Man, was I glad I subbed to Lorier’s mailing list when I saw this come through last weekend. Let’s be honest—when most collectors hear “pilot’s watch,” their minds jump straight to German Fliegers. Big, bold, and basically strapped-on altimeters, these are the de facto choice for aviation nostalgia. But not all wartime watches flew the same flag—or filled the same cockpit. The new Lorier Merlin, a collaboration with The Urban Gentry, digs into a quieter chapter of horological history. One where pilot’s watches were compact, functional, and tailored for Allied flight crews.
The inspiration here traces back to 1937, when U.S. Navy officer P.V.H. Weems teamed up with Longines to create a pilot’s tool built around navigational timing. We go into some great deal covering this backstory in our article here. That design, featuring a lockable rotating bezel and heat-blued hands, would later be adapted by Omega as the CK2129—a model commissioned by the British RAF just months before the Battle of Britain.
Unlike the oversized Fliegers, the CK2129 was modest—just 33mm—with a white dial meant to be read through a flight deck’s chaos. Lorier’s take scales things up to 37mm, staying faithful to the spirit without shrinking into costume territory. The rotating bezel and its accompanying screw-down lock crown at 4 o’clock are reproduced here with period accuracy, right down to the etched 60-minute track, black lacquer fill, and red zero marker.
Rather than mimic the utilitarian handsets of the original Longines and Omega pieces, Lorier and The Urban Gentry went with a more refined approach—think 1940s dress watch, but with purpose. The heat-blued hour, minute, and seconds hands are each shaped distinctly for legibility, complemented by a railroad minute track and a dial layout that leans heavily into field watch clarity.
The hour markers are where modern tech steps in: 3D-printed blocks of Super-LumiNova styled after vintage field layouts. The lume itself is a creamy white by day, glowing green in the dark—a consistent touch echoed in the handset. Another vintage nod comes via the deerskin leather pass-through strap, which threads beneath a case thoughtfully beveled between the lugs. The result is a strap setup that echoes practicality without compromising wearability—true to the era that inspired it.
Under the hood is a Miyota 90S5, a no-date automatic that keeps things clean and avoids phantom crown positions. It’s a practical choice, and one that helps keep the Merlin within Lorier’s consistently friendly price territory—the watch retails for $550. The name “Merlin” itself is a nod to the Rolls-Royce engine that powered the legendary Spitfire, tying this watch back to the same skies where the CK2129 once flew. Between that history, the compact case, and a handful of thoughtful design choices, the Merlin feels like a subtle but meaningful alternative to the usual pilot watch tropes.
Limited to 500 pieces, the Urban Gentry x Lorier Merlin offers collectors a fresh take on aviation history—one that dials down the drama but doubles down on detail.
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.