AVI-8 has started 2023 strong with the addition of a new watch to their already fantastic collection. The latest addition is the AVI-8 Hawker Hunter Atlas Dual Time Chronograph. The watch pays tribute to arguably the most celebrated and utilized fighter jet in military aviation history,  British fighter ace and test pilot Neville Duke. Neville famously broke the world air speed record when he flew a Hawker Hunter at 727.63 mph. Given this impressive feat, let us see if the AVI-8 Hawker Hunter Atlas Dual Chronograph is a the perfect homage. The model we will be reviewing is the AV-4100-001 Forest.

Features

MOVEMENT	Japan Quartz Dual Time. M-MIY-FS26-D4.5
CASE MATERIAL	Stainless Steel
CASE SIZE (mm)	43
CASE THICKNESS (mm)	14
Bezel	Unidirectional with Aluminium Plate
LENS	Mineral Lens with Anti-Reflective Coating
INDEX	Applied Swiss Luminous
BAND MATERIAL	Genuine Leather Strap
BAND WIDTH (mm)	22
Buckle	Strap Buckle
WATER RESISTANCE (atm)	5
WEIGHT (g)	140

First Impression

This is a bold watch. When you open the well packaged box, the dial jumps at your face and you do not know where to look at given the features. The multi-layered dial creates a spectacular viewing and the big casing adds to the look of the watch. We have reviewed multiple Hawker Hunter before and it is not even close to, look wise, to the Atlas Chronograph. So far, this looks like a perfect homage to Neville Duke.

Dial

No better place to start than the dial. Straight from the off, you will see that the dial is multi-layered. The first layer is the outer index, It is simple and batons have been used to represent the numbers. The batons are against forest green dial and they are clear to see. Moving away from the outer index, you have larger rectangular luminous batons at each five minutes interval. Again, they are simple and nothing to over the top in an already busy dial. One small feature which may notice is that there are two round dots at each side of teh 12 o’clock baton. A black circle has been used as the backdrop fro these batons.

One interesting feature is that the watch has dual timing. There are two hour hand. One of the hour hand is has the same design of the minute hand. The other hour hand is smaller and is in an orange colour. Reading the dual time is not as complicated as you may think. However if goes get tricky if the times you are measuring are very close.

Numerals have been used at certain point on the dial. They are small and may be slightly hard to find. They are in a grey colour and on another layer. This layer is a light green and rugged in texture. The dial has moved from a smooth and bright layer to a more tough and bold layer. It is a wise choice in colour for the center layer but a wise one was it allows the numerals to be seen, be it slightly.

What makes the AVI-8 Hawker Hunter Atlas standout are the 3 large sub-dial. The have design of the casing of the watch and black in colour. They all have a black background, red index and white numerals. The hands also in red. There will be no issue reading the sub dial given their size. While some may point out that it is not necessary for such large sub-dial, but we think it is more than fine. It brings more character to the watch and definitely makes it stand out.

There is a date window on the dial but the placement of it is something we do not like. It is in between the sub-dial and is more or less lost. It does have a white background and a red square perimeter for visibility, but against these large sub-dial it feels slightly loss.

At the 12 o’clock position of the AVI-8 Hawker Hunter Atlas, you have HH embossed in red to represent Hawker Hunter and also a red arrow pointing at the 12 o’clock baton. While is does not move, it can be used as a yard stick for the second hard for accuracy of the chronograph.

The hands design are sharp, bold and resonate the character of the watch. The minute and hour hands have applied luminous coating and are open. With this type of dial, having open hands help as you can see the features. The second hand is simple with a red tip.

Casing

The AVI-8 Hawker Hunter Atlas is on the larger side. The dial is 43mm by 14mm. The circular dial sits on top of an oblong base and takes much of the space on the wrist. However despite its sheer size, the case sits well on the wrist because of the curved lugs and does not get in the way.

The Unidirectional with Aluminium Plate bezel is quite thick in width and noticeable. You can see it siting on the dial. In terms of the movement of the bezel, it is crisp and the 120 clicks are perfect. There are two different colour accent used on the bezel, the upper half is black in colour while the lower half matches the green theme. Batons and numerals have been used to on the bezel and a large arrow on top, which has a luminous coating.

The crown has been signed with AVI-8’s logo and it is a push and pull design. The teeth cut design around the circumference makes it easy to pull the crown for adjustment. The pusher are in different colour. The red pusher starts the chronograph while the black pusher stops it. The pusher are reactive and there are no lags.

To keep the rugged and bold character, small screws have been left in the open and it is a nice touch.

Mineral lens with AR coat has been used. Glare is at its minimal and flat, which suits the dial because of its many features.

One aspect of the watch which we do not like is the gap between the strap and the casing. We would have loved to see the space to be non-existent and flow from the casing.

Movement

Power the AVI-8 Hawker Hunter Atlas is a Japan Quartz Dual Time. M-MIY-FS26-D4.5. What we want when using a chronograph is ease of using the time measurement and we cannot fault it. Starting the stopping the chronograph is very responsive and there is no issue when resetting the chronograph, the second hand is exactly on the 12 o’clock position. As this is a quartz movement, you will expect the time accuracy to be good and it is the case for the watch. You can expect a time accuracy of ±20 sec per month and a battery lifetime of 2 years, subject to use.

Strap

Made from genuine leather, the strap is supple, soft and manageable. It does not breaking into and molds around the wrist. It is very comfortable to wear the the band width suits the large casing of the watch. In terms of holes, there are ample and are at the right place if you have a small wrist. The buckle has been signed as we have seen with most AVI-8 watches.

Buy, Shortlist or Avoid?

Without even discussing the price of the AVI-8 Hawker Hunter Atlas, we think this is a buy. The main reason is because of the bold style and design of the watch. The dial is full of features, not too overpowering but just the right balance. Everything has been well thought of when designing this watch and this is why we think it is a must buy. The watch starts from £310/$290/€330. This is the perfect watch to pay homage to Neville Duke, the world air speed record breaker.

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