In case the hot weather hasn’t been enough of a clue, we are well and truly in the summer now and that means it’s time for a new OT Club membership wristwatch giveaway. If you’re unfamiliar, one of the benefits of becoming an OT Club member – aside from receiving 10 issues of the print magazine each year, access to exclusive events, discounts and more – is automatic entry into our quarterly wristwatch giveaway where you can win a watch. Our previous giveaway was the Oceaneva 6000m Deep Marine Explorer VI Titanium GMT True Dive Full Lume but for the summer, we have something a bit smarter and dressier: the Aerowatch 1942 Limited Edition Automatic Regulator.
Aerowatch is a Swiss brand that was founded in 1910 in La Chaux-de-Fonds before making the move to nearby Neuchâtel in 1942. Then, in 2001 stewardship of the family run brand was passed to the Bolzli family whose inaugural creation at the helm of the brand was the 1942 collection – a modern reinterpretation of the watches that Aerowatch had been making when they made that transition to Neuchâtel over half a century earlier.
The Aerowatch 1942 Automatic Regulator is a design they’ve revisited across a handful of limited editions with various dials and details that makes each release unique. This version of the watch was released in 2025, making it the most recent edition of the watch. As the name indicates, it uses a regulator style display. That means the hours, minutes and seconds are each presented on totally separate subdials with individual scales instead of mounted on a single hand stack. By separating the three indicators, it’s easier to use the watch as a reference for setting the time on a second watch or clock, which is why it’s called a regulator display.
Specifically, the hours are positioned on a subdial at 12 o’clock, the minutes are in their normal position in the centre of the dial, and the small seconds are at 6 o’clock. The main disk of the dial is matte black, which provides great contrast to the silver-toned subdials and peripheral minute track, which have a sunray brushed finish on top of snailed engraving. It makes for a really smart looking display and while it’s not a chronograph, it reminds me of the reverse panda colour scheme common to retro racing chronos.
For the case, the Aerowatch 1942 Automatic Regulator measures 42mm in diameter with a thickness of 12.3mm. That makes it quite large for a dress watch, especially with its prominent wire lugs that bring the lug-to-lug length to around 46mm. However, that bigger size is not without purpose.
The 1942 collection is based on the watches that Aerowatch was producing in 1942 and back then, that was predominantly pocket watches. As such, you can see the pocket watch heritage through the watch’s size as well as its polished, curved shape and large onion crown. Altogether it makes for a very cohesive case design that wears comfortably on a five-link, beads of rice style bracelet. It’s held on the wrist by a hidden butterfly clasp.
Inside, the watch is powered by the Sellita SW266-1 automatic movement, which is visible through the exhibition caseback where you can see its combination of brushed and Côtes de Genève finishing. It supports a 41-hour power reserve and operates at a 4Hz frequency, which is the current industry standard. In addition to the main regulator functions, it also has a date function at 3 o’clock for extra utility.
For pricing and availability, the Aerowatch 1942 Automatic Regulator on bracelet is €2,230 (approx. £1,920) in a limited edition of 100 pieces. The piece we are giving away is marked 44/100 and comes with its official certificate of authenticity. If you want to be in with a chance to win the watch, sign up to become an OT Club member before September 30th, 2026.
Price and Specs:
More details at Aerowatch.
