Help me understand how I feel about a particular style of watch
There's a type of watch that's very popular. It has a clean, clear, design. It's definitely a classic. I have mixed feelings about it because of the origins of the design. The watch is big. I has...
There's a type of watch that's very popular. It has a clean, clear, design. It's definitely a classic. I have mixed feelings about it because of the origins of the design.
The watch is big. I has a black dial with white numbers and index marks. At the 12 o'clock position there's a triangle. There's plenty of lume on the dial. They usually have a leather strap, and that strap often has two rivets.
Sometimes the dial has two index rings, the inner ring has hour markings and the outer ring has minute markings.
IWC makes the most well known example: https://www.iwc.com/en/watch-collections/pilot-watches/iw329301-big-pilots-watch-43.html
There are lots of homages:
https://www.watchshop.com/watches/mens-sekonda-aviator-watch-3347.pdp
https://mwcwatches.com/products/vintage-ww2-style-german-pilots-watch-1
This style of watch is called "B Uhr", or "B Uhren"and you get many results if you use that search term. It's German, and it's an abbreviation for "Beobachtungs-uhren" which means "observation watch".
My problem with the watch is that is that it was specifically designed for the Luftwaffe in WW2.
https://monochrome-watches.com/the-history-of-the-pilot-watch-part-five-b-uhr/
After the war other airforces, including the British RAF, started using very similar watches.
Most watch sellers do not celebrate the Nazi history of the watch. But some do: https://b-uhr.com/en/collection/b-uhr-luftwaffe-flieger-chronograph.html
So, I don't know how I feel about this watch. Can its clean design be appreciated when I know of its Nazi link? Can I separate the creator from the product?