Despite having ultimately proved to be something of a white elephant on a commercial level, the Airbus A380 has more than its fair share of admirers thanks to its size, range, and innovative cabin features. This has meant that, even as superjumbos around the world begin to be scrapped, avgeeks are keen to keep the jet‘s legacy alive by fashioning collectible pieces of memorabilia from its components. The latest of these is a $3,250 watch.

As first highlighted yesterday on X by Airway Buzz, AIM Watches is upcycling components from a former Etihad Airways Airbus A380 to create a limited edition run of, rather aptly, 380 watches known as the Alpha Series (A380) AUH Edition. Let’s take a closer look at this collection, and what makes it special.

A Superjumbo Fan’s Dream

Credit: AIM Watches

The AIM Watches (whose name stands for Aviator Inspired Movement) website explains that the A380 whose components form the basis of this new range of watches bore the registration A6-APA. This particular example of the superjumbo was the first to be delivered to Etihad Airways, and the 150th overall delivery.

According to AIM Watches, this product has a power reserve of 38 to 41 hours, and is accurate to within four seconds a day. It can be wound both automatically and manually. While the $3,250 watches themselves are made in Switzerland, they proudly bear the tagline ‘designed in the UAE.’ This strengthens their ties to Etihad Airways, with Greg Browne, the airline pilot who founded AIM Watches, telling Fashion Beans back in November that:

“The UAE has become my home. It’s given me opportunities, friendships, and a life I’m grateful for every day. The ‘Designed in the UAE’ marking is my way of paying tribute.”

The Finer Details

Credit: AIM Watches

Diving deeper into the finer details of this Airbus A380-inspired watch, AIM Watches calls the limited edition product, whose “next drop of ten is shipping at the end of June,” a “tribute to the UAE’s aviation legacy.” Each timepiece is individually numbered from one to 380, and features a “premium leather strap with a quick release.” The crown of the watch is also said to have been inspired by the Airbus A380’s distinctive engine fan.

Etihad’s A380s are known for their luxurious on-board offering, particularly in the case of their world-famous ‘Residence’ three-room suites at the front of the upper deck of the widebody quadjet aircraft. This opulence is rather aptly reflected in these watches, as each of them is said to feature no fewer than 26 jewels.

The watch’s second hand moves in a smooth, sweeping manner, and features a distinctive red and black striped ‘barber’s pole’ design with a white arrowhead. Each of these rare timepieces “is individually inspected in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, before release“, with a two-year warranty offering further cover. With the first ten units expected to be shipped by the end of the month, it is certainly an exciting era for AIM Watches right now.

Memorabilia Ranges Are Keeping The Legacy Of The Airbus A380 Alive

Credit: Shutterstock

With the A380 being such a loved aircraft, it is unsurprising to see that these watches are far from the only examples of the type being upcycled in order to keep its legacy alive. Indeed, AIM also offers such timepieces with components from ex-Emirates and Lufthansa A380s, with the Etihad example that forms the basis of the latest range having also been upcycled into collectible aircraft skin tags by German memorabilia firm Aviationtag.

Aviationtag has also created collectible aircraft skin tags made from the components of a former Lufthansa Airbus A380, while a similar initiative undertaken by Falcon Aircraft Recycling in Dubai resulted in keyrings being made out of an ex-Emirates superjumbo. These were sold via Aviationtag, with a proportion of the cost going toward the Emirates Foundation. Aviationtag has also made tags out of a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380’s skin.