Emporio Armani Aviator Men’s 43mm Chronograph Watch (AR11202)

A racing stripe down the strap is usually the loudest thing on a watch. Here it is woven rather than painted, in pale grey-blue on navy leather, and it ends up being the quietest detail on a piece whose dial is carrying a tachymeter, two counters and a date. \n\n Case and Wrist Presence \n The case is 43mm, round, in a smoked gunmetal finish over steel, brushed across the top and sides so it stays matt. Two round-ended pushers sit either side of a broad fluted crown at three o’clock. The lugs are thick straight bars with a visible gap between them and the strap, which is what gives this design its slightly industrial look from the side. \n\n Dial and Legibility \n Silver, with a sunray finish that runs from the centre out. A stepped outer flange carries the tachymeter scale, printed from 500 down to 60, and a fine minute track sits inside it. Two sub-dials break the surface: a 60-minute chronograph counter at nine and a 24-hour indicator at three. The date sits above six in a small framed window. Markers and hands are gunmetal to match the case, so the contrast against the silver dial is moderate rather than sharp; the dial is clear in daylight and needs a moment indoors. The tachymeter reads speed from elapsed time over a known distance and works only for intervals shorter than a minute. \n\n Movement and Functions \n A quartz chronograph. The top pusher starts and stops the timing, the bottom one resets it, and the running seconds are handled by the sub-dial rather than a central hand. Because it is quartz, it will time to a fraction of a second and needs nothing more than a battery every couple of years. \n\n Strap, Clasp and Fit \n Navy leather with a woven textile stripe running down the centre of each half. The leather is smooth-grained and will soften and darken slightly with wear; the woven section stays as it is, so over time the stripe becomes more visible against the leather around it. Leather straps take a wrist’s shape in about a fortnight and then hold it. \n\n Who This Watch Suits \n Someone who wants a chronograph with a motorsport reference that is not a full-blown racing watch. The gunmetal case tones the whole thing down and keeps it wearable with a jacket. \n\n Care and Maintenance \n Keep the strap dry; the woven centre section absorbs water faster than the leather around it and will stay damp longer. Wipe the case with a dry cloth and avoid abrasives on the gunmetal finish, which is a coating rather than bare steel. \n\n Technical Specifications \n \n Reference AR11202 \n Brand Emporio Armani \n Collection Aviator \n Case diameter 43mm \n Case colour Gunmetal \n Dial colour Silver \n Movement Quartz \n Functions Chronograph, date, tachymeter scale \n Strap Navy leather with woven stripe \n \n\n Buying With Confidence \n A 24-month international manufacturer warranty covers the movement, excluding battery and normal wear. The watch ships new and unworn in its original box with the manufacturer’s paperwork, delivered nationwide with tracking, and the Consumer Protection Act gives a right of return on an unworn watch in its original packaging. The date window is cut with a bevelled silver frame, which is why it catches the light before the sub-dials do.