Micromilspec aims skyward with its new Pilot Worldtimer
Andrew O'Connor- Building upon the Milgraph from 2024, Micromilspec launches its new Pilot series with the Pilot Worldtimer.
- One of Micromilspec’s first commissions was a pilot’s watch built for the Royal Norwegian Air Force – so this Worldtimer is a nice nod to their early days.
- Cased in titanium and powered by a La Joux-Perret L122, it offers great specs and a robust build.
Micromilspec started in 2019 as a military contractor offering customised watches purpose-built for military units all over the globe. Dedicated to building timepieces that are rugged and reliable for military, special forces, and first responders, the brand has been expanding its civilian offerings and global presence in just the last 18 months, releasing models limited in yearly production to the public. The brand’s second attendance at Geneva Watch Days this year is accompanied by a new model, the Pilot Worldtimer.
A continuation of their Milgraph chronograph, the Pilot Worldtimer has a traditional crown and pusher layout, opts for a truly monochromatic dial scheme, and features a ceramic rotating bezel with world city indications. Since day one, Micromilspec has had a pretty recognisable aesthetic, but it’s clear that with the Milgraph and now the Pilot Worldtimer, they’re committing to this very rugged and recognisable silhouette.
The full specs include a 42mm-wide grade 5 titanium case that measures 15mm thick, 50.3mm lug-to-lug, and has 200 meters of water resistance. It has 20mm lugs, but comes standard with a rubber strap with a titanium pin buckle that makes for an integrated look. The case is mostly brushed, with polished edges to define the case lines.
Available with a black or white dial, the matte dial has a grained finish and features applied indices and hands filled with Super-LumiNova X1. There is a date aperture at 3 o’clock, with the chronograph minutes at 12 o’clock, and the chronograph hours at 6 o’clock. The ceramic bezel insert features a matte finish with the city names raised and polished to provide contrast. There is also a titanium bracelet with a butterfly clasp available that integrates with the case, making for a continuous line from the outer lugs down to the clasp.
Behind the solid case back of the Micromilspec Pilot Worldtimer is the La Joux-Perret L122 automatic chronograph movement. Measuring 30.4mm wide and 7.9mm thick, the L122 operates at 4 Hz, features hacking seconds, 26 jewels, and has a 60-hour power reserve. The GMT function is a “caller”-style GMT, being independently set from the main time with the crown in the second position. The date is also corrected in the second position, and the time is set with the crown pulled out to the third position. The L100 series of movements are derived from the Valjoux 7750, but La Joux-Perret replaced the cam operation design with a column wheel, allowing for more exact starting and stopping of the chronograph.
To utilise the rotating world time bezel, you align the bezel to the GMT hand. If you have your 24-hour hand set to London (GMT/UTC, ignoring daylight savings), you then turn the bezel to align London with where the 24-hour hand is pointing. If the 24-hour hand is pointing to 20:00 (8 pm), and you align the bezel, you can then see the offset of different cities. For example, 20:00 UTC would equate to 15:00 (3 pm) in New York.
Having ready access to a world time reference can be particularly useful when you’re in contact with multiple people far from where you’re located. A quick turn of the bezel will allow you to see whether or not it is a good time to schedule a video call while you’re travelling – something we on the increasingly global Time+Tide writing team are constantly contending with!
Micromilspec Pilot Worldtimer pricing and availability
The Micromilspec Pilot Worldtimer will be available as part of the brand’s permanent collection, limited to 75 units per year. Price: €3,500
| Brand | Micromilspec |
| Model | Pilot Worldtimer |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (D) x 15mm (T) x 50.3mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Grade 5 titanium |
| Water Resistance | 200m |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | Matte black or matte white, GMT chapter ring, indices and hands in Super-LumiNova X1 |
| Strap | White or black rubber strap, titanium pin buckle Black leather strap, titanium pin buckle Titanium bracelet |
| Movement | La Joux-Perret L122, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 60 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, GMT, date, worldtime bezel |
| Availability | Now, limited to 75 pieces annually |
| Price | €3,500 |