IWC Pilot’s Watches Collection From SIHH 2019

January 14, 2019

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The bread and butter of IWC are their pilot’s watches. The Swiss manufacturer has been offering aviation timepieces for a very long time. There are only a handful of big names in the industry with this type of pedigree. Surely IWC is one of them. Their line-up is versatile spanning from dress watches like the Portofino collection to diver’s watches such as the Aquatimer and many more models. Yet the backbone of IWC are still the timepieces that take inspiration from aviation. This year the Schaffhausen-based brand goes all in on this theme. Their 2019 novelty list includes reinterpretations of familiar watches as well as some new models. The list is huge, and we will not be able to cover each and every new novelty in detail. However, we can give you a run-down on some of the IWC Pilot’s Watches Collection 2019.

New Top Gun line

The Top Gun line has been the part of IWC for 12 years now. Offering some of the coolest looking watches with IWC Pilot’s Watches. This year IWC releases their first Ceratanium (a type of titanium alloy that gets matte black in the production process giving the watch a DLC-like look with a much sturdier resistance) pilot’s watch, the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium (IW371815). It is nor a new model, neither a new case material but a brand-new combination of the 2. All case components, like pushers, crown even the pin buckle, is made of Ceratanium, which allows IWC to produce this jet-black watch. A highly-anticipated version by many fans of the brand. The Top Gun line will also include Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Mojave Desert” (IW389103) where the case is made of sand colored ceramic. The Mojave Desert will be limited to 500 pieces.

While the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph TOP GUN Ceratanium will not have an IWC manufacture movement, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Mojave Desert” will. It has the IWC 69380, a column-wheel chronograph movement with a self-winding mechanism and 46 hours of power reserve. The very manufacture movement went into the new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN (IW389101). This model has a black ceramic case and is not limited, unlike the “Mojave Desert” version of the same model. Both watches are 44.5mm wide, 15.7mm thick and water resistant to 6 bar. They come with a titanium case back and a textile strap. Lastly, the Pilot’s Watch Automatic TOP GUN (IW326901) IWC is introducing from the Top Gun line. A time-only version, the Pilot’s Watch Automatic also contains manufacture, automatic IWC caliber. This time it is the 32110. Black ceramic case, 72 hours of power reserve and 41mm in diameter.

New Spitfire Collection

The collection with the most models, the 2019 IWC Spitfire family offers 5 different watches. From a simple time-only Pilot’s Watch Automatic Spitfire (IW326801 in steel, IW326802 in bronze) to a complicated timepiece such as the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Spitfