Machbuster Chronograph Camel Brown a 41 mm meca-quartz flieger

What is new about the Machbuster Chronograph?

AVI-8 launched the Bell X-1 Machbuster Chronograph in March 2025, and the German magazine WatchTime covered the release on 26 March 2025. It is a tribute to the Bell X-1, the rocket plane that Chuck Yeager flew through the sound barrier in 1947. The range sits alongside the earlier Machbuster Automatic, but this version uses a meca-quartz chronograph movement rather than a mechanical time-only calibre.

There are four colours under the reference AV-4118: Aviation Blue, Rusty Orange, Camel Brown and Super Sonic Black. This first look covers Camel Brown, AV-4118-03. AVI-8's own images show a steel cushion case, a cream dial with large numerals, two brown sub-dials and an orange-capped upper pusher. AVI-8 lists the strap as brown, though in its main product image it reads as a very dark brown, close to charcoal. It is the most vintage-looking of the four, and the one that drifts furthest from the usual black pilot's watch.

AVI-8 UK lists Camel Brown at its full price of £274. At the time of writing, AVI-8 UK shows the blue and black versions on sale and Rusty Orange as sold out, so the colour you want may decide the price you pay.

How big is it, and how will it wear?

AVI-8 lists a 41.0 mm stainless steel case, 13.0 mm thick, with a lug to lug length of 51.0 mm. The diameter is moderate for a chronograph, but that lug to lug figure is long for a 41 mm watch. On a slim wrist, the lugs may reach the edges, so it is worth measuring your wrist before ordering.

The 13 mm thickness is reasonable for a chronograph with a mechanical module, and AVI-8 quotes a weight of 102 g on the strap. The strap is 22 mm wide and listed as brown rubber and leather, which usually means a leather top layer over a rubber lining. That should cope with warm days better than plain leather, though it is still not a strap for swimming.

What movement does it use, and how accurate is it?

AVI-8 describes the movement as a Japanese meca-quartz chronograph. The instruction manual on AVI-8's own site names the VK64 in its file name, a calibre used across many affordable chronographs. A battery-driven quartz module keeps the time, while a separate mechanical module runs the stopwatch. AVI-8 says the result pairs quartz precision with the crisp feel and snap-back reset of a mechanical chronograph.

The manual shows the layout. The central hand is the stopwatch seconds hand, which moves in fifths of a second. One sub-dial counts stopwatch minutes and the other shows a 24-hour hand, and there is a date. There is no running seconds hand, so the watch looks still when the chronograph is off. AVI-8 does not publish an accuracy figure, but timekeeping is quartz regulated, so you should not expect the daily drift of a mechanical watch.

How well is it built?

The basics are sound but not luxurious. AVI-8 lists a stainless steel case, applied indices with Swiss Newlite luminous paint and a mineral lens. WatchTime adds that the mineral glass has an anti-reflective treatment. The crown pulls out rather than screwing down, and water resistance is 5 ATM, or 50 m. That is fine for rain and hand washing, but not for swimming, and the manual warns that the watch is not water resistant with the crown pulled out.

AVI-8 backs the watch with a two-year international warranty once it is registered on its site.

Is it good value against its rivals?

At £274, the Machbuster sits near the top of the £100 to £300 band. The closest rival on paper is the Rotary Apex100 Chronograph (RGB10014/04), which Rotary lists at £279. Rotary gives it a 42 mm case, sapphire crystal and 100 m of water resistance, all of which beat the AVI-8 on specification, though it uses a conventional quartz chronograph.

Inside AVI-8's own range, the Hawker Harrier Matador Chronograph (AV-4125-01) has an RRP of £247 for a larger 44 mm quartz chronograph, also with a mineral lens and 50 m rating. The Machbuster's case for itself is the meca-quartz feel and the more compact size, plus a cream dial that neither of those rivals offers in quite the same way.

What is the catch?

The specification does not quite match the price. A mineral crystal, a pull-out crown and 50 m of water resistance are common at half this RRP, and Rotary offers sapphire and 100 m for £5 more. The long 51 mm lug to lug also makes the 41 mm diameter wear larger than it reads.

We could not find enough owner feedback on this model to summarise, so judge it on the published specification. If you like the cream dial and want the feel of a mechanical stopwatch with quartz convenience, it is a characterful choice. If you want toughness for the money, look at the Rotary first.

“A cream-dialled flieger with a stopwatch that snaps back like a mechanical one.”