This is the second Timefactors watch and right off the bat I can tell that this is a great quality watch just like the other one.
The Speedbird III is a 39mm steel cased watch with 20mm lugs, the crystal, to my surprise, in addition to being thick and solid, is slightly domed which is an awesome touch.
The pilot styling is what I like and the hands shape is what sets it apart from the other pilot watches. It is unfortunately a copy of another pilot watch made in the past by IWC, down to the bracelet. I said unfortunately because it was not an original idea/design, but that does not in any way detract from the watch quality or functionality. This is a real watch, not a cheap piece of junk. The movement on these new Speedbird III watches is in fact a top grade ETA 2824.
The crown is screw down and smooth, the movement keeps great time and the dial/hands are very legible in most lighting conditions. I even got compliments on this watch on the one day I wore it, it is great looking and visible.
There are only a couple of things that I wish could be changed. The first one is that at 39mm it is a little small for me and my wrist. The 20mm lugs are also thin and these factors make the watch smaller looking as well. I have not tried the bracelet yet which is apparently very comfortable and high quality too, so maybe that can make a difference. My wish is that this would be 42-42mm maybe with 22mm lugs.
The only other minor issue is that the hands have a bit less lume then the dial, as one can see from the pictures. They are usable for 3-4 hours when dark, but the lume on the hands fades a little faster then the one on the markers. Not a problem really but just a nit pick for me mostly because I like lume. This does not affect the watch readability in normal conditions and the watch looks awesome in daylight.
If I can't get over the size factor, I might end up re-cycling it (selling or trading it) or possibly I would love to replace the hands with some other high quality ones to improve the night time readability. I have some ideas and will decide in the next few days. It is a watch worth having easily competing with more expensive ones from other famous pilot watch makers.
Here are a few quick shots.
Has a timeless look that is always classic,
