In my many freelance writing pursuits, I’m very fortunate every day and every week to stumble upon some of the coolest gear, menswear and products (period!) on the market, and across a wide variety of categories. That’s an understatement, I should think!

And while I certainly consider myself something of a watch buff as I cover some of the very best watches for men, I hadn’t yet discovered the wonders of Australian-made watch company PANZERA. Talk about a brand that’s about to get a whole lot more well-known: The company was recently tapped by the United States Air Force’s elite Aggressor Squadron to deliver a custom, pilot-approved timepiece.

And while that resulting timepiece is only available to USAF pilots, I had the chance to check out another stellar PANZERA watch as of late, as you might have seen on my Instagram — the results are in, and the PANZERA Flieger 45G is simply one of the coolest watches I’ve had the pleasure of trying lately.

Don’t get it twisted: While handsome and stylish on the surface, this pilot’s watch is every bit as functional as it is formidable, and that’s the kind of piece we look to spotlight in our weekly Friday Find series (view past entries here).

With customizable options aplenty (select from two case and three dial color options), plus ten strap options, the combinations are nearly endless. I opted for a black dial, brown leather and silver case build, but the real story here when it comes to the PANZERA Flieger 45G is the burly build, the handsome and thick leather strap and its GMT functionality.

Equally appreciated in my experience to date with the rugged and yet versatile PANZERA Flieger 45G is the trio-date window, with today’s date marked at the red arrow — an eye-catching design detail that sets it apart from the pack. I also appreciate the functional inner bezel for easy time-zone tracking at a glance, while its dial and hands are topped by scratch-proof sapphire and adorned with Super LumiNova luminous markings.

For a bit under $1K, this striking pilot’s watch is a wrist game upgrade worth making: Functional, fashionable without being too flashy, and utterly dependable in my experience to date. And while it’s not quite as souped-up as the timepiece used by real-life pilots, the dependable and hard-working PANZERA Flieger 45G is the next best thing — take that to the bank, and to your watch collection, my friends.