Altitude
Aviators in search of affordable quartz timepieces with all of the vital functions for piloting a plane have long turned to Torgoen. Since the Swiss watch firm’s founding ten years ago by pilot Benzi Rosenski, Torgoen has built a strong reputation based on reliability, functionality and price. That reputation, along with a strategic partnership with stunt aviator Spencer Suderman, has catapulted Torgoen to its current place among the top brands in the most important pilot supply stores around the world.
Naturally, the timepieces also appeal to watch fans and other folks looking for a well-designed, sporty timepiece priced well below $1,000.
“There are many fine aviation watch brands on the market,” says Mike Lockett, a watch industry veteran who joined Torgoen three years ago, “but we are the only one that operates in the mid-price segment. We deliver high-quality timepieces designed with recognizable character at very affordable prices.”
Torgoen makes timepieces with a number of features designed with aviators in mind, from inner bezels outfitted with the E6B Flight computer, a circular slide rule that pilots carry with them as a back up to their electronic instruments to do their calculations “on the fly,” to an array of chronographs and highly legible dials.
Pilot partner
Since 2006, the firm has partnered with Spencer Suderman, a stunt pilot of considerable renown who tours the
When Suderman is not performing on the road, he can be found teaching at the Torgoen Academy of Flight Safety in Ventura County, California, where he instructs pilots in a very specialized form of flying designed to push them out of their comfort zone.
“Our school specializes in spin training and escaping unusual attitudes,” says Suderman. “It’s very advanced aviation safety training.”
Just what is “unusual attitude”? Though the name might be slightly confusing, an unusual attitude has absolutely nothing to do with a peculiar personality. It’s a technical term used for defining aircraft positions not conducive to regular flying. According to the academy’s website, unusual attitude can include bank angles in excess of 45 degrees or pitch angles more than 20 degrees.
The mission of the academy is to put pilots in extremely difficult positions so that Suderman can teach them to fix in-flight problems while maintaining confidence and, above all, without panicking. Pilots from around the world come to Suderman, one of the best at what he does, to learn how to get out of hairy situations in the cockpit and stay safe and calm at all times.
Rotating cuff
Suderman likes to rotate his eight or so Torgoen aviator watches, but tends to favor chronographs and timepieces that feature the E6B Flight Computer. When he spoke, Suderman was wearing a watch from the T6 range, which is outfitted with a quartz alarm function. As a special favor he often packs extra watches on the road and gifts them to the organizers at the many flight shows he participates in.
This year Torgoen launched two new lines: The T22, which combines the popular E6B Flight Computer with a chronograph, and the T30, a GMT alarm piece with large, bold, legible numerals. As with all Torgoen lines, these new ones come in a diverse array of color combinations.
