In the past year, I’ve traversed the country four times in a vintage warbird. It had been years since I’d worn a watch — partly out of rebellion. My life is so structured by time: therapy sessions that start on the hour and end at :53, flight planning that depends on precise dead reckoning, and navigation checks where every second matters. Somewhere along the way, I pushed back against living life by the clock.
But flying through four time zones in just a few days — in cockpits with no way to tell time, while my cell phone battery faded into the red — changed my mind. I realized: it’s time to dress up my wrist again.

Aviation was born in the space between courage and curiosity — and long before satellites, GPS, or digital cockpit screens, it was guided by something far older: the stars themselves.

In the earliest days of circumnavigation, when the world still felt impossibly vast and oceans stretched into ink-black infinity, explorers and airmen relied on celestial navigation to find their way. They carried sextants, star charts, and trigonometric tables rather than glowing tablets and embedded avionics. The sky wasn’t just scenery — it was the roadmap.

A Brief History of Celestial Navigation: Finding the World in the Dark

Long before aviation existed, mariners mastered the art of reading the sky. By the time airplanes took to the air in the early 1900s, the methods of using the sun, moon, planets, and 57 key navigational stars were already well established. What wasn’t established, however, was how to adapt those tools to the turbulent cabin of an aircraft bouncing through freezing night air.

Civil, Nautical & Astronomical Twilight: The Hidden Clock in the Sky

Celestial navigation wasn’t just about spotting stars at night — it also depended on knowing the exact moment twilight shifted from one phase to another. Pilots and navigators used three key twilight stages as natural time markers: civil, nautical, and astronomical. Civil twilight, when the sun sits just below the horizon, provided enough ambient light to see the aircraft’s wings and instruments without onboard lighting. As the sun dropped further, nautical twilight began, when only the brightest stars emerged and horizon lines became clear — ideal for early sextant readings. By astronomical twilight, the sky turned fully dark, revealing the complete network of navigational stars. These twilight windows acted like a universal clock in the sky, guiding airmen on when to take readings, when to expect darkness, and when calculations needed to shift — especially on long overwater flights where every minute mattered.

In 1929, famed aviator Harold Gatty published The Raft Book—a survival guide for celestial navigation that became mandatory for many long-distance pilots. Gatty believed the stars were constant companions, unfazed by weather, darkness, or the unreliability of early radio beacons. His methods were used by the military, Pan Am navigators, and countless transoceanic crews.

And then there was one of the most extraordinary long-distance celestial flights in history — a story that feels almost mythic today.

The 1938 Pacific Crossing: A Story of Skill, Darkness, and Stars

In 1938, Pan American Airways launched its “Hawaii Clipper,” a flying boat designed to cross the Pacific when the route was still considered nearly impossible. Onboard was Fred Noonan, one of the most skilled navigators of his time — the same man who had attempted the around-the-world flight with Amelia Earhart just a year earlier.

Noonan used a bubble sextant, a tool that allowed navigators to create an artificial horizon inside the aircraft, making it possible to take star readings even when clouds cloaked the ocean below. Every calculation mattered. Every degree of accuracy meant the difference between reaching the next island chain or disappearing into thousands of miles of open water.

Pilots trusted men like Noonan completely. A single miscalculation could send an aircraft hundreds of miles off course — and yet these crews crossed oceans in the dark with nothing but stars, discipline, and the quiet tick of an aviator’s watch.

It wasn’t just craftsmanship that made these flights possible. It was courage married to precision — a theme deeply woven into Scarlett & Co.’s spirit, and a cornerstone of why our elevated 1944 Line is exploring a limited, heritage-inspired watch collection.

Because timekeeping wasn’t just a convenience in aviation.

It was survival.

Time as a Lifeline: The Watch as the Aviator’s Most Trusted Companion

By the 1940s — the era that inspires Scarlett & Co.’s aesthetic — watches had become more than jewelry. They were military instruments.

During World War II, aviators needed watches that could handle extreme temperatures, violent G-forces, magnetic interference, and erratic lighting conditions. Early cockpit panels were often dim or unreliable, so pilots relied heavily on wristwatches to track fuel, navigation intervals, and mission timing.

The U.S. Army Air Forces issued the A-11 — often called the “watch that won the war.” It featured:

• Large, luminous numerals
• A hacking movement for synchronized operations
• A simple, rugged design
• Precise minute markings for approach and timing tasks

British RAF pilots had the famous Mk. XI.
German pilots the Flieger.
Each military force refined its watches to the specific demands of aviation.

