Gavox Watches: The Spitfire
By: Michael Penate
It’s hard to complain about the work week when one of your favorite brands announces the availability of a fun, affordable military-inspired watch out of nowhere. Today, in a surprise Instagram post, Michael Happé of Gavox Watches presented the Gavox Spitfire, an homage to British MoD-issued timepieces worn by service members during WWII. With a simple Seiko quartz movement and a price well below what “heritage reissues” are going for these days, this is about as no-frills and value-conscious as it gets. Here’s a quick look at the Gavox Spitfire.
Immediately, it’s clear that the Gavox Spitfire was meant to closely follow the specs outlined by the MoD prior to the production of the famous “Dirty Dozen” watches. At the time the original suppliers were Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Lemania, Longines, Omega, Record, Timor, and Vertex. They’re still incredibly collectible, but as with many vintage watches, the prices are still skyrocketing. But, for around $200, you can get a modern, carefree homage produced by a brand that still currently designs and supplies watches to various air force squadrons around the globe.
At 36mm wide, some might take issue with it. But I’m happy that Gavox stuck to the original spec. Same goes for the lug width and at 18mm, it’s going to be a blast pairing this with something like an olive green single-pass strap or a black NATO. Inside we have a Seiko VD75 quartz movement powering a gorgeous handset reminiscent of what you’d find on earlier MoD examples from brands like Lemania and Omega, specifically.
Gavox Spitfire Specs:
- 36mm Case Diameter
- 18mm Lug With
- 41.5mm Lug-to-lug
- 7.9mm Thickness
- Sapphire Crystal
- 50m Water Resistance
- Seiko Instruments VD75 quartz movement
- Supplied with “Croco-black or Croco-tea” leather strap
- MSRP $201.32 VAT tax incl
To me, this is definitely one of the coolest, affordable quartz releases I’ve seen this year so far. Thankfully, it was released by an individual that’s clearly passionate about the products he creates. Hopefully, we can get a chance to mess with this watch soon. To learn more about the Gavox Spitfire, visit the Gavox website.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.