Hands-On With The New Circula ProFlight Blue

Diver’s, field, and pilot’s watches are among the most popular variations in the time-only-watch universe. While Circula already covered the first two, now with the ProFlight, it also ticks the last box. Although unmistakably derived from Circula’s ProTrail, this ProFlight model immediately impresses with its modern pilot’s watch face. It’s probably thanks to a quirky, dedicated font and a unique take on the German Flieger triangle with those two dots at 12.

Circula ProFlight

My first Circula review was a surprisingly pleasant experience. Although now, knowing the brand, it is not much of a surprise anymore, this second one was no less exciting. As mentioned, it’s clear that the ProFlight was derived from the existing ProTrail. Technically, that watch was already fit for the job of a pilot’s watch. The watch is antimagnetic up to 80,000 A/m (1,000 gauss) and has a scratch-resistant case treatment with a hardness of 1,200 Vickers. Any pilot would be happy with both of those specifications.

I missed an important specification for a professional aviator’s watch — the ProPilot’s ability to withstand a vacuum. I’m unsure if the watch is not negative-pressure safe or if Circula’s specifications simply don’t touch upon this subject. Except for Sinn and IWC, hardly any manufacturer of pilot’s watches mentions negative-pressure safety. And honestly, the ability to use a pilot’s watch as an open-plane flying instrument isn’t the most important characteristic for most of us. Image and attractive looks are far more important, and that’s where the Circula ProFlight wins our hearts.

An interesting case silhouette

The ProFlight builds on the hardened case with the special profile of previous models. The hand-sandblasted and faceted stainless steel case protects a reliable and precise Swiss Sellita SW200-1 Elaboré caliber inside. It also sports a slightly curved sapphire crystal with an inner antireflective coating and offers water resistance to 150 meters. The newly designed screw-down crown is more in line with Flieger designs and has the Circula logo filled with Swiss Super-LumiNova.

The Circula ProFlight’s case offers a good balance between sturdiness and wearing comfort. Based on the measurements we took, it has a 40.6mm diameter, 13.6mm thickness, and 45.8mm lug-to-lug. The flanks are an interesting detail of the case. They are slightly recessed in the longitudinal direction and have a coarse-grained texture. This optical trick makes the case look pleasantly slim.

The dial

Sometimes you look at a watch and know you see something special but don’t exactly know what it is. It’s like you recognize something but can’t find its origin. That’s precisely what I experienced with the Circula ProFlight. I noticed that layers within the dial, textures, and color enhance readability while creating an attractive depth. Then, I quickly learned that this was the work of one of the watch industry’s design veterans, Guy Bove. Guy spent 25 years developing product portfolios at world-class watch brands, including IWC, Chopard, Breitling, and TAG Heuer.

For the Circula ProFlight, Guy designed a revamped logo/name font to give the Circula brand a more futuristic look and feel. Furthermore, he reworked the dial’s numeral font, hand shape, and graphic elements to provide a stylish, forward-looking take on a pilot’s watch without compromising the traditional appearance.

Detail, detail, detail

There’s so much going on with the ProFlight; it’s a treat for the eyes and inspires ever-closer inspection. I love the case’s rather complex lines and finishing. Specifically, the polished and beveled edge of the bezel complements the relatively raw surface of the rest of the case. The roundness of the bezel generates the same effect as the angled edges of the watch’s casing. They’re so different, yet they complement each other and make it exciting. Guy Bove designed the ProPilot’s numerals for perfect legibility. They also reflect the case’s design through a subtle mix of hard edges and flowing curves, while the azurage texture in the dial’s center reflects a propeller’s rotation. The ProPilot is the first model to receive the new Circula logo/font designed by Guy Bove.

Lume and case back

I already touched upon the pilot-style crown attractively inlaid with Swiss Super-LumiNova. While this is a nice gimmick, the rest of the Super-LumiNova should be taken seriously. In the darkness, the Circula ProFlight remains very legible. I’d say it’s as easy to read as it is during the daytime. Contrary to the above image, the numerals and hands are very evenly lit in real life, with a slight emphasis on the hands.

Unfortunately, the final version of the ProFlight’s dedicated case back wasn’t available at the time of writing. Observant readers might see in one of the photos that the watch I used for this review has a ProTrail case back. We’ve placed a render above to show how the case back will look when the watches ship to the public.

Wearing experience, conclusion, and pricing

A hands-on review shouldn’t contain specs and material descriptions only. Although no one else can describe your experience wearing the watch, the least I can do is share mine. I’ve worn the ProFlight nonstop for almost two weeks. As you can see in our photographer Max’s pictures, I wore it on the Circula-supplied nylon sailcloth strap, which has a leather lining, a quick-change system, and a scratch-resistant signed pin buckle. Weighing 95 grams in total, it’s not an overly light watch, so it’s important to have it snugly fitted to your wrist. With my 17.5–18cm wrist circumference, I was lucky to find a perfectly positioned pinhole in the strap. It allowed me to wear the watch comfortably, and I never needed to take it off due to irritation.

Ultimately, the ProFlight is a watch I would expect to be in a higher-priced league. Its €40 premium over the Circula ProTrail is more than justified by its enhanced dial, different hands, and new crown design. Available through Circula’s website, the ProFlight, as reviewed, will cost €1,029 (including VAT and shipping), while the version with a stainless steel bracelet will cost €1,199.

What is your opinion? Did Circula, with the help of Guy Bove, do a good job with this modern interpretation of a pilot’s watch, or do you prefer the more traditional design of an era gone by? Please leave your always-valued comments below.