New Release — IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince”
Is it the best blue in the world? I’m talking about the shade of blue IWC uses for the dials on its “Le Petit Prince” watches. I think it could very well be the best shade of blue; not too metallic, too light, too bright, or too dark. Anyway, IWC’s signature royal blue also graces the dial of the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince”. Other than its color, there’s quite some other good stuff going on too on the face of this watch as the name suggests. Before going into that, let’s take a look at the history behind the watch’s namesake novella.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944) was a pilot by trade and a writer by heart. He came from an impoverished French aristocratic family, thought of becoming an architect, but joined the French air force in 1921 where he qualified as a military pilot instead.
… he left on a reconnaissance mission over France in a P-38J Lightning and never returned.
He left the air force, went to the US, stayed there until 1943, and then traveled back to Europe to rejoin his old squadron and help the war effort. In 1944, he left on a reconnaissance mission over France in a P-38J Lightning and never returned. Creating pilot’s watches bearing the name of de Saint-Exupéry’s most famous book, the modern (1943) fairy tale Le Petit Prince makes perfect sense.
IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince” — the tradition continues
IWC continues the tradition of complicated pilot’s watches in honor of Antoine de Saint-Exupery with the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince”.
… the new perpetual calendar tourbillon has a playful, fairytale-inspired touch.
And just like the Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince” the new perpetual calendar tourbillon has a playful, fairytale-inspired touch. Just have a look at the moon phase indicator in the subdial at 6 o ‘clock, and you will spot the silhouette of the little prince standing on the lunar surface. The royal blue background is lust worthy. A blue you can now also find outside the “Le Petit Prince” in the new Big Pilot’s Watch 43 we reviewed earlier this year.
Armor Gold for an über-luxurious tool watch
Okay, enough storytelling. Time for some facts and figures. The 50-piece limited edition IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince” comes in an 18-carat Armor Gold case. Armor Gold is significantly harder than traditional 5N gold alloys thanks to an improved microstructure. This makes it somewhat more suitable for an über-luxurious tool watch that is water-resistant to 10 bar.
This “Le Petit Prince” is large in both size and presence.
A watch that measures 46.2 × 16mm, has the same large winding crown you see on all Big Pilots, plus a convex sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating applied on both sides. The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince” is large in both size and presence. This is not a watch you can hide under a cuff when you wear it. But I guess the 50 people in the market for this watch have no intention to do so anyway.
The Little Prince is very precise
The movement in the new IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince” is the automatic 7-day Caliber 51950. It beats at a frequency of 19,800 Vph and has 54 jewels. The integrated calendar part of the movement is programmed, so it automatically recognizes the different lengths of the months and leap years. And it will continue to function without adjustments until 2100. The perpetual display of the moon phase with the Little Prince is so accurate that it only needs to be adjusted for one day after 577.5 years.
Excellent endurance
The caliber 51950’s automatic winding system uses an 18-carat gold rotor. And once again the Little Prince pops up; you see him standing on an asteroid. While you’re at it, you can also admire the decoration of the movement.
… impressive since especially the tourbillon regulator is an energy-hungry system.
While spinning around, the Little Prince on his asteroid can build up a power reserve of 168 hours. So this complicated QP with flying tourbillon has the same endurance as the Portugieser Automatic 7-Days. That’s impressive since especially the tourbillon regulator is an energy-hungry system.
The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince” is outfitted with a brown calf leather strap with a folding clasp. The watch is available immediately at a price of €123,000. The watch comes with a standard 2-year international limited warranty. However, if you register the watch under the “My IWC” care program, you get a 6-year extension.
For more information, please visit IWC’s official website.
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