I am sure many of you are well aware of IWC collaborating with the charity organization named after the famous writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The brand, who had brought a fresh look to the classic Pilot’s Watch concept with the special series dedicated to the world bestselling novel of all times ‘’ “Le Petit Prince”, keeps moving in the same path by creating new models.
We are fascinated with the brown dial “Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition” model which was presented just before the SIHH 2016 and the “Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition” model presented a year ago featuring the new ‘’ Annual Calendar ‘’ movement in a Pilot’s Watch for the first time.
The perpetual calendar timepieces of IWC have their own fans. I might say that those watches are not quite easy to get due to their relatively high prices caused by the precious metal cases like platinum or 18K solid gold. As far as I remember, the first perpetual calendar model with a stainless steel case was launched as a 500 pieces limited edition Portugieser. Now we have the same configuration in this Ref. IW503801.
The movement Caliber Ref.52610 housed in a 46mm stainless steel case is manufactured within IWC’s own factory. The movement features a brilliant operating system which allows the user to do all the necessary settings by using the single crown. Caliber Raf.52610 does not require any adjustment for its calendar function until the year 2100 and it provides a massive 7 day power reserve when fully wound. The 18K rose gold oscillating weight, which we are familiar with the Saint Exupery editions, is accompanied with the Pellaton winding system. Thanks to the sapphire case back, the beauty of the movement is visible at the back.
The model, which grabs attention at the first glance with its beautiful brown dial, is limited to 750 pieces only. The watch is served on stunning Santoni manufacture leather strap which matches the overall aesthetics perfectly.
Though the watch feels quite comfortable on the wrist ( esp. considering the size ), I cannot say it’s good for all. It may look oversized on a tiny wrist with its 46mm diameter and 15.5mm thick case offered by a big crown but it’s good to keep in my that this situation is valid for almost every classic pilot’s watch.
Besides the limited production and the beautiful brown dial, Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition steps forward with its competitive price tag. Since the case is crafted in stainless steel, IWC managed to keep the MSRP at 28.400EUR which is surely a significant advantage for the potential buyers who held off before due to the top figure price tags of the platinum and solid gold versions.
The ‘’ Annual Calendar ‘’ movement of IWC, which presented first in Portuguesier Collection at SIHH 2015, is now available with the Big Pilot Collection. The function slightly differs with its annual calendar feature which requires to be set just once a year at the end of February while being monitored through a triple display dial.
The Ref. IW502701 comes in a 46mm 18K rose gold case. The 250 pieces limited edition model has a magnificent dial color which could not be properly expressed here as you need to strap the watch to your wrist and see it in person.
The fully in-house movement Caliber Ref.52850 provides the same super efficient 7 day power reserve when fully wound besides its user friendly hacking feature. The loyal IWC enthusiasts will surely understand it’s relation to the ‘’ Le Petite Prince ‘’ but for those who lack the detailed information or experienced eyes the engravings on the back will be more than enough to point relation officially.
The 18K rose gold oscillating rotor features a fascinating Le Petite Prince figure which looks extra ordinarily beautiful.
This new model is retailed at 35400,00 EUR and is available at the boutiques.
Click the link for the on-line catalog regarding the latest IWC Pilot’s Watches Collection (https://www.iwc.com/en/the-pilots-watches-collection-2016-catalogue/).
