IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN SENDS NEW PILOT’S WATCHES OUT ONTO THE RUNWAY
Schaffhausen, 2 October 2017 – IWC Schaffhausen launches new models in the Pilot’s Watch collection. The Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Antoine de Saint Exupéry” is the latest special edition created in honour of the French pilot and author. The Big Pilot’s Watch Heritage is available with a case in either titanium or bronze and takes its inspiration from the historical Big Pilot’s Watch (Calibre 52 T.S.C.). Finally, IWC is also unveiling the compact Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Heritage in a retro design with a black dial, numerals printed in beige, and blue hands coated with luminescent material.
The Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Antoine de Saint Exupéry” is limited to 250 pieces: in 18-carat red gold with a brown dial and gold-plated hands (Ref. IW502706).
The tobacco brown dial and the brown calfskin strap with decorative white stitching are reminiscent of the pilot suits from the era of Antoine 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 IWC-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 of this watch 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. This watch is just the latest in a series of timepieces created by IWC to highlight its long-standing partnership with the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Foundation.
IWC is also presenting further new products in the form of Pilot’s Watches in the striking retro design of the historic Big Pilot’s Watch (Calibre 52 T.S.C.) from the 1940s. The Big Pilot’s Watch Heritage is available in two different models: in titanium with a black dial and blue hands coated with luminescent material (IW501004) and in bronze with a black dial and blue hands coated with luminescent material (Ref. IW501005).
The edition in bronze is limited to 1,500 pieces. Both watches are driven by 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.
With the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Heritage, IWC has recreated the iconic Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII in a titanium case for the first time: in titanium with a black dial and blue hands coated with luminescent material (Ref. IW327006).
All three watches are worn with a brown calfskin strap and are fitted with the tried and tested Pilot’s Watch technology from IWC: a soft-iron inner case keeps the movements safe from magnetic fields and the sapphire glass on all models is specially designed to be protected against sudden drops in pressure in the cockpit.
The new models are available from November 2017 in IWC boutiques and from authorised IWC retailers.
With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of Haute Horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people, and maintains partnerships with organizations dedicated to environmental protection.