Flying and watches have been inextricably linked since the Wright Brothers timed their first 12-second flight at Kitty Hawk, to the extent that there is an entire category of watches for pilots. It tends to be characterized by highly legible, sometimes oversized, dials as well as big crowns that historically needed to be operable by someone wearing gloves as older aircraft were not necessarily insulated. The Richard-Harvey Watch Co aims to continue this proud tradition. Owned and operated by US Navy veteran Mathew White, the company is named after his grandfathers, and one of the company’s goals is to honor the family’s military service and aviation legacy. In that regard, mission accomplished. The Attitude, the company’s debut watch, is inspired by the design of a plane’s attitude indicator that tells a pilot their orientation relative to the ground. It’s an essential piece of equipment, and the Attitude watch absolutely nails the likeness.
I confess, after first glimpsing a photo of the Attitude, I had my doubts. Generally, I don’t particularly care for black PVD watches, big chunky watches, watches with ostentatious crown guards, or watches with skeleton hands. Still, I was determined to keep an open mind, and I am so glad I did. So why am I so charmed by the Attitude, which prominently features all of those elements? Clearly, this is a piece that defies my biases.
For this review, I was sent both of the Attitude’s optional colorways: the red, white, and blue Patriot, and the black and gray Blackout version. Both are aptly named, bold, and fun to wear.
I’m used to squared-off tonneau cases feeling thick and bulky, but the Attitude is surprisingly slim, hugging the wrist very nicely. In fact, I did a double take, doubting the advertised dimensions of 42.5mm case diameter and 13mm thickness. This watch feels much more svelte than those specs would lead me to believe, especially on my 6.5″ wrist. Hooded lugs also make the watch feel and look smaller than it is and lend it a nice throwback appearance.
The watch is rated for 100m water resistance and is plenty tough to survive anything you’re likely to subject it to, all the while resisting scratches, thanks to the PVD coating. The Attitude is bead-blasted, and I’ve handled many such watches that took it a step too far in that they felt unfinished or even rough. I am happy to report that the Attitude succeeds here. The case looks quite lustrous and feels satiny to the touch.
The Attitude features a screw-down crown that may be a touch small for gloved operation, but I personally prefer the low-profile look, especially when paired with the rugged-looking bridge-style crown guard. In profile, the crown guard resembles an airplane propeller, so bonus points for that. Around back is a simple caseback engraved with the company’s logo and some basic specs.
Inside beats the Ronda R150 automatic movement. It’s a 25-jewel, 28,800 bph movement with a 40-hour power reserve. It features hacking and hand-winding. Most readers will be familiar with Ronda’s quartz movements, but they have a mechanical offering as well, and it’s nice to see it used here.
The dial is the standout of the show, and it’s easy to see why. It’s constructed of three distinct layers, and regardless of which version you get, it provides plenty of depth and eye candy, from the bold, recessed, stencil-style numerals at 3, 6, and 9, to the faux bolts that appear to hold it together. There is a secondary, raised minute track that looks a bit busy on close inspection but, in practice, doesn’t diminish the legibility of the dial. A small date window sits at 4:30, featuring white numerals on a black wheel regardless of which version you get. I’m not a fan of date windows in general, but I don’t share some collectors’ ire at seeing one in this position. It’s unobtrusive and well-integrated. Finally, the element mimicking the aircraft’s orientation is also raised off the dial background, which is a really nice touch. The Attitude may not be the first watch directly inspired by a vehicle’s instrument gauge, but it’s one of the better ones I’ve seen, and the translation works surprisingly well.
Under a macro lens, the depth of the dial comes into sharp relief, and I must say it’s a lot of fun. Some small imperfections in the dial finishing appear as expected, but they are hardly a dealbreaker.
Lume is quite good – perhaps surprisingly so on the Blackout, which features grayed-out hour markers. I’ve often found that watches with darkened lume struggle in low light, but that is not the case here where multiple layers of SuperLuminova C3 were mixed with gray pigment. C3 was also used on the hour markers and hour and minute hands on the Patriot, while BGW9 was used on both pieces for the minute track and seconds hand. The dual-color lume helps with legibility as otherwise, it might have been a bit overwhelming for at-a-glance timekeeping, and it looks cool.
The watches ship on leather straps (brown in the case of the Patriot and black for the Blackout). The straps feature rustic stitching and signed buckles matched to the case. They are a little stiff out of the box but feel like they will be supple and quite resilient once broken in. The watches also include NATO-style nylon straps with hardware that matches the case. The red, white, and blue strap with the Patriot was a bit garish for my taste, but I quite like the black and gray one included with the Blackout. Both are well-made and comfortable.
In my time with this pair of watches, I found myself gravitating to the Blackout more and more, typically on the leather strap but occasionally on the NATO-style option. It dials the Attitude’s inherent brashness back a bit while still maintaining a strong wrist presence. Both watches were frequently commented upon, and when I took my first flying lesson, I couldn’t resist wearing the Patriot. Needless to say, it was a big hit with the flight instructor.
Please, please, please forgive the pun, but the Attitude has attitude to spare, offering serious Bell & Ross vibes at a fraction of the price (and far more versatility as a daily wearer). The Attitude is available now at rhwatchco.com for $699. Like an airplane’s attitude gauge, the Attitude feels like a piece of equipment, and I mean that in the best possible way. It is meant to be worn and used, relied upon, and possibly beaten up, but it will look good throughout. When you get right down to it, this is not a watch for everyone. If you are looking for subtlety or a conservative aesthetic, move along. If, however, you are interested in a bold, well-made timepiece and have even a passing interest in aviation, I strongly urge you to give the Richard-Harvey Watch Co. consideration. Visit them at rhwatchco.com
