Flieger F-43 Bicompax

Founded in 1912, Fortis has been producing a variety of timepieces from some of the first mass-produced automatic wristwatches to fliegers and most notably “space” watches. As the official supplier for the Russian Federal Space Agency since 1994 with its Cosmonauts series, Fortis has a long history of air and space travel.

The F-43 Bicompax is a handsome, dual-register chronograph that shares its design cues with the rest of Fortis’s Flieger lineup. As with all of the Fliegers, it boasts a 200m water resistance rating, a finely brushed steel case, a bi-directional turning twelve-hour bezel with 24-positions, and a sapphire top crystal. Other features include the brushed “Brixtrack'' ring that circles the dial exterior and the “Synchroline'' marker between eleven and one: whether simply for orientation or for synchronizing the F-43 Bicompax with other pilots, it’s a welcome touch of color that adds utility to this tool watch.

Under the dial beats a Fortis UW-51 automatic movement, based on ETA Valjoux 7750. This Swiss movement features a date at the six o’clock position and a central seconds hand finished in a matched orange tone to the date window, Synchroline marker, thirty-minute tracker accent ring, and “BICOMPAX” text at six o’clock. Other features include a 27-jewel count, frequency of 28,800 bph, and 48-hour power reserve. Much like the brand, this movement is sure to be a reliable companion whether traveling through land, air, or space.