A FUNDAMENTAL REFERENCE POINT FOR AIR NAVIGATION
In aeronautics, a waypoint, also called a reference point, turning point, or reporting point, is a predefined geographical point used to guide an aircraft along its trajectory. It plays a central role in the planning and execution of a flight, whether commercial, private, or military.
This term, widely adopted in modern aviation, comes from English and has become universal. Its meaning is clear and unambiguous: a "way-point" located on an air route.
FUNCTION OF A WAYPOINT
During flight preparation, the pilot defines a series of waypoints that will form the route to be followed. These points are:
- Represented on aeronautical charts, usually by a triangle.
- Identified by coded names, from one to five letters.
- Defined by precise geographic coordinates (latitude, longitude) for existing points.
- Registered in the aircraft's navigation systems.
- They can also be defined by the pilot by choosing a precise and easily identifiable landmark (e.g., a village, a highway junction, etc.) in the case of VFR flight.
Waypoints allow for precise and safe flight planning . Each segment between two waypoints corresponds to a heading to follow. The pilot or the flight computer adjusts the trajectory accordingly.
THE NATURAL CONNECTION WITH OUR FIRST MODEL
As part of our project, a relevant name for our first watch model with aeronautical DNA was a given. We needed a word that evoked navigation, precision, preparation, and orientation in space and time.
The word Waypoint came about naturally. Not only does it evoke the world of aeronautics, but it also embodies the idea of an important stage, marked in a journey, which perfectly echoes the idea of an instrument that accompanies the journey.
THE ROLE OF THE CHRONOSCOPE BETWEEN TWO WAYPOINTS
In flight planning, the chronoscope becomes a complementary tool to waypoints. While each waypoint marks a precise point in space, the chronoscope allows you to measure the time between two points , thus controlling the estimated time and duration of each flight segment. The perfect combination comes to life when paired with the bidirectional bezel, offering enhanced time-keeping capabilities.
Examples in context:
- Activate your chronoscope before takeoff, then at each waypoint.
- Calculate the time required to reach the next one (estimated and true time).
- Adjust your heading and flight parameters according to the observed deviations.
In this way, mastery of time and space becomes total, and this is indeed the very essence of precision watchmaking originating from aviation .
The Waypoint is much more than a simple landmark: it embodies the spirit of structured, anticipated, and controlled navigation . By adopting it as the model name, we wanted to create a link between the horological measuring instrument and the aeronautical landmark , two symbols of the same requirement for rigor and clarity .