The introduction of the Boeing 747 to the Cathay Pacific fleet was a major milestone and this well-loved aircraft type fuelled the development of Cathay's passenger network for 37 years, from 1979 to 2016; it is still the workhorse of the airline's cargo fleet.

"B-HOP" (first registered as VR-HOP) was the first -400 variant of the 747 family to join the Cathay Pacific fleet in June 1989 and served the airline for 25 years, logging 117,747 flight hours, or some 52,986,150 miles – that's enough to get to the moon and back 111 times! The aircraft also operated one of the very last commercial flights out of Kai Tak Airport in July 1998.

B-HOP was retired in September 2014 and then scrapped; however, her flight deck was salvaged and now lives on as an eye-catching feature in the reception area of the Headland Hotel at Cathay City, at Hong Kong International Airport.

Meanwhile, a section of B-HOP's rear wing spar – the immensely strong titanium alloy beam that supports the trailing edge wing flaps and wing-gear undercarriage – was also saved. And thanks to a labour-of-love on the part of a team of enthusiasts at Cathay, it is now being crafted into a limited edition pilot's watch, which will be available to staff next year, on a not-for-profit basis. It's a unique way to commemorate Cathay Pacific's long association with the Boeing 747 and with this special aircraft in particular.

Just 748 of the watches will be produced – that number referencing the 14 Boeing 747-8F aircraft in the airline's current 20-strong 747 freighter fleet. The manufacturer is renowned German watchmaker Sinn Spezialuhren, a specialist in cockpit clocks and pilot's chronographs, and the robust, uncluttered design of the bespoke B-HOP watch, reflects that history. With its back and case cut from B-HOP's titanium wing spar, the watch has a classic black face with dual time zones and is embossed with "CX" and "Boeing" marks and with the number "747" in grey. The second hand is "Swire" red, while the 24-hour hand of the second time-zone is picked out in the green and white striped livery worn by Cathay aircraft from 1973 to 1994, and known affectionately as the "lettuce sandwich". The back of the case is meanwhile etched with a graphic of B-HOP herself on final approach to Kai Tak Airport and framed by the familiar landmarks of Checkerboard Hill and Lion Rock.

For more details on how to order one of these exclusive timepieces, please contact Captain Mark Hoey, General Manager Operations (mark_hoey@cathaypacific.com) or Captain Rod Provan (rod_provan@cathaypacific.com).