RZE Resolute Type A Medallion Yellow: the pilot's watch goes titanium and color
The traditional pilot's watch has historically served one primary purpose: to allow for quick time reading. With the Resolute Type A Medallion Yellow, RZE adopts several design elements associated with these aviation instruments, but transposes them into a contemporary watch with relatively compact dimensions and a titanium construction. This version immediately stands out thanks to its yellow dial, significantly more striking than the Carbon Black and Polaris White versions also offered in the Resolute Type A collection. Behind this unusual color for an aeronautically inspired watch, the technical specifications remain those of a tool watch: Japanese automatic movement, sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, and water resistance to 100 meters. It is available starting at €515.
The Type A Dial as a starting point
The Resolute Type A draws inspiration from a dial design historically associated with pilot's watches. RZE retains several immediately recognizable features: large Arabic numerals, a highly legible peripheral minute track, and the triangle positioned at 12 o'clock. However, the brand does not present the model as a historical reissue. The design is reinterpreted with a multi-layered dial, a seconds hand with a luminescent tip, and a chapter ring also incorporating luminescent material. The entire watch is coated with Swiss Super-LumiNova. On the Medallion Yellow, yellow naturally becomes the central element. Combined with dark markings and luminescent elements, it visually distinguishes the watch from the black dials traditionally associated with pilot's watches.
A 39.5 mm titanium case
RZE chose titanium for the construction of the Resolute Type A. The case measures 39.5 mm in diameter and 11.5 mm in thickness, with a lug-to-lug length of 46 mm. The lug width is 20 mm. These proportions place the watch in a category quite different from historical pilot's watches with their sometimes imposing diameters. The Resolute Type A is designed more as a contemporary sports watch suitable for everyday wear. The weight confirms this orientation. RZE states 46 grams without a metal bracelet and up to 99 grams with one.
UltraHex treatment to protect the titanium
Titanium offers an attractive strength-to-weight ratio for a sports watch, but its surface can be susceptible to scratches. RZE therefore applies its proprietary UltraHex treatment to the case, which boasts a hardness of up to approximately 1,200 HV. This treatment is also applied to the titanium bracelet offered by the brand. This watch features a Hex-Link construction and a QUIKCLIQ folding clasp in 316L stainless steel. The Medallion Yellow version is also available with a navy blue TecTuff leather strap, a combination that enhances the contrast with the yellow dial.
Discover the full specifications of the RZE Resolute Type A Medallion Yellow
An automatic Miyota 82S0
Inside, RZE uses the Miyota 82S0, a Japanese automatic mechanical movement. The Resolute Type A thus maintains a relatively conventional mechanical architecture rather than seeking a complication directly related to aviation. The choice of this caliber primarily allows RZE to offer a transparent case back. This is a first for the range: a sapphire crystal window allows the movement to be viewed. RZE has incorporated travel and aviation motifs onto this case back, including an airplane and a representation of its flight path.
A transparent case back without sacrificing 100 meters of water resistance
The adoption of a case back that reveals the movement does not alter the advertised water resistance. The Resolute Type A remains rated at 100 meters, or 10 ATM. The titanium case back is secured by four screws and uses a Viton gasket. The crown is also screw-down. This configuration brings the Resolute closer to a versatile sports watch than a simple dress watch adopting aviation aesthetics. The dial is protected by a sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating on its inner surface.
A pilot's watch designed as a contemporary tool watch
RZE's choice was therefore to primarily retain the functional layout of the Type A dial rather than replicating a vintage watch down to its proportions and materials. The angular titanium case, the UltraHex surface treatment, the 100-meter water resistance, and the transparent case back place the Resolute Type A in a much more contemporary environment. The brand itself emphasizes this approach, presenting the model as a modern interpretation rather than a reissue. The Medallion Yellow dial takes this logic a step further. The layout remains inspired by a functional instrument, but the color gives the watch a presence that clearly transcends mere discretion.
RZE Resolute Type A Medallion Yellow Aviation Watch: a colorful alternative in the Resolute Type A Collection
The RZE Resolute Type A Medallion Yellow shares its base with two other variations, Carbon Black and Polaris White. All three are listed at $499 on the RZE website at the time of review. The choice between these versions is therefore primarily a matter of aesthetics. Carbon Black remains closest to the traditional image of a pilot's watch, Polaris White offers a clearer readability, while Medallion Yellow adopts a much more conspicuous approach. Technically, RZE combines a familiar formula—pilot's dial, three hands, and automatic movement—with more modern features: treated titanium, 39.5 mm case, sapphire crystal, and 100-meter water resistance. The Resolute Type A Medallion Yellow does not attempt to literally reproduce a vintage aviation watch. Rather, it uses this architecture as a starting point for a lightweight and contemporary tool watch, whose yellow dial is its main distinguishing feature.
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Editor: Éric Barse
Journalist, entrepreneur, and founder of the websites www.cafe-racer-only.com and www.scooter-3-roues.com, Eric Barse divides his time between his passions: motorcycles, travel, and watches. A graduate of the Saint-Cyr military academy and the 2nd RPIMA (Parachute Regiment) before pursuing a career in communications and digital media, he has a true passion for authentic watches that have accompanied his two-wheeled adventures for many years, from the Indian Ocean to Africa and Latin America!
