IWC Schaffhausen’s Latest Pilot’s Watch Collections Will Make You Nostalgic About Air Travel
It could be a little ironic that IWC chose this year to focus on their Pilot’s Watch collection given that most planes have spent many months grounded on the tarmac, but our guess is that they are optimistic that this is the year when global flights resume, or perhaps it was just a part of their long term planning. Whatever the case may be, we think it’s still pretty great to be able to put an aviation-inspired watch on the wrist, bringing back a little bit of that aviation nostalgia.
IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43mm
Despite what the name Big Pilot’s Watch may imply, this year IWC has decided to shrink it down to a not-so Big Pilot’s Watch. The spirit of this collection takes its inspiration from a time when these watches were made purely as functional tools for pilots. Legibility was the main concern, therefore the dials were often sparse with very conspicuous hands and the size of these watches was often humongous. Even by today’s standards 48 mm is a bit on the big side. Therefore, to make the Big Pilot’s Watch a little bit more accessible to a wider range of audiences, they decided to create a version in 43 mm.
This new 43 mm diameter still keeps the spirit of an oversized case but makes it a little more manageable for those with smaller or mid-size wrists. The watch will be available with either a blue or a black dial and will be powered by IWC-manufactured 82100 calibre with their Pellaton 2-way winding system.
As the modern Pilot’s Watch was created not just as a utilitarian tool but also as a luxury item, it will feature compatibility with the user-friendly EasX-Change strap system allowing for quick changes of the strap.
IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar
Yet another staple in the Big Pilot’s Collection returns this year, offering the perpetual calendar complication in a stainless-steel case, a blue dial and rhodium-plated hands. As with many other perpetual calendars, this watch will display the accurate day, date and month even taking into consideration the leap years and will not need any correction until 2100. The more interesting bit is that IWC has included a new century slider in the case which shows the year until 2499.
The IWC-manufacture calibre 52615 calibre is made with 386 components and thanks to its twin barrels, the Pellaton automatic winding system can build up a power reserve of seven days.
IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a mechanical watch and the G-Shock had a baby, this may be the answer to your question. Jokes aside, this incredible system is IWC’s new patented shock absorber system called SPRIN-g PROTECT, which took eight years to develop. Through its unique shape and the use of a Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG) material, the watch was shown to be able to survive accelerations in excess of 30,000 g.
Keep up with all the Watches and Wonders 2021 launches here!
Read more:
Three Biggest Trends Spotted This Year at Watches & Wonders 2021
Watches & Wonders 2021: Montblanc Goes On A Brown Spree For Its New Watches
Watches & Wonders 2021: An Honorable Update to the Corum Admiral Collection
Watches & Wonders 2021: H. Moser & Cie Creates Art, Not Watches
Watches & Wonders 2021: Zenith Elevates Its Defy Watches With Stunning New Look
Watches & Wonders 2021: The New And Improved TAG Heuer Aquaracer
Watches & Wonders 2021: Bvlgari’s Octo Finissimo Breaks Yet Another Record
Watches & Wonders 2021: Jaeger-Lecoultre Launches the Ultimate Reverso Watch
Watches & Wonders 2021: Chopard Unveils a Host of Fantastic L.U.C Watches
Watches & Wonders 2021: Piaget Launches A Collection Of Intricate Masterpieces
Watches & Wonders 2021: Vacheron Constantin’s ‘Classic With A Twist’ Novelties
Watches & Wonders 2021: Tudor Black Bay Watches In New Silver and Gold Cases
Watches & Wonders 2021: New Cartier Watches in Their Iconic Shapes