A whole new range of IWC Pilot’s watches was just unveiled at the Goodwood Aerodome in the U.K. in preparation for the SIHH 2019 —Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie. Our friends from Schaffhausen will be presenting a new Spitfire line, a new Top Gun line and "Le Petit Prince" special editions. For the Spitfire line, all watches are fitted with IWC-manufactured calibres to celebrate the unique engineering of the British fighter aircraft. Within the Top Gun collection IWC will be featuring their new exclusive material named Ceratanium for their first ever completely jet black Pilot’s Watch. Among the products to be unveiled by IWC the ‘Le Petite Prince’ Editions will be the first Pilot's Watch to feature a constant-force tourbillon and the first case to be made from hard gold.
For over 80 years, IWC's Pilot’s Watches have been bringing the magic of flight to all those who wear them. These prestigious watches from Schaffhausen, with their characteristic instrument design that dates back to iconic navigation watches like the Mark 11, will also be the highlight of the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer's appearance at the forthcoming Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva from January 14th-17th, 2019. Live Pictures to follow straight from Geneva next month.
Four new watches just made their appearance: IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Spitfire Edition "The Longest Flight" ref. IW395501, IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire ref. IW387902, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium ref. IW371815 and the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition ‘Le Petit Prince’ ref. IW590303.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Spitfire Edition "The Longest Flight" ref. IW395501
The Spitfire, designed by Reginald J. Mitchell, is one of the most sophisticated developments in the history of aviation. The iconic shape of the legendary British fighter aircraft is the result of a perfectly functional design; its elliptical wings not only make the propeller plane extraordinarily agile and easy to maneuver, they also give it its unique silhouette. The characteristic instrument design of IWC’s Pilot’s Watches likewise was the result of engineering to the specific requirements of military aviation. For the first time ever at IWC, it combines the patented Timezoner mechanism with an entirely automatic IWC-manufactured movement and is limited to just 250 watches.
This special edition is dedicated to the "Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight" project. It has been specially developed for pilots Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones to coincide with their flight around the world in a Spitfire. The color scheme of the watch design, with its stainless steel case, its black dial and its green textile strap, is reminiscent of the cockpit of a Spitfire.
The watch with a stainless steel case measuring 46 mm in diameter can be set to a different time zone by means of a simple rotational movement of the bezel. The hour hand, the 24-hour display and the date rotate automatically at the same time. The 24-hour display has been designed as a rotating disc beneath the dial. This means that the dial moves closer to the front glass, making it easier to read. The newly developed 82760 IWC-manufactured calibre has a Pellaton winding with components made from wear-resistant ceramic and boasts a power reserve of 60 hours.
Sticker Price $12,400 USD —not final and subject to change. For more info on IWC click here.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire ref. IW387902
The backbone of the new Spitfire line is the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire ref. IW387902. IWC is presenting its first Pilot’s Chronograph with a movement from the 69000 calibre family and a reduced case diameter of just 41 mm. The 69000 calibre family, first introduced in 2016, constitutes one of the most important developments in IWC-manufactured movements in IWC's early history. Now, for the first time, IWC has incorporated a member of this calibre family into its Pilot’s Watches. The 69380 IWC-manufactured calibre is a robust, reliable and high-precision chronograph movement with a classic column wheel design. The stopped hours and minutes are displayed on the two subdials at "9 o'clock" and "12 o'clock". It also features a date and day display. The pawl-winding system, which winds up on both sides, boasts a power reserve of 46 hours. This watch is fitted with a bronze case, olive green dial and a brown calf leather strap that gives this chronograph a unique character. Over time, the bronze develops a special patina, making each and every watch a unique piece.
Sticker Price $6,250 USD —not final and subject to change. For more info on IWC click here.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium ref. IW371815
Developed by IWC, Ceratanium is a material that since 2007, take their name from the Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program in the U.S. Navy. This training programme provides the best Navy pilots with flying and tactical training. Naval aviation requires extreme skill. When manoeuvring in tight curves, for example, both the pilots and the aircraft are subjected to maximum acceleration forces. Spending months at a time on aircraft carriers also takes its toll on personnel and material.
The Top Gun watches are therefore specially designed with robust materials, such as ceramic and titanium, to meet the specific requirements of elite jet pilots. The matte black ceramic case measuring 44 mm in diameter, ensures that pilots are not distracted by sunlight reflecting off their watches during the flight. The hard and scratch-resistant ceramic is perfectly suited to daily use in a confined aircraft cockpit and can also withstand extreme G-forces. Ceramic and titanium are also extremely corrosion-resistant and can withstand humid, salty sea air.
The new Top Gun line sees IWC make use of the innovative new material Ceratanium for the first time in a Pilot’s Watch; and in the shape of the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium ref. IW371815, the company is bringing to market its first ever pilot's watch to be completely jet black.
This material that combines the advantages of titanium and ceramic in a groundbreaking new composition, is a patented material that is as lightweight and unbreakable as titanium and at the same time as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic. It is also characterised by its excellent skin compatibility, its high degree of corrosion-resistance and its matte black colour. This has enabled IWC to create their first completely black design, without a coating, including all watch components such as push-buttons or pin buckles.
The double chronograph has an integrated split-seconds hand mechanism for simultaneously measuring short periods of time. It is powered by the 79230 calibre with self-winding mechanism and boasts a power reserve of 44 hours. The watch, with its black dial and black hands, sits on a rubber strap and textile inlay.
Sticker Price $15,000 USD —not final and subject to change. For more info on IWC click here.
IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition ‘Le Petit Prince’ ref. IW590303
Since 2005, IWC has been in collaboration with the family of French aviator and author, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. This partnership has already seen a variety of special editions launched within the Pilot’s Watches collection. While some pay tribute to the life and accomplishments of the great humanist himself, others are dedicated to his most famous literary work "The Little Prince" —Le Petit Prince. These timepieces, characterised by their dis- tinctive midnight blue dials, have been a highly regarded addition to the Pilot’s Watch collections since 2013. And at the upcoming SIHH, the manufacturer will now be adding some exclusive models to this line.
One such model is the Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition ‘Le Petit Prince’ ref. IW590303. It is the first pilot's watch from IWC to feature a constant- force tourbillon. It is available with a hard gold case and is limited to 10 watches.
This is the first time IWC has produced a watch with hard gold, a special new version of red gold. The microstructure of the alloy is modified in a sophisticated manufacturing process. Hard gold is therefore significantly harder and around 5 to 10 times more wear-resistant than conventional red gold. As a result, the material is perfectly suited to the large case —measuring 46.2 mm in diameter— and the crown of a Big Pilot’s Watch. The patented constant-force mechanism separates the escapement from the direct flow of force from the dial train and with every second re-tensions a balance spring, which serves as a temporary store of energy and transfers absolutely even force pulses to the escape wheel. Integrated into a tourbillon, which also eliminates the influence of gravity on the oscillating system, the result is extraordinary precision.
The IWC-manufactured calibre 94895 combines a constant-force tourbillon with a perpetual moon phase display, which takes 577.5 years to require adjustment by one day. The ‘Petit Prince’ stands on the moon. Two barrels store enough power for 96 hours. A display notifies the wearer of the remaining power reserve.
Sticker Price $235,000 USD —not final and subject to change. For more info on IWC click here.
