Mühle-Glashütte has sealed a deal to supply an 80th anniversary limited edition watch for the largest aviation association in the world, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
AOPA has almost 400,000 members world-wide, providing support to pilot and other aviation professionals.
Mühle has designed and made a special version of its AeroSport, limited to just 500 pieces, that features the AOPA logo on its jet black dial, white numbers and red indicators at 15 minute intervals, along with a red tipped minute hand allowing for superior ease of readability at a short glance.
Paired with the bezel is a triangle PIP indicator in AOPA royal blue that can be used to calculate length of time and or a fixed GMT function.
The back of this timepiece has a display case back that reveals the SW200-1 Muhle version, a custom rotor in the AOPA blue and the AOPA 80 year’s anniversary logo.
The watch is available to the public for $1,899, but AOPA members can buy it for $1,499.
Mühle’s American distributor Duber Time was instrumental in brokering the deal with AOPA. Owner Jeff Hess told WatchPro that he has worked with the organisation for over a decade and had dreamed of replicating the success of early partnerships between watchmakers and the association.
Breitling used to make a special Navitimer, with early examples becoming highly collectible and Mr Hess believes the new Muhle AeroSport has the potential to take-off with pilots as well.
“Thilo Muhle, CEO of Mühle-Glashütte, and AOPA have worked fantastically together to produce this watch and it is a real honour to see the watch come to life,” Mr Hess says.
It could also be a springboard for Muhle watches in the United States and around the world because of AOPA’s huge global membership.
“It is a really big deal for us. This is rarefied air; a chance to get in front of a whole new audience for Muhle,” Mr Hess adds.
