Watch Review |AVI-8 Hawker Hurricane

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This version of the Hawker Hurricane is fitted with a domed mineral crystal with a diameter of almost 38mm which provides are great view of the great dial. Beneath the crystal is one the sharpest looking white dials I have seen on any AVI-8 timepiece. The white dial is designed in a way to provide a three dimensional appearance with a portion cut out at the top and bottom of the dial. The level of detail with the dial design is rather atypical for a watch at this price point. All of the dial markers and numerals are applied rather than painted on which is also rather atypical for a watch at this price point. The chronograph layout is slightly different than most as the central second hand is the true running second hand rather than the chronograph second hand. The sub-dial at the 6 o’clock position is the chronograph second hand; the sub-dial at the 9 o’clock position is the minute accumulator for the chronograph. The sub-dial at the 12 o’clock position is the wrinkle I alluded to earlier at the beginning of the review. Instead of a typical sub-dial setup AVI-8 opted for a disk style 1/10 of a second hand while also incorporating the Hawker Hurricane theme with the style and design. Does it really matter if a disk or a standard sub-dial hand is used? Probably not, however, the disk 1/10 of a second hand adds a distinctive appearance to the overall appearance of the model. Finishing off my comments about the dial, I want to mention the very legible round date window positioned between the 3 and 4 o’clock positions on the dial, and the model does have a little bit of lume on the hour and minute hands, as well as, the rectangular hour markers. The lume is rather poor and doesn’t have any significant staying power, however, in my opinion lume tends to be more of a gimmick than a true necessity. Overall, the dial is quite appealing providing a significant amount of detail that will be sure to elicit quite a bit of conversation amongst family and friends.

The case back is screwed down to the upper part of the case. The case back has general specification information etched around the perimeter about the watch model that is typical of many case backs and also includes an etched Hawker Hurricane at its center. Beneath the case back is a modern Japanese Seiko TMI quartz chronograph movement. The movement has been extremely accurate as one would expect from a quartz watch. Due to the movement being modern, the chronograph hands can be recalibrated if needed to realign them. I would enjoy seeing AVI-8 using a Miyota 9100 series automatic in a Hawker Hurricane model in the future, as I believe it would be an incredible timepiece.

Finishing off this version of the Hawker Hurricane is a fantastic tan leather strap. One of the features of every AVI-8 watch I have ever seen that tends not to disappoint are the straps provided. Typically, I have found budget priced watches have flimsy watch straps which tend to make me believe that some watch companies consider their straps as an afterthought. The leather strap provided with this model is quite soft and supple and is extremely comfortable on the wrist. Also, as you will notice in the photographs and my video provides, the strap is constructed with quite a number of sizing holes that will allow for a wide array of wrist sizes. The strap is a whopping 5mm thick and measures 22mm at the lug tapering to 20mm at the tail. The strap also has two keepers, one fixed and one floating, which are a necessity with any good leather strap. The strap is finished off with a sturdy signed thumbnail style buckle.

Overall, I strongly believe that the newest addition to the Hawker Hurricane series is quite a value under $200 USD. The model provides quality specifications outside of the mineral crystal, which I found to be the only detail of the watch lacking. The disk 1/10-second hand and the painted logo on the face of the crown pay homage to the actual Hawker Hurricane while providing extra levels of detail not often found on budget priced pilot watches. I would like to thank each of you for reading and ask that you take a moment to view the brief video presentation included with the review and subscribe to the WatchReport YouTube channel. I look forward to your thoughts and comments as always.