Exactitude
To understand the classic Fortis Flieger, look no further than the 1930 poster “Exactitude” by Pierre Fix-Masseau (full image here):
Arjan den Boer explains the origins of an image that at one time seemed to be in every college bookstore in America:
Fix-Masseau's most successful poster was 'Exactitude' (precision), created in 1932 for 'Etat' (Chemins de fer de l'État, the French state railways). It shows a train at a buffer stop, the driver hanging out of the enormous steam locomotive. A station clock in the background suggests that the train has arrived exactly on time. The meticulous depiction of the whole scene also adds to the theme of precision.
The classic Fortis Flieger is similarly iconic, but not as old as you might think. Fortis introduced the design in 1987, just a few years after the revival of the Orient Express (Fix-Masseau did the posters for that one, too). The word “exactitude” does not appear on the watch, but it might as well. The dial is simple, clear, and luminous. Hours and minutes are counted on bold green hands; seconds on a slender orange needle that exudes precision.
Fortis’ website says:
Steel – Green – Orange:
To this day, these are the characteristics of the only true “FLIEGER” – a model that first defined the world of pilot watches and is still the reference for many imitators.
But - as with the railways - the reality falls a little short of the ideal. Powered by an ETA 2824-2 movement, the Flieger is as accurate as any other mid-range Swiss automatic, but no more so. Its imposing 40mm case is a bit of showmanship - my Revue Thommen automatic fits the same movement into a mere 36mm.
The Fortis walks the walk in other ways, however. For one thing, it is legitimately tough - I’ve worn mine for 20 years and there are no scratches on the sapphire crystal. And, unusually for a pilot’s watch, it is water resistant to 200m.
The kicker is that it looks great, too. The dial is uncluttered, the color scheme is distinctive and harmonious, the typography and logo handled perfectly.
The stuff that classics are made of.
Arjan den Boer, “Art Deco from the 1930s and 1980s" - Railway posters by Pierre Fix-Masseau” (link)