Aerowatch - History, Models and Owners' Reviews

Aerowatch is a Swiss watch brand established in 1910 in La Chaux-de-Fonds; today it is an independent, family-run company led by the Bolzli siblings and based in Saignelégier (Jura), producing men’s and women’s wristwatches alongside an extensive pocket-watch line, with a focus on Swiss tradition, legibility and sensible value (specific original founder: information not publicly confirmed; historical accounts cite the Gutmann family, a takeover by Maxime Crevoisier in 1942, and transfer to the Bolzli family in 2001).

Aerowatch History

Founded in 1910 with an English name that nodded to early aviation and export ambitions, the firm’s early years centred on pocket and pendant watches; it later shifted to Neuchâtel under Maxime Crevoisier (1942) and, in the early 2000s, passed to the Bolzli family, which relocated the company to Saignelégier and unveiled wristwatches inspired by historic pieces, meaning continuous Swiss-made production is the through-line over more than a century.

Since 2005, Adeline, Fred-Eric and Jean-Sébastien Bolzli have run operations (administration, creation/engineering, sales/marketing) and expanded wristwatch offerings while preserving pocket-watch pillars (Lépine and Savonnette), anchoring the brand’s design vocabulary in readable classicism, so the company bridges pocket-watch heritage and contemporary wear.

Aerowatch Design

The visual language favours steel or bi-colour cases, slim bezels and clean dials—Arabic or Roman numerals, applied markers, crisp minute tracks—with domed anti-reflective sapphire on many references. Emphasis is on instant readability (contrasting hands, Super-LumiNova where relevant) and easy daily proportions, because the aesthetic aims for functional elegance rather than display.

These codes appear across families: round classics (“Les Grandes Classiques”, “1942”), open-worked statements within “Renaissance”, the ergonomic tonneau of “Streamline”, and high-contrast pilot pieces; a substantial women’s offer (Harmonie, Intuition) adapts the same grammar to smaller formats, ensuring a consistent identity across segments.

Key Collections

It’s most helpful to view the catalogue by family: Renaissance explores skeletonisation and wrist-borne reinterpretations of pocket-watch complications; “Les Grandes Classiques” covers dressy and pilot/chrono applications; “1942” updates everyday functions with a retro tone; “Streamline” delivers a curved tonneau profile; and the women’s lines (Harmonie, Intuition) mix quartz and automatic options—altogether, each family maps cleanly to a use case.

• Aerowatch Renaissance 7 Time Zones — Unusual display: local time plus six additional zones on an ETA 6497-1 base; 44 mm case, 5 ATM.
• Aerowatch Renaissance Skeleton — “Skeleton Classic/Spider” variants with hand-wound movement; theatrical yet legible dials.
• Aerowatch Les Grandes Classiques Pilote Chronograph — 44 mm automatic chronograph (SW500/Valjoux-type per listings), domed sapphire, 5 ATM.
• Aerowatch Streamline Automatic — Tonneau in steel ~37–39 mm, centre guilloché, date at 6; notably ergonomic on the wrist.
• Aerowatch 1942 Moon Phase Chronograph — Quartz chrono with moonphase, deliberately vintage styling.
• Aerowatch Harmonie Lady Automatic — Women’s automatic with optional lab-grown VS diamonds, AR-treated sapphire.
• Aerowatch Intuition Lady Quartz — Rectangular women’s piece with small seconds at 6 on some references, 50 m water resistance.
• Aerowatch Lépine Skeleton — Manual pocket-watch skeleton, emblematic of the brand’s heritage.

Movements & finishing

Under the hood, Aerowatch relies on proven Swiss engines: Sellita automatics (SW200/500 by model), hand-wound ETA 6497/6498 for neo-pocket-style wrist pieces, and a quartz base (Ronda/ETA) across many dress references, the goal being reliability and serviceability with restrained thickness.

Construction typically brings steel cases (with PVD/bi-colour options), domed AR sapphires, display backs on mechanicals and everyday water resistance (to 5 ATM). Perceived quality comes from dial textures (sunray, Streamline’s centre guilloché) and bold hands, so legibility remains a constant across the range.

Pricing & position

Official pricing places quartz entries around USD 450–980 (“Les Grandes Classiques”), pilot chronographs at USD 2,890–2,990, open-worked Renaissance pieces up to roughly USD 3,780, and Streamline automatics near USD 1,290; secondary-market listings align with these anchors, underscoring an accessible-premium Swiss-made stance.

Pocket-watch pricing ranges from quartz (≈ CHF 350–450) to manual skeletons (≈ CHF 2,750) at retailers, while the women’s offer (Harmonie/Intuition) spans approachable quartz to set automatics. In short, the price grid allows entry without sticker shock while delivering careful finishing, meaning value is easy to read and segmented by use.

Network & service

The brand highlights authorised retailers with a 2-year warranty and after-sales support from Saignelégier; contact details, FAQs and manuals plus a store-finder are available online, ensuring a guided path from purchase to upkeep.

Practically, the Jura workshop leans on maintainable standard components (gaskets, crowns, tiered movements). Owners should check stated water-resistance and favour sapphire crystals for heavier wear so that the watch spends more time on the wrist than in service.

Buying guide

Start with use: a clean dress watch for the office (“Les Grandes Classiques”, “1942”); a high-contrast pilot for legibility; a curved “Streamline” for ergonomic tonneau wear; or a “Renaissance” for skeleton/complication drama. Then pick the engine (Swiss quartz for zero-fuss practicality, Swiss automatic/hand-wound for mechanical feel) and size (generally 37–44 mm on the wrist; 47–48 mm for pocket watches), because the right Aerowatch is the one that maps to your real life.

• Aerowatch Les Grandes Classiques Gent Quartz — Swiss-made entry three-hand/date, minimal upkeep.
• Aerowatch Pilote Chronograph — 44 mm automatic chrono with cockpit legibility.
• Aerowatch Streamline Automatic — Tonneau profile with centre guilloché and ergonomic curve.
• Aerowatch Renaissance Skeleton — Mechanical spectacle with open-worked dial and display back.
• Aerowatch Harmonie Lady Automatic — Women’s automatic with optional lab-grown diamonds, AR sapphire.
• Aerowatch Lépine Classic — Traditional pocket watch, quartz or manual by reference.

Conclusion

Aerowatch offers family-run Swiss-made watches that balance pocket-watch heritage with readable, elegant wristwear. The family-based layout makes choosing straightforward: classic dress, bold pilot, dramatic skeleton or ergonomic tonneau. Decide first on use, then on movement and size, keeping authorised-network service in view. To validate comfort, legibility and long-term satisfaction, benchmark against Dialicious customer reviews.

(Updated August 2025)