Pilot watches can often all look very similar, but rules are made to be broken, right? Well, British brand Sortie certainly thinks so. With its debut watch, the BH1000, Sortie takes the essence of a pilots watch as it’s starting point, but then deconstructs it, refines it and injects its own character. What emerges on the other side is a more modern watch, a kind of fusion that blurs the boundaries of categorisation.
Sortie Watches was founded by Andrew Durr, a watch enthusiast with a passion for design, who grew up near Biggin Hill Airport, a place with an illustrious aviation history and deep connection with the Royal Air Force (RAF). With evocative and lasting memories of soaring aircraft, guttural engines roars and high-octane aeronautic displays bringing sensory overload, it was perhaps inevitable that Andrew’s interest in horology, aviation and history would inspire his first watch design, the BH1000.
Sortie BH1000 Overview
The Sortie BH1000 is a Swiss-made watch inspired by the pivotal role played by Biggin Hill (a legendary RAF station in Kent) in the Battle of Britain and commemorates the unwavering spirit of those who defended Britain during its darkest hour. The BH1000 collection takes its name from Biggin Hill and the 1,000-plus sorties that were launched from the base during the Second World War.
Three dial options are available. Flight Blue (as reviewed here) and Alpha Green variants have stainless steel cases and bracelets, whilst the Stealth Black has a DLC case and bracelet. All models have sunburst dials and accent colours on each side of the dial for balance. The watches launch on 7 November 2025 and are priced at £1740, including a two-year warranty and a genuine Peli protective hardcase. Only available direct from the Sortie website, the first batch of watches are expected to ship to customers before Christmas 2025.
There’s no doubt that £1740 is an incredibly punchy price for a new microbrand, so the BH1000 has to impress to stand any chance of winning over enthusiasts. So, after spending a week with the watch on the wrist, is it flying ace, or more of a wingman?
The Case, Bracelet and Wearing Experience
The BH1000 Flight Blue has a 316L stainless steel case and bracelet. The case diameter is 40mm, the lug-to-lug is 47.8mm and the overall thickness is 12mm.
The box sapphire crystal sits proud of the bezel, has curved edges and two layers of anti-reflective coating applied to the inside. The Bezel’s top surface is brushed and has an almost imperceptible slant downwards from its outer edge to inner edge. A generously wide, polished chamfer leads to vertical polished sides. The mid-case’s vertical sides are longitudinally satin-brushed and feature wide polished chamfers, whilst the profile is gently arced which helps the watch conform to the wrist.
The lugs gently taper towards the squared-off ends and feature polished and curved inner sections similar in style to Omega’s famous lyre style, but narrower and less twisted. This has the effect of slimming the lugs, resulting in an elegant and refined aesthetic.
The screw-down caseback features an exhibition window at its centre which provides a view of the automatic movement. This is surrounded by a concentrically brushed area engraved with the watch’s key specifications and two polished outer sections.
The quick-release three-link bracelet tapers from 20mm down to 18mm at the buckle and has a brushed satin finish with the centre link having polished accents to the outer. The bracelet is very fluid, and to my eyes at least is very reminiscent of the bracelet on my Grand Seiko Heritage SBGA373, just thicker.The branded fold-over deployant clasp has twin-trigger safety buttons and benefits from on-the-fly micro adjustment with four increments, operated by squeezing two pins together in much the same way as you do for the bracelet release. This is the first time I’ve seen this approach taken to on-the-fly adjustment, and whilst there are certainly more sophisticated systems on the market, it’s a simple but effective way to do it. As is befitting of a premium watch, bracelet links are secured by screws so resizing is relatively easy.
The signed 7mm screw-down crown is perfectly proportioned and has a lovely shape that flares out from the case. It’s easy to grip and operates with confidence, the stem is reassuringly thick and lock-down is good. Water resistance is a healthy 150m, plenty for this type of watch.
On the wrist, the watch looks and feels premium. The case and bracelet are finished to an incredibly high standard with consistent fine-brushing, perfectly polished elements and crisp and accurate transitions between the different finishes. Weighing in at 153 grammes sized to my 7.25-inch wrist, the watch has presence without dominating the wrist and wears true to size.
