IWC: New Pilot’s Watches

IWC Schaffhausen launches three new models in its iconic Pilot’s Watch collection.

The first novelty is the Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Antoine de Saint Exupéry”, a special edition created in honour of the French pilot and author. Limited to 250 pieces with a 46,2mm case in 18-carat red gold with a brown dial and gold-plated hands, this watch is the latest in a series of timepieces created by IWC to highlight its long-standing partnership with the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Foundation.

The tobacco brown dial and the brown calfskin strap with decorative white stitching remind the pilot suits from the era of de Saint-Exupéry. The annual calendar displays the month, date and day in three separate windows and only requires adjustment once a year, at the end of February. The in-house manufactured calibre 52850 boasts a Pellaton winding system with components in virtually wear-free ceramic and generates a 7-day power reserve in two barrels. A special feature is the rotor in solid 18-carat red gold in the form of a Lightning P-38: it was in this particular model of aircraft that Saint-Exupéry took off on a reconnaissance flight across the Mediterranean from which he never returned. (Price €.36.600)

The Schaffhausen brand is also presenting the Big Pilot’s Watch Heritage, inspired from the historical Big Pilot’s Watch from the 1940s. This timepiece is available in two different editions: in titanium with a black dial and blue hands coated with luminescent material and in bronze with a black dial and blue hands coated with luminescent material. The model in bronze is limited to 1,500 pieces. Both their 46,2mm cases host the IWC-manufactured calibre 52110 with a Pellaton winding system and a 7-day power reserve. A power reserve display at “3 o’clock” indicates the charging level at all times. (Price €.14.000 for both version)

Finally, IWC is unveiling the compact Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Heritage, recreating the iconic Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII in a 40mm titanium case for the first time. The new model features a black dial, numerals printed in beige, and blue hands coated with luminescent material. (Price €.4.830)

All three watches are worn with a brown calfskin strap and are equipped with the IWC Pilot’s Watch technology: a soft-iron inner case keeps the movements safe from magnetic elds and the sapphire glass on all models is specially designed to be protected against sudden drops in pressure in the cockpit.