Great watch wearers: Harrison Ford

If you’re looking for the ideal all-American action hero, you’d struggle to find a better example than Harrison Ford. From Raiders Of The Lost Ark to Star Wars, Blade Runner to Clear And Present Danger, if it involves a decent man putting his life on the line for the USA/Free World, Ford is your man.

But as well as being an actor, Ford is also an accomplished pilot who flies a Ryan PT-22 Recruit, used to train US military pilots in the 1950s, a De Havilland Beaver and an Aviat A-1C-180 Husky. However, it’s not all been plain sailing (flying?) – in 2015, he crash-landed the Recruit on California’s Penmar Golf Course after taking off from nearby Santa Monica airport.

Therefore, it should be no surprise the watch Ford’s most associated with is the Breitling Aerospace, an analogue/digital timepiece produced as the successor to the all-conquering Navitimer.

His was a pre-owned Custom Richard Mille RM 056 Design with a see-through crystal case, yellow small seconds indicator, tachymeter and crown band in midnight blue. Only five of the 056 are said to have been made – no wonder it’s valued at $5.5m.

Launched in 1985 and targeted at pilots and aviation enthusiasts, the updated version of the watch that Ford wears – a titanium Aerospace Evo – is powered by a SuperQuartz™ calibre (introduced in 2001) and boasts 1/100th of a second chronograph, countdown timer and second time-zone function (the wearer scrolls through these complications using the crown).

In terms of power, the thermocompensated SuperQuartz™ movement adjusts the vibrations of its crystal according to the air temperature, making it incredibly accurate.

Despite its plus points, the Aerospace has fallen out of favour because it’s neither a smartwatch or a traditional mechanical aviator like the Navitimer (the Aerospace was placed under the Navitimier umbrella when launched).

The Aerospace is not the only watch Ford’s been associated with. Though he had flying lessons at university, it was only in his 50s that he took it up seriously. Which would explain why his go-to watch before then was a stainless steel Rolex Datejust with Roman numerals. A watch he wore on the classic Jubilee bracelet in the 1988 thriller, Frantic.

The Datejust (reference 4467) was launched in 1945 to celebrate Rolex’s 40th anniversary. With a diameter of 36mm, it may seem small by today’s standards, but it’s an undisputed 20th-century classic.

Yet, despite the Datejust’s pedigree, it’s the Aerospace we most associate with Harrison Ford. And while it might not be the cutting-edge timing instrument it once was, like the man who made it famous, it’s dependable, stylish and just that little bit old fashioned.