent, without obvious compromises. The positioning is rational and well controlled.

Carlingue Aviation 01: technical specifications

See the watch on Carlingue’s website

Carlingue: a young French brand with confidently owned references

Behind Carlingue lies a clear, structured watchmaking approach—one that is relatively rare among young brands. Far from artificial narratives or overdone storytelling, the maison operates in a logic of historical continuity, drawing its references from 20th-century military watchmaking without trying to reproduce them identically.

The brand was founded and conceived in France, with design developed locally, while the technical side and assembly are carried out in Switzerland. This organisation reflects a desire to remain pragmatic: focusing effort on design, legibility and overall coherence, rather than on an invasive marketing discourse.

Today, Carlingue structures its universe around three clear pillars:
military watches, dive watches and aviation watches. Three historically legitimate families, sharing the same bedrock of values: robustness, legibility, functionality.

A creative direction rooted in traditional watchmaking

Carlingue’s identity is strongly shaped by the background of its founder and designer, Alexandre Voirin, whose experience at major watch houses can be felt in the proportions, aesthetic choices and overall balance of the models.

His work doesn’t aim to “reinvent” the codes, but to interpret them with restraint, respecting what makes historic professional watches so strong: clarity, efficiency, and the absence of superfluous elements. This approach results in watches that are legible, well prioritised, and technically coherent.

A DNA inspired by the military world, but designed for today

The Carlingue universe claims a broad military inspiration, whether aviation, diving or field use. But that reference is never used as a mere aesthetic argument. It shows above all in technical choices: controlled dimensions, proven movements, useful functions, and legibility as the priority.

Carlingue watches don’t try to be spectacular. They aim to be right—to fulfil their function without drawing attention away from what matters. A philosophy that naturally carries through to the Aviation 01, designed as a pilot’s watch in the functional sense of the term.

A brand oriented towards use rather than rhetoric

What characterises Carlingue most in use is a form of restraint. The watches don’t try to impress with excessive complications or ostentatious finishing. They prioritise legibility, reliability and overall balance.

This approach naturally places the brand in an intermediate space: neither luxury watchmaking in the traditional sense, nor a simple opportunistic micro-brand. Carlingue fits within a logic of watches for use, designed to be worn daily, with genuine technical and aesthetic coherence.