A Lifetime in the Slipstream
Greetings, I’m Andy. My horological journey began modestly in 1988, buying quartz Seikos for family on a holiday in Malaysia. However, the true “infection” was already in my DNA. It traces back to 1942, when my Polish grandfather purchased a time-only Longines in Palestine.
When that watch eventually came to me, I developed a rare, incurable condition I call hereditary Longineitis.
In the decades since, my obsession has ebbed and flowed like a yoyo – winding through Omegas, a Rolex or two, and a deep love for vintage Breitlings initiated by my first all-black AOPA ref. 806 Navitimer. Yet, like a homing beacon, I always find myself returning to the winged hourglass of Longines and the “rabbit hole” of early flight navigation.
From Burger King to the Golden Age
I am, by my own admission, a bit of an “aged nutter” with a focus onaviation watches – especially pre 1950s. I still remember the physical reaction – the skin bubbling with excitement – when I saw my first vintage oversize Longines Weems at a watch show in Hong Kong. I couldn’t afford it then, but the fire was lit. Years later, I recall the milestone of buying my first Hour-angle after meeting my best mate, Shawn from Heirloom Gallery, in a Singapore Burger King.
To me, these aren’t just mechanical objects or “investments.” They are the tactical instruments that navigated the Golden Years of flight. Every one of us today is a beneficiary of that era, shaped by aviators and aviatrixes who risked everything to trial new technology. In those seminal years of exploration, an accurate, robust timepiece wasn’t a luxury – it was an essential instrument for survival.
The Collection & The Mission
While the hair has turned grey (as seen in my Hodinkee feature below) and I now require a loupe to decipher a brand signature, my pulse for discovery remains steady. Today, I am privileged to be the custodian of some of the world’s most significant vintage pilot watches – horological oddities that I am determined to document before their stories fade into the clouds.
Flightbirds.net is a tribute to the era when a watch was the difference between finding the runway and being lts ost to the sea. We take both shallow and deep dives into the characters, the advertising, and the instruments that made 20th-century flight possible.
Join the Flight
We are very much “real humans” here, learning every day. We value and respect every comment, correction, and suggestion from fellow “ticking nutters.” If you have a story or a timepiece you’d like to share, please drop us an email.
I’m just thankful to still be ticking, researching, and sharing this journey with those of you who understand that “patina” is just another word for “experience.”
Help us fly higher – I’d love to hear from you.
