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History
IWC revolutionised wristwatches wholly modelled for pilots. In 1936 the first special IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watches were introduced into the market, customised for the pilot’s convenience. IWC Schaffhausen then soon engineered the Mark XII which was crafted as a tribute to the Royal Air force in 1948.
Classic
Playing the classics inside the aerodrome, the Pilot’s Watches Classic series features a plethora of iterations and limited-edition timepieces.
The Classic Big Pilot's
The Big Pilot’s watches are equipped with two case variants 46mm & 43mm. The 46mm variant is fixed with a power reserve indicator and a date window. The Big Pilot’s Watch 43 offer spitfire timepieces as well named after the legendary Supermarine Spitfire. The Big Pilot’s 46mm perpetual calendar variant features a moon phase indicator, day, month, date, and a leap year window placed between 7 & 8 o’clock. Inside the date and day sub-dials, power reserve and running seconds are also displayed, respectively. The Big Date Spitfire Edition “Mission Accomplished” was launched to commemorate the longest flight ever taken in a Spitfire.
The Classic Automatics & Marks
The simplicity of the Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36 watches is displayed with just a date window at 3 o’clock. These automatics are also home to Spitfire timepieces with a 39mm case. To commemorate the early Pilot’s Watches, the collection is fitted with Pilot’s Watches Mark XVIII and Pilot’s Watches Mark XX. These timepieces are a direct descendant of the timepieces made for the RAF.
The Classic Chronographs & Limited-Editions
The chronograph timepieces with minute, hour, and seconds sub-dials with a day & date window are available in two case sizes, 41mm and 43mm. The 41mm Variant features Spitfire timepieces as well. The series is fitted with a world timer called the Timezoner Chronograph featuring major cities on the bezel and a flyback chronograph with totaliser sub-dial marking hours and seconds at 12 o’clock. The Chronograph Edition ‘Chinese New Year’ timepiece limited to just 500 pieces, comes with a Burgundy dial that features a leaping Tiger on the case back signifying the ‘Year of the Tiger’. Talking about the AMG limited editions, the Chronograph Edition “AMG” is made in collaboration with Mercedes AMG and is the first Pilot’s Watch Chronograph with a titanium case and a carbon fibre dial. The Chronograph 41 Edition “Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team” is the first timepiece officially created by the brand for the whole team.
Performance Materials
Combining scratch resistance properties of ceramic and the hardness of titanium, IWC created a patented material called ‘Ceratanium’. Apart from Ceratanium, the collection also features coloured ceramics resulting from mixing zirconium oxide with other metallic oxides.
The Top Gun
Celebrating the Top Gun programme by the US Navy that produced pilots with essential fighter and strike tactics for the Naval Aviators, the Top Gun editions inside the Performance Materials series were launched.
The Chronographs
The chronograph timepieces featuring three chronograph counters and a day/date window are available in various limited-edition timepieces that denote US navy culture and places such as Top Gun Edition “SFTI”, “Woodland”, and “Lake Tahoe”. IWC pays homage to various fighter squadrons fitted with Super Hornet fighter jets such as Chronograph Edition “Royal Maces”, “Tophatters”, and “Blue Angels”. The Edition "Tribute to 3705" pays homage to the 1994 "Black Flieger”, the first pilot's watch from IWC in black zirconium oxide ceramic. Now it comes in a Ceratanium case. A timepiece that measures two separate chronograph functions, the Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium is as unique as the material it is fitted with.
The Automatics
The collection also offers simple and intuitive Limited-Edition timepieces such as Mark XVIII Top Gun Edition “SFTI” and Top Gun Edition “Mojave Desert” made with a sand-coloured ceramic case. A “Laureus Sport For Good” limited edition is fitted with a blue ceramic case for the first time as well. The Timezoner Top Gun Ceratanium is a classic world timer by the brand featuring 24 major cities on the bezel and a digital date window.
The Perpetual Calendars
The perpetual calendar timepieces displaying the moon phase, a day sub-dial with small seconds, a date sub-dial with a power reserve indicator, a month sub-dial and a leap year window are made available in a Big Pilot’s iterations. The watches are available in limited edition timepieces such as “Rodeo Drive” named after IWC’s boutique in Los Angeles, “Mojave Desert” & “Racing Green”. This complication is also made available in a Ceratanium case timepiece. Paying a tribute to the CEO of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, the Edition “Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team” features the team’s signature green appliques and a Ceratanium case.
The Absorber
One timepiece that stands out in the collection is the Shock Absorber XPL equipped with the SPRIN-g PROTECT system that can protect the movement from acceleration forces of almost 30,000g. Comes fitted with the patented Ceratanium case.
Antoine De Saint Exupery
This series pays tribute to the French writer and aviator, Antoine De Saint Exupery who was an aristocrat and an avid aviator known for his novel, the Le Petit Prince. The limited-edition timepieces feature a brown dial and complications such as chronographs & mono-pushers. Apart from the complications, the series also features a Mark XVIII Edition. The Le Petit Prince sub-series features limited editions with blue dials and simple & complex complications. The simpler complications include timepieces with small seconds, power reserve, day/date window, Annual Calendar, Chronographs & Mono pushers. Mark XVIII Editions are also present in this sub-series. Coming to the complex complications, the Timerzoner displays 24 cities on the bezel and a 24-hour indicator, whereas the Perpetual Calendar Chronograph features functions such as day, month, date, leap year widow, and a totaliser sub-dial with moon phase. The series also showcases a Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon with similar markings such as leap year, day, date with power reserve and month with moon phase but with a Tourbillon at 12 clock position.
Brand Video
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