Review: ARCHIMEDE Pilot Chronograph TriKompax

The ARCHIMEDE watch brand is a relative new-comer to the market – only launching in 2003. The Ickler family that designs and produces these timepieces has been manufacturing watchcases for almost a century.

The first ARCHIMEDE watch was modelled on the classic Pilot design with extremely easy to read dials and numerals and was very popular from launch.

Following the launch of the Pilot, there have been a succession of other families of watches under the ARCHIMEDE brand – Klassik, DeckWatch, SportTaucher and OutDoor. All made with the same extremely high levels of engineering and each with a watchcase created from a single piece of aluminium at their Pforzheim headquarters in south-western Germany.

The Pilot Chronograph TriKompax is no exception.

With its ETA 7750 TOP automatic movement, this timepiece is as sturdy and reliable as it is stunning to look at and wear. The ARCHIMEDE rotor further enhances the quality craftsmanship of this watch and provides an incredibly efficient winding mechanism as you move about.

With a 42mm face diameter and 13.6mm thickness, the proportions of the Pilot Chronograph TriKompax are extremely attractive. The 51mm lug-to-lug length further enhances the look of the timepiece.

The single aluminium watchcase has been brushed finish and the face protected by a sapphire crystal with antireflective coating. The Pilot Chronograph TriKompax is water-resistant to 5 ATM and features a screw-down case back with mineral crystal putting the impressive engineering and workmanship on display.

The black leather strap is double-stitched and riveted to ensure long-term strength and durability.

The face features three chronograph dials set in the “V” arrangement with the date in the lower dial. The hands feature luminous points and are made of heat blued steel – uniquely manufactured by Ickler.

The signature of the Pilot watch is the large crown. On the Pilot Chronograph TriKompax, the crown sits in the middle of the watchcase and is accompanied by the chronograph buttons which as you would expect have a very satisfying mechanical feel when pressed.

I’ve very much enjoyed wearing this watch for a few weeks now and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an extremely well-made Pilot style timepiece that will more than stand the test of time.

As well as the black leather strap, the Pilot Chronograph TriKompax is also available with a steel band or a light brown leather strap and pricing starts at approximately AU$3,350.

For all the details see the ARCHIMEDE website.