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In Review: AVI-8 Automatic Watches

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AVI-8 Watches: Flyboy 4021 – $135.00 | Hawker Hurricane 4017 – $145

Despite taking styling cues from the RAF, there’s nothing truly British about this watch brand. At least… it doesn’t seem that way.

These have been starting to show up on flash-sale sites like GILT and others over the past few months, and now Amazon is starting to sell these direct as well. Aviation inspired with an eye-rollingly high “retail” price, quality can be solid… or… less than. Seems to depend on the model (more on that below). These might be a new competitor for Invicta, Stuhrling, and other brands that make entry-level automatics with cases from the land of “imported.” And who knows, maybe one of those brands actually makes AVI-8 watches… it’s awfully hard to tell.

AVI8 Watch Duo on Dappered.comLeft: The surprisingly sturdy Hawker Hurricane 4017
Right: The surprisingly flimsy feeling  Flyboy 4021

AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane 4017 Series – $141 – $148

Easily the more solid of the two. Beastly 44mm case that’s good and thick. The movement is a Japanese Automatic (looks like some if not all are miyota) that winds up quickly, and feels solid to operate via the weighty crown. The hands move slowly but surely as you set the time, with the date peeking through a round instead of rectangular window. Seconds are shown opposite the date on a sub-dial. Odd, tonal RF(Roundel)E stamp isn’t necessary, but is easily ignored. Exhibition caseback on this model, and despite being British Aviation inspired, the case looks almost like an instrument you’d find on a Russian Submarine. But skip the water with this one. Water resistance is a not-so-hot 50m, and the crystal is mineral. Yet it feels, & looks, very well put together. Nylon strap option appears to be sold out. Also available with a leather strap.

AVI8 Hawker Hurricane on Dappered.com Thickums. Good weight, great feel, not all will like the styling.

AVI-8 Flyboy 4021 – $135.00

These on the other hand… steer clear. The styling of the dial is cleaner for sure (anyone else seeing the Oregon Duck “O” on this particular model below?) but they feel flimsy and cheap compared to the Hawker Hurricane 4017. Also equipped with a Japanese Automatic, the second hand on this one shutters like a cheap Timex. The crown doesn’t feel all that well anchored, and the “leather” strap might be one of the worst on the market. Paper thin. Case is ion-plated, a slightly smaller 43mm, and water resistance is again 50m. Mineral crystal as well.

AVI8 Green Dial Flyboy on Dappered.comQuack.

The Verdict:

A pass for most. Some style for sure, but not a ton of substance. Yet, at the low $100s, expectations aren’t crazy high either. The Hawker Hurricane is a bit like a heavyweight, automatic version of the (now discontinued?) Bulova 96A102. The Flyboy… needs some work. But with more collections/styles to pick from, including the more straightforward Hurricane 4016 series, these might pick up some style points in the future. Just make sure you know what the return policy is for wherever you’re buying from. And before you click “buy”… maybe comparison shop with a few more dependable brands like Seiko or Orient.

AVI8 Hawker Crown on Dappered.com

Comments

  1. I believe the odd “RF(Roundel)E” is meant to look like the RAF Squadron Code found on the side of RAF planes. RFE is not a real code, at least according to Wikipedia’s list (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_RAF_Squadron_Codes) though perhaps fitting as most military units don’t really want outsiders wearing their unit’s designators. Good looking watch in my opinion, though I also would prefer it without the fake squadron symbol. Gains quite a few points for the round date window.

  5. not bad looking, in the photos at least. the name (AVI-8? really? is that a go-bot?) is kinda annoying. i’m an admitted watch-snob in training, so i don’t know about the mid-hundred price range on these.

  6. I almost impulse-purchased one of these (a quartz chrono model) from MyHabit a month or so ago. It looked pretty cool, but the more I read up on the brand, the less interested I felt. Seems like these are basically on par with Stuhrling, Rotary, Sottomarino, and similar Chinese-made brands that try to straddle the divide between “fashion” watches and “real” watches. They may use decent movements but I’d have concerns about quality control, fit and finish, and long-term reliability. For a <$75 watch, that wouldn't be a big deal, but at nearly $150, you're getting into a price range where there are lots of decent Seikos, Citizens, Bulovas, Orients, etc on the table.

    Plus I dug around and found out the model I wanted to buy was a direct clone of an IWC. I don't have anything against people who like homage watches, but I'd rather spend my money on original designs.

  8. Let me give you a tip. Any time you go to a watch company’s website and they never mention when or where they were founded, it’s a safe bet their products are Chinese made. I’m not cutting down Chinese watches, either; far from it. Their workmanship is far better over the years, but the quality control is still poor. Keep that in mind when you search for a watch’s history or specs and are confronted with pages of military plane history, for example.