Aviation shaped watchmaking — and continues to influence it today.

Why Aviators Needed (and Still Need) Specialized Timepieces

Even modern pilots rely on their watches as backups. Not because cockpit instruments fail often — but because aviation is built on redundancy. A reliable timepiece on the wrist can be a lifeline.

Here are some of the key features aviators have required for nearly a century — features that will inspire the 1944 watch concept.

1. 24-Hour Markings (Because Aviation Speaks in Zulu Time)

Aviation runs on a universal time standard: Zulu (GMT).

Flight plans, tower operations, weather briefings, and logs all use this same reference. Pilots benefit from watches with:

• 24-hour inner rings
• GMT or dual-time capabilities
• High-visibility numerals

This isn’t just functional — it’s foundational.

2. Chronographs: The Pilot’s Natural Fuel Tracker

Before digital gauges, pilots used a chronograph to track:

• Fuel burn
• Engine check intervals
• Holding pattern timing
• Approach procedures
• Dead reckoning legs

The chronograph remains one of the most timeless tools for pilots today — especially those flying classics or warbirds.

3. High-Contrast Dials for Low-Light Cockpits

Early cockpits were dimly lit, creating the need for:

• Large numerals
• Luminous paint
• Glare resistance
• Clearly defined hands

Function dictated design — and created the bold, iconic look we still associate with aviator watches.

4. Rugged Cases That Withstand Oil, Vibration, and Altitude

Classic aviator watches endured:

• Subzero temperatures
• Oil-soaked jackets
• Rapid altitude changes
• Heavy vibration
• Sweaty flight gloves

Durability wasn’t optional.

It was the price of admission.

Why Watches Belong in the Scarlett & Co. Ecosystem — Specifically the 1944 Line

Scarlett & Co. is our foundation — the everyday, functional, feminine-forward aviation clothing line that blends practicality with style.

But 1944 is different.

1944 is our elevated line.
It’s where heritage meets craftsmanship.
It’s where specialty items live — pieces meant not just to wear, but to keep.

1944 already includes:

• premium outerwear
• bomber jackets
• snoopy caps
• belts
• heirloom-quality accessories
  
  

And now, thoughtfully and intentionally, we’re exploring the addition of a small, heritage-inspired watch collection.

Not mass-produced.
Not trend-driven.
But rooted directly in 1940s aviation — the era that shaped pilots, aircraft, and timekeeping itself.

What You Can Expect from the 1944 Watch Concept

While we aren’t releasing exact designs yet, here’s where our vision is heading:

1. Vintage-Inspired 24-Hour Dials

Purpose-driven, clean, and unmistakably aviation.

2. Functional Chronographs

Just the essentials — no clutter, no unnecessary complications.

3. Authentic 1944 Case Profiles

Simple. Strong. Classic. A nod to wartime pilots.

4. Materials That Honor the Past

Think:

• brushed, anti-glare steel
• domed or flat anti-reflective crystal
• luminous hands
• leather straps inspired by WWII bomber jackets

5. A Feminine-Forward Option

Because women’s aviation gear should be designed for women, not minimized versions of men’s pieces.

This is what 1944 stands for: honoring aviation heritage through elevated, timeless pieces that carry meaning.

From the Stars to the Wrist: Why This Collection Matters

A watch is more than an accessory.

It is a lineage.

A reminder of Fred Noonan taking star sights over a silent Pacific.
A reminder of WWII pilots synchronizing their watches before rolling down the runway.
A reminder that even now, every aviator — whether in a warbird or a modern trainer — still depends on precision and respect for time.

For Scarlett & Co., adding a watch collection to the 1944 line isn’t about expanding a catalog.

It’s about honoring aviation’s roots.
It’s about craftsmanship.
It’s about carrying forward the grit, determination, and elegance that shaped 1940s flight.

And it’s about giving modern aviators — especially women — a piece of their story they can wear, fly with, and someday pass on.

Coming Soon: A New Way to Wear the Spirit of 1944

Our watches will not be rushed.
They will not be generic.
They will not be created for mass distribution.

They will be crafted with reverence — for history, for aviation, and for the enduring partnership between sky and time.

Scarlett & Co. honors the aviator.
1944 honors the legacy.

And soon, you’ll be able to wear that legacy on your wrist.