Sponsored: Sopwith Introduces the Aero Marquis Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Arctic Sea
A cockpit instrument for the global traveler
The new Sopwith Aero Marquis Focke-Wulf Fw 190 "Arctic Sea" edition follows the brand's unique philosophy of repurposing actual wartime materials into ultra-durable luxury components. The Aero Marquis does not merely "commemorate" or "honor" the legendary Focke-Wulf Fw 190 airplane; Sopwith’s design philosophy dictates that the watch is the airplane.
The Arctic Sea is limited to just 55 pieces because the entire case is crafted from the steel cockpit armor of an original World War II Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter. The northern coast of Norway was home to Germany’s highly specialized Eismeer unit of fighters, uniquely outfitted with cold weather gear and tasked with protecting the Arctic Sea shipping lanes during World War II.
The timepiece's World War lineage is evident in the most minor details. Shaped like the needles found on the original Fw 190 instrument panel, the hands are simple and strictly functional, like the legendary airplane from which it is made. Tipped with a distinct arrowhead, the GMT hand extends beyond the dial onto the 24-hour chapter ring to make tracking a second time zone instantaneous and foolproof. Polar White with Ice Blue accents, the Arctic Sea Limited Edition comes with full-face Swiss lume in mint blue.
Powered by the Élaboré upgrade of the Swiss Mecaline Specialities Calibre 2893-A2, the Aero Marquis sports a wearable 41mm case measuring 49mm lug to lug. The 20mm stitched Horween leather strap is another clear nod to aviation watches of the 1940s.
Revolutionary Visibility
Distinguished by a fully lumed dial, Sopwith's newest Aero Marquis model is designed for maximum legibility in all lighting conditions. While most pilot watches rely on luminescent indices, the Arctic Sea reverses that standard. By blacking out the hour and directional indices against a fully lumed background, Sopwith has created an astonishing visual display that remains legible in complete darkness. This high-contrast combination is protected by a 1mm raised box sapphire crystal.
The Arctic Sea's remarkable visibility extends to the 120-position unidirectional rotating bronze azimuth bezel, which features a fully luminous sapphire insert. The bezel acts as a solar compass based on the tried-and-true “Boy Scout” method of direction-finding.
Engineered in the Cockpit
The Aero Marquis' true identity seems to be somewhere between a traveler’s watch disguised as a pilot’s timepiece, or perhaps a pilot's watch that has mastered the art of travel. Sopwith president Stephen Cox clarified, “The Aero Marquis is a traveler's watch. It will survive anything you can put it through. We're very proud of that. Check the specs. It will function in any temperature range from the South Pole to the Sahara, underwater or in highly magnetized environments. Our pilots love this watch, but if we had to choose a single classification, well... we built a timepiece for world travelers.”
The watch's credentials as a professional tool are validated by the Jack Aces P-51 Formation Aerobatic Team, whose pilots frequently wear the Aero Marquis during their high-performance demonstrations at air shows across North America.
Because it is used in high-G environments, the Aero Marquis had to be eminently wearable. The watch's engineering reflects this need for comfort, specifically in the crown. The result of dedicated design work, the bronze crown features a diamond-cut grip for easy adjustment, paired with a beveled edge specifically engineered to eliminate binding or digging into the pilot’s wrist during maneuvers.
Every Sopwith watch case is manufactured in-house at the company’s steel foundry in Houston, Texas, entirely from the steel of a legendary airplane. The shortage of historic metals limits the Arctic Sea edition to just 55 watches, available for preorder now at $4,900.
Specifications
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, GMT, azimuth
Case:
Steel processed, poured, cast, cut at Sopwith Foundry, Houston USA
Laboratory metallurgic analysis by Sopwith Watch Company, Houston USA
41mm case width
Lug width, 20mm
Lug to lug, 49mm
Hardness, titanium carbide coating 1500 HV
Hardness, historic steel 168.2 HV
Water resistance: 200 meters
Magnetic field resistance: 20,000 Gauss
Movement:
Mecaline Specialities Calibre 2893-A2 Élaboré
Power reserve, 42 hours
Crystal: Boxed sapphire, inner anti-reflective coating
Crown: Screw down, extruded diamond grip bronze
Bezel: Bronze
120-position
Unidirectional rotating
Azimuth +/-3 degrees
Luminous sapphire insert
Strap: Stitched, hand-cut Horween leather
Lume: Swiss X1 grade Light Old Radium GL
Bookshelf presentation box:
Full grain Red Cedar
To learn more, visit Sopwith, here.
