It has been a while since we reviewed an AVI-8 watch. The last watch we reviewed from the brand was Hawker Harrier. We have now been given the chance to review their latest release, the Hawker Hurricane Kent Automatic. Before we start the review, the watch is a homage to flight commander, John Kent of 303 Squadron, who claimed the most victories during the Battle of Britain. The model which we will be reviewing is the Sussex.

Features

MOVEMENT	Japan Automatic 3 Hands with Date
CASE MATERIAL	Stainless Steel
CASE SIZE (mm)	43
CASE THICKNESS (mm)	12.5
LUG TO LUG (mm)	50
LENS	Sapphire Lens with Anti-Reflective Coating
INDEX	Applied index
BAND MATERIAL	Genuine Leather Strap
BAND WIDTH (mm)	22
EXTRA BAND	N/A
WATER RESISTANCE (atm)	5
WEIGHT (g)	120

First Impression

Comparing the Hawker Hurricane Kent Automatic to the Hawker Harrier, the watch is not as eccentric. The design does not scream at you but has more of a quiet and calm feel to it. This might reflect John Kent’s personality and characteristic during the Battle of Britain. The colour scheme of the white and brown does go well together and gives the watch a cool feeling.

Unboxing

Dial

The best place to start the review for the Hawker Hurricane Kent Automatic is the dial. There are three dial, and each moves closer to the centre. On the outer index, which is partially hidden as it is slightly convex, has 24 hour markings from 13:00 hours till 24:00 hours. The colour of the numerals alternates between a Portland orange colour and white. Legibility of the outer index is a bit poor as half of the numerals are hidden from the curvature.

The middle index is your AVI-8 watches norm. The numeral is the first half of the 24 hours, starting from 01:00 to 12:00. The numbers are big and bold. All numbers and markings have been given the luminous coating for visibility during low light. Overall, the middle index is the centre piece of the watch and reflects the ethos of AVI-8 watches. Legibility is definitely not an issue for the index.

The centre index is separated from the rest. It is at a lower level compare the rest and it is more aesthetically focused. It has the AVI-8 logo at the 12 o’clock position and the Royal Air Force logo stamped at the 6 o’clock position. The numerals are small in the Portland Orange colour and the are few. There are a colour of other writing around but they are not legible for afar. You need to bring the dial very close to notice the writing.

Overall, the index on the Hawker Hurricane Kent Automatic is good. It is not the best when compared to previous AVI-8 watches.

The dial Sussex model has a navy coloured dial and it goes well with the colour of the index and numerals. The Portland orange and navy do complement each other and looks very classy. Bringing in the silver case, this further complements the classy look of the Hawker Hurricane Kent Automatic.

The lens used is made from Sapphire and the anti-reflecting coating reduced the glare to a minimum. Even at different angles, the glare is very minimal.

The date window is located at the 6 o’clock position and the Portland orange color is used as the background. The writing is black. It is not the greatest colour combination used. It takes a bit of time for you to read the date and you have to read between the colour accents used.

Dauphine design has been used for the hands. They are large enough and luminous coating has been given. To carry on the Portland orange colour, the second has been given that colour and the end tip has an aircraft.

Case

The dial is 43mm by 12.5mm. While is number do suggest the the dial is relative large, it does not look that way. The case fits well on the wrist and it is comfortable for sure. From lug to lug the case is 50mm and each lug is around 1cm each in length. This is a good length as it helps to press the casing on the wrist and the 12.5mm is not seen as much.

316L stainless steel has been used for the casing and it is a good shout. Given the colour accent used, it suits the watch well.

There are no other engraving on the casing, which is a slight disappointment.

The engraving used in on the back casing. It has the Squadron 303 logo engraved on the back and does look well. But would an open back casing be better? We will leave that up to you to decide.

The crown has a teeth cut design and it is a push and pull.

Movement

Powering the Hawker Hurricane Kent Automatic is a Calibre 8215 Miyota. We have come across this movement on previous AVI-8 watches and Spinnaker watches. The time accuracy is circa
-20～＋40 sec per day. It is a decent movement for this price tag the watch holds and it does the job.

Strap

Genuine leather strap has been used. It is supple and soft. The strap does not need breaking into and it is comfortable around the wrist. It is not too thick is width which helps with the comfort. The buckle has been signed with AVI-8 and it is also not too large. If you have a small wrist, you do not have to worry, there are enough holes on the strap.

Buy, Shortlist or Avoid?

As always, we have to discuss the price. The starting price of the Hawker Hurricane Kent Automatic Sussex is £235/ $300/ €280. It is definitely reasonable priced and there are some features of the watch which matches the price tag. However we will shortlist the watch. While the colour accent goes well, there are some places where you need to squint and take time to understand where things are. While the Sussex may not be your cup of tea, there are other models which may to your liking. Do use NEWLABELS20 for 20%!

Do not forget to subscribe to New Labels Only and do follow New Labels Only on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Bloglovin and Youtube  @Newlabelsonly where New Labels only is most active!