On 4 September, Italian aerobatic pilot Dario Costa achieved a new world record in the air, flying at a speed of 245 km/h (and less than a metre above the ground) through two car tunnels on the outskirts of Istanbul, once again confirming his extraordinary technical and precision skills. The Hamilton brand ambassador and Red Bull athlete performed the take-off in a specially modified Zivko Edge 540 aircraft in a first tunnel, then flew through an open-air intermediate space and finally entered a second tunnel, thus writing a new chapter in aviation history. In particular, Costa set five world records, namely the longest flight inside a tunnel, the first plane to fly through two tunnels, the first plane to fly through a tunnel, the longest flight under a solid obstacle and the first plane to take off inside a tunnel. On his wrist was a new limited edition of only 100 pieces of Hamilton's Khaki Aviation Takeoff Automatic Chronograph, a watch with a black PVD-coated steel case 46 mm in diameter by about 16 mm thick. This watch has a special system that allows the watch case to be removed from its stand and attached to another stand on the cockpit of the aircraft. Inside is the H-31 calibre, a mechanical self-winding movement, which guarantees a 60-hour power reserve. The dial, protected by an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, displays continuous seconds at 6 o'clock, chrono minutes at 12 o'clock, chrono seconds in the centre and a date window at 3 o'clock. The black leather strap is combined with a pin buckle. Water resistance is guaranteed up to 5 atmospheres of pressure. A curiosity: the number 100 for the limited edition refers to the maximum height Dario Costa could reach inside the two tunnels, namely 100 centimetres (one metre).
Price2,835 euro.
