The present B-Uhr is a fine example of a mid-20th century pilots’ watch and recognized for its spartan aesthetics, oversized 55mm diameter case, and mechanical hack mechanism.

In the 1940s, the German Air Force commissioned brands like IWC, Laco and A. Lange and Söhne to produce pilot wristwatches, following their specifications. The brands manufactured watches with mechanical movements, large center seconds hands, oversized crowns and a hacking, or stop-seconds, mechanism. The oversized cases permitted the use of large dials for high legibility and featured strong luminous hour markers so the navigator could easily read the time, day or night. The dials featured a triangle at 12 o’clock with two dots on either side, which allowed the pilot to orient the watch immediately in any position.