USA-Built Luxury, Solid Tool Watch Specs: Jack Mason Pursuit Pilot Review

There are a handful of meaningful differentiators in the world of mechanical wristwatches. One of the most important is power reserve, or how long a watch can run without being worn or wound. The boutique brand Jack Mason just launched its Pursuit Pilot with a power reserve of 68 hours in a watch that costs less than $1,500.

Oh, and the brand assembles and regulates them in the U.S.A.

I got my hands on a Jack Mason Pursuit Pilot to put it through some quick paces. It’s a handsome watch that packs a lot into a capable form. But it’s entering a competitive price range. Will its Texas roots and quality craftsmanship be enough to pull in new fans?

In short: For $1,400, the Jack Mason Pursuit Pilot gives customers a Swiss-made Joux Perret G101 movement regulated to ±5 seconds per day in a classic, utilitarian wristwatch. Jack Mason’s pilot watch shares many elements with the best field watches, with a slightly larger face. It has excellent legibility and a subtle, modest appearance that is practical for outdoor use. Jack Mason designs and builds the watch in Texas from globally sourced parts, and it has a few visual nods to its birthplace.

Compare it in our guide to the best field watches here.

Jack Mason Pursuit Pilot Review

If you’re not a watch enthusiast, you’re likely scratching your head and asking, “What’s a Jack Mason?” I don’t blame you. The brand just turned 10 years old in 2025, and the Pursuit Pilot is its anniversary edition.

Jack Mason has evolved quite a lot in its very short lifespan. Launched as a value brand in 2015, it shifted its focus toward entry-level luxury watches. While it sources global parts to build its watches, it does assemble the watches in Texas. I asked the brand what exactly that means.

“That means the watches are completely quality-controlled, assembled, regulated, and tested here in the U.S.,” a brand spokesman told me over email. “The Swiss movements are some of the best mass-produced workhorse movements out there, with a huge perk of the LJP G100 series being the long power reserve compared to its Sellita and ETA competition.”

OK, but how does it feel on the wrist? I have to admit, it’s pretty darn good.

Over the last 2 weeks, I wore the Jack Mason Pursuit Pilot almost daily. That included some cross-country and downhill skiing, trips to the office, and runs on trail and around town. As a pilot watch, it checks a lot of the boxes I look for in a field watch with a little more size that brings extra legibility as a positive, weight as a negative.

I also happened to leave it locked in the trunk of my car for a couple of days in below-zero weather. I was impressed to see it ticking away happily after two nights that dropped below -8 degrees Fahrenheit.

Not bad for a Texan.

Jack Mason Pursuit Pilot: Simple Performance

The Pursuit Pilot is a very clean, simple watch. It has a 39mm case — a sweet spot, in my opinion. It’s large enough to bring some moxie to the wrist but small enough not to overwhelm smaller folks, which I consider myself. I have a 7.25-inch wrist.

When I received the demo from Jack Mason, I immediately sized the bracelet, an easy project thanks to the screw pins. I removed four links, and the watch was close to sized. But Jack Mason makes it easy to get it perfect with a really nice micro-adjusting clasp. Emblazoned with the brand name in a subtle impression, the clasp looks nice and works smoothly.

The oyster bracelet is nothing particularly noteworthy. It looks good and doesn’t really stand out in any way. The finish is nice, and it provides a little heft to the watch, which weighs in at 5.08 ounces after those four links were removed.

From the top, the Pursuit Pilot screams field watch. It has clear numerals at the 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, and 11 positions. A triangle dominates the 12 o’clock point, and luminous batons mark 3, 6, and 9. Five-minute increments are denoted on the outer edge of the bezel, as are single-minute markers. The hands are slender arrows that clearly differentiate between the hour and minute. The second hand is a simple red pointer with a small white accent.

The bezel is very simple. Available in white, army green, and black, it carries the words “AUTOMATIC” and “150 METERS.” Above the center, a single Texas star in a circle rises.

That’s it. Under the sapphire crystal, there’s an uncluttered, easy-to-read palette. It’s easy to read in daylight in an instant. At night, it gives off a bright lume that lasts until the early morning hours.

Pursuit Pilot: Nice Watch, Not Cheap

Jack Mason built a nice watch with the Pursuit Pilot. It will look good in dress clothes or jeans and a T-shirt. And with 150m water resistance and even magnetic shielding, this one is ready for action in pretty burly outdoor settings. It is a tool watch through and through.

But it’s also still from a young, lesser-known brand. And $1,400 is, for many of us, a significant investment. The Jack Mason Pursuit Pilot reviewed here tackles a competitive market at this price but brings a lot of quality for the money.

Considering the 68-hour power reserve and highly accurate timekeeping, it’s a competitive watch. Consumers could compare it to watches like the Hamilton Field Khaki Expedition, an iconic field watch with an 80-hour power reserve and similar performance priced just under $1,000.

For the short term, Jack Mason will likely remain something of an enthusiast’s brand. But for those willing to step outside the better-known brands, the Pursuit Pilot offers something unique. It begs to be worn with a classic appearance and top-tier utility. If Jack Mason keeps this up, it likely won’t be “lesser-known” for long.