Sortie flies onto the scene with its inaugural release, the Battle of Britain-inspired BH1000
Tom AustinGiven that watches play such a vital role in military aviation activities, both today and in the past, it makes perfect sense that we see so many pieces that commemorate pivotal events in military history. Some brands take historical accuracy incredibly seriously, ensuring every last detail is as it would have been at the time. In contrast, others take a slightly different approach, respecting the history but creating something entirely their own. We Brits are an incredibly proud bunch, and as 2025 marks the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, up-and-coming British brand Sortie has gone all out with their first-ever watch release to honour the RAF’s famous defence against the German Luftwaffe during the Second World War.
This isn’t some 52mm watch with a dial like something from a Spitfire cockpit, or a strap made from a fighter pilot’s underpants, though. The new BH1000 collection is an out-and-out modern pilot’s watch, functional and aesthetic, and hasn’t gone overboard with Battle of Britain references, either. In fact, there are some so subtle that I bet you haven’t even noticed them yet. The name BH1000 refers to Biggin Hill, which today houses the Battle of Britain Museum, but in 1940, it was a critical fighter station known as being the “strongest link” in the defence of London. Around 1,000 sorties were launched from the base during the battle, hence the name BH1000. Sortie Watches founder Andrew Durr grew up near the base in southern England, so it makes perfect sense that the brand’s first timepiece is inspired by aviation heritage.
The case
Pilot’s watches don’t need to be massive. There, I said it. Most of them these days aren’t used in claustrophobic, heavily vibrating, and dark environments anyway, so I’m glad to see a sleek-looking pilot’s watch that keeps the traditional look while remaining sensibly sized at 40mm. The satin-brushed stainless steel case is that ideal tool-watch size, large enough so you can’t miss it, but not too oversized that it’s unbalanced. At 12mm thick, it holds its own against its competitors, and features some lovely details such as polished chamfers around each flank, and internal chamfers on the lugs, almost leaning into lyer-lug territory, but not quite.
There are two finishes available: the first is bright polished and brushed stainless steel, and the other is a “Stealth Black” model, which is treated to a black DLC coating. Both cases are the same, and feature a thin, chamfered bezel that frames the dial beautifully, along with a chunky screw-down pilot’s crown, which provides the watch with a generous 150 meters of water resistance. The caseback is also of the screw-down variety, and it features an exhibition window, along with some model engravings. Flip the watch back over, and a gorgeous double-domed boxed sapphire crystal covers the dial.
The dial
Since this is a full collection rather than a single watch release, the BH1000 is available in three dial variations. Firstly, the stainless steel model comes with two options: a traditional-looking “Flight” blue sunburst dial that is incredibly deep and vivid, contrasted by small red and white details, which is a neat reference to the RAF. Secondly, the next option is “Alpha” green, an oaky, forest green which again, features that stunning sunburst finish, along with bright mustard yellow accents which neatly break things up across the dial. Finally, and probably the coolest of all, is the “Stealth” black model, which, as you can imagine, is of course the deepest of deep sunburst blacks, but is accented by bright turquoise details such as the subdial hand, BH1000 text, date window accent, and the traditional dots at the 12-o’clock hour marker.
The dial itself is a definitive pilot’s dial. Huge luminescent sword hands span across it, with large, Super LumiNova-filled Arabic applied hour markers all around. I say all around because the keen-eyed amongst you may notice that 8 and 10 are missing and replaced with two large, round, luminescent indices. These are another subtle nod to the RAF, relating to the circles featured in the famous RAF logo you’d see on the wings of a fighter plane. This subtle detail doesn’t detract from the dial’s primary function, which is, of course, legibility—and it’s spot-on. The date windows are colour-matched, and the running seconds subdial doesn’t look too far out of place, either.
The bracelet
A tool watch through and through, the BH1000 comes equipped with a stainless steel three-link bracelet connected to a triple-folding clasp. The links are predominantly brushed, with thin polished sections to give a more luxurious feel, while retaining that tool-like aesthetic. There’s a neat on-the-fly micro-adjustment system, so you can easily make fine size adjustments to the bracelet on the go, and it’s easily removable via quick-release spring bars, should you want to fit a different kind of strap or perhaps even a military-inspired NATO-style strap between those 20mm-wide lugs.
The movement
If you can take yourself away from those stunning sunburst dials for a moment and flip the watch over, you will see through the exhibition case back that the BH1000 is equipped with a Sellita SW290-1 automatic movement. Based on the SW200-1, this calibre features an additional small-seconds dial at 9 o’clock, along with a date wheel at the 3 o’clock position. While it’s not exactly a horological masterpiece of a movement, it’s incredibly reliable and robust, and is readily serviceable. It’s an ideal choice for this watch, which helps keep size to a minimum while keeping accuracy and reliability high.
Sortie Watches BH1000 pricing & availability
The Sortie BH1000 collection is available for pre-order directly from Sortie Watches from November 7th, 2025, with the first orders to be delivered before Christmas 2025. Price: £1,740
| Brand | Sortie Watches |
| Model | BH1000 |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm (D) x 12mm (T) x 47.8mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel Black DLC-coated stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 150 meters |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | Sunburst blue and green, or stealth black (DLC model) |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Bracelet | Stainless steel three-link bracelet, quick release with folding clasp and micro adjustment |
| Movement | Sellita SW290-1, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 41 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, date |
| Availability | Open to pre-orders from November 7th, 2025 |
| Price | £1,740 |