The artificial horizon, worn

Aquilon & Co Horizon

Starting from 645 €

The Aquilon & Co Horizon is a French pilot's watch that brings to the wrist the artificial horizon, the cockpit instrument that shows a pilot their aircraft's attitude. Hand-assembled in the brand's workshop in Grenoble, it pairs a 40 mm steel case, a ceramic rotating bezel and a customised Japanese automatic movement. Its grey and black dial reproduces the pitch lines, the pitch graduations and the red reference triangle, while a seconds hand shaped like an aircraft silhouette signs every model from the house. Offered in five versions, including a first edition limited to 100 numbered pieces, it is aimed at aviation enthusiasts looking for accessible mechanics and a strong visual identity.

Aquilon & Co Horizon pilot's watch

Aquilon & Co is a young French house that has chosen aviation as its sole playground. Based in Grenoble, facing Le Versoud aerodrome, it designs, draws and hand-assembles its watches in its own workshop, using Japanese automatic movements with quality control carried out in France. Its founder, Gaspar, champions a simple approach: create watches with character, inspired by flight instruments, meant to be kept, worn and talked about rather than locked away in a display case.

The Horizon holds a special place in this story: it is the very first watch ever designed by the brand, the one that started it all. Its dial transposes the artificial horizon, the cockpit instrument that shows a pilot their aircraft's attitude in space. The pitch lines, the pitch graduations and the red reference triangle are reproduced with an engineer's fidelity, far from a merely decorative nod. The date, repositioned in-house at 6 o'clock, respects the symmetry of an instrument panel, and the red, aircraft-shaped seconds hand provides the visual signature found on every watch from the house.

Within the Pilote collection, which also includes the ALTI and the SPEED, the Horizon serves as the automatic entry point. It is aimed at aviation enthusiasts looking for a piece that is identifiable, legible and different from what is usually worn, without seeking to make a show of itself.

Technical specifications Aquilon & Co Horizon

Brand: Aquilon & Co
Model: HORIZON - NOIR
Indicative price: From €645
Movement: Automatic
Calibre: Customised NH35 base
Diameter: 40 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Water resistance: 3 ATM (30 m)
Materials: 316L stainless steel case
Crystal: Sapphire
Dial: Grey/black
Strap: Silicone, steel
Warranty: 2 years
Box contents: Watch, case, warranty card

The Aquilon & Co Horizon pilot's watch

Designed around a single object, the cockpit's artificial horizon, the Horizon adopts a deliberately classic format. Its 316L stainless steel case measures 40 mm in diameter and 13 mm thick, a compact silhouette balanced by a 20 mm lug width. The grey ceramic rotating bezel frames a 28.5 mm dial where the pitch lines, the pitch graduations and the red reference triangle borrowed from the original instrument can be read. The date, repositioned in-house at 6 o'clock, preserves the symmetry of the instrument panel, and the red aircraft-shaped seconds hand signs the whole. The reading stays immediate, contrasted, true to the spirit of flight instruments.

Montre Aquilon & Co Horizon 10

The sapphire crystal protects the face, while the open caseback, also in sapphire, reveals the mechanics. These rest on an automatic movement developed from a customised NH35 base, hand-assembled in the brand's Grenoble workshop. The whole displays hours, minutes, seconds and date, with a claimed power reserve of 41 hours. With a water resistance of 3 ATM, it accompanies everyday life and withstands splashes, without being intended for immersion. The steel's contained weight and the flexibility of the silicone strap make it a discreet companion on the wrist. Worn daily, the watch is meant for those who appreciate technical objects without ostentation: a legible, well-proportioned instrument that tells an aviation story rather than merely illustrating it.

Five versions and a numbered limited edition

The Horizon comes in five versions that share the same case, the same grey and black dial and the same mechanics. The 1st Edition, the first watch ever designed by the house, is recognisable by its green dial and its run of 100 hand-numbered pieces, each number engraved and never reissued. The Noir, Navy and Orange versions share the common base, priced at €645, and differ in the colour of their accents and finishing, on a silicone strap with a steel buckle. The Black Edition, at €745, takes things further with a black ceramic bezel and crown and a black stainless steel bracelet, the only entirely dark version in the series.

Montre Aquilon & Co Horizon 11

The choice therefore comes down less to the technical specification than to the mood sought on the wrist. On the silicone versions, the Quick Release system allows the strap to be changed without tools, a welcome convenience for switching from everyday wear to a dressier look. All versions are assembled and inspected in France, delivered in a presentation case with their warranty card, and covered for two years. This positioning places the Horizon at the automatic entry point of Aquilon & Co's Pilote collection, alongside the ALTI and the SPEED. For an aviation enthusiast looking for a proven Japanese movement and a genuinely different dial, the proposition remains rare at this price point.

Aquilon & Co Horizon pilot's watch: reading the instrument

The Aquilon & Co Horizon combines a 40 mm, 13 mm thick 316L stainless steel case, a grey ceramic rotating bezel and a double sapphire crystal, front and back. Its customised automatic movement, built on an NH35 base, beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour, counts 24 jewels and offers 41 hours of power reserve, with hours, minutes, seconds and date at 6 o'clock. Water resistance of 3 ATM limits it to everyday use. Delivered on a quick-change silicone strap, in a case with its warranty card, it is hand-assembled in Grenoble and guaranteed for two years.

Movement

At the heart of the Horizon beats a mechanical, automatic-winding movement built on an NH35 base and customised in-house. It runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour, counts 24 jewels and offers a 41-hour power reserve, enough to last a full night off the wrist. The functions remain deliberately simple: hours, minutes, seconds and date. Assembly takes place by hand in the brand's Grenoble workshop, and the open sapphire caseback reveals the oscillating weight in action.

Diameter and materials

The 316L stainless steel case measures 40 mm in diameter and 13 mm thick, with a 20 mm lug width. The rotating bezel is made of grey ceramic, a material that resists everyday micro-scratches well, while the Black Edition receives a black bezel and crown. The face is protected by a sapphire crystal, echoed on the open caseback. The 28.5 mm grey and black dial concentrates the codes of the artificial horizon: pitch lines, pitch graduations and the red reference triangle.

Water resistance

With a water resistance of 3 ATM, or 30 metres, the Horizon remains a city and cockpit watch. The brand states in its warranty policy that it withstands splashes but is not designed for immersion, direct jets of water or showering. The ceramic rotating bezel therefore belongs to the aesthetic and practical vocabulary, not to diving. The open sapphire caseback, which reveals the movement, goes hand in hand with this measured level of protection.

Accessories

The Noir version comes on a silicone strap with a steel buckle, about 20 cm long and 20 mm wide. The Quick Release system allows a tool-free change, useful for alternating between the collection's colourways. The Black Edition swaps the silicone for a black stainless steel bracelet. The box includes the watch, a protective case and a warranty card. The brand offers free delivery, free returns within fourteen days and a phone callback within twenty-four hours.

Warranty

Aquilon & Co backs every Horizon with a two-year warranty, covering the movement, hands, hour markers and dial, in addition to statutory French guarantees. The warranty card included in the box evidences this cover and accompanies the watch in case of servicing. On top of this comes a free return within fourteen days of receipt, useful for a brand that sells directly from its website. Assembly and quality control are carried out in France, in the house's Grenoble workshop.