The BH1000 Movement
The BH1000 is powered by a Swiss-made Selitta SW290-1 automatic movement, a small seconds variant of the venerable SW200. Sortie has opted for the Elaboré Grade of the movement which is regulated to three positions and brings increased accuracy of +/-7 sec/day. The movement also benefits from a higher level of decoration than the standard finish, with blued screws, signed rotor and perlage. The beat rate is 28,800vph and power reserve is 41-hours.
The Dial and Handset
I’ll cut to the chase. The dial on my blue BH1000 is absolutely stunning and I’ve fallen in love with it. There, I’ve said it! The sunburst is incredibly fine with an almost silk-like appearance and the blue chosen is perfection. It’s dreamy, rich, deep and vibrant. It’s the sort of dial that makes you want to constantly perform wrist-rolls just for the light play.
Working from the outside in, a minute track is printed in white around the circumference, interrupted only by the traditional pilot’s watch 12 o’clock triangle flanked by red dots, a subtle nod to the RAF colour theme. What is unusual here is that the base of the triangle follows the curvature of the dial. Most of the hour markers are applied Arabic numerals, with the 3 o’clock marker omitted to make way for the colour-matched, bevelled date window. However, round applied pips replace numerals at the 8 o’clock and 10 o’clock hour markers. This is another nod to the RAF logo, but also quite a clever design feature as they flank the small-second display which is found at 9 o’clock. Doing this gives the sub-dial more space to breathe whilst also doing away with the need for cut-off numerals, which some enthusiasts don’t like. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about this design element, but I have to say, as I spent time with the watch it grew on me and I actually think it was a good choice. All hour markers and hands have silver surrounds and are filled with Super-LumiNova X1 C1 which is white in daylight and glows green in the dark. The 12 o’clock triangle and five-minute markers printed around the dial’s perimeter are also lumed, but the red running seconds hand isn’t. The lume performs reasonably well, but if lume is one of your top priorities, there are better options out there.
The small seconds display is positioned at nine o’clock and sits on a layer beneath the main dial. The seconds track is printed in black onto a white background and split into five-minute segments interspersed with Arabic numerals to denote 15, 30, 45 and 60 seconds. The sunburst blue of the main dial is echoed with a circle at the centre of the sub-dial, where a red sword-shaped sweeping seconds hand marks the passing of time. The red, white and blue elements in the design are again a nod to the RAF. A lovely touch is the bevelled and polished frame around the sub-dial which elevates it. The main handset comprises broad sword-shaped hour and minute hands with generous fills of Super-LumiNova. It would have been nice to see pinion covers to match the refinement offered elsewhere on the watch, but it’s not at all unusual to see them omitted!
The dial design is attractive, uncluttered and well-balanced, with just enough details to add interest. Daytime legibility is truly excellent, whilst night-time legibility is very good. The brand’s attractive and succinct logo is printed in white at 12 o’clock, balanced by the additional ‘BH1000’, ‘AUTOMATIC’ and ‘15ATM’ text printed at six. I also like the way that horizontal symmetry is kept by balancing the subdial out with the colour-matched bevelled date window and additional stripes. Of particular merit on the BH1000 dial is the absolutely impeccable applied indices and the precise application of lume which stand up to the scrutiny of my 10x loupe!
Final Thoughts on the Sortie BH1000
As I alluded to in my intro, I see the Sortie BH1000 as a cross between a pilots watch and a sports/GADA watch. The handset, clarity and unique RAF themed touches are a nod to the pilots watch, but the improved water resistance and more refined and sophisticated overall aesthetic are more akin to a sport watch or GADA watch. There is no doubt that the Sortie is a very impressive debut watch and I applaud Andrew for having the courage to jump straight into the mid-range tier. However, at this ambitious price point Sortie has a challenge on its hands trying to tempt buyers away from big name brands such as Laco or Stowa who are known for traditional Pilot’s watches, or more to the point the chronometer certified Longines Spirit which (minus the sub-dial) is much closer to the modern aesthetic and feel of the BH1000. Is it worth the money? Well, there’s certainly a lot to like here, the quality is high and it’s Swiss-made which doesn’t come cheap, so I guess it depends on how much you connect with the design and how much value you place in heritage, brand perception and the reassurance of high street presence. If these things aren’t important to you and you’re brave enough to take a leap of faith, then you’ll be rewarded with a wonderfully refined, well-specified modern take on a pilots watch with a stunning dial and enough unique details to bring its own character to the table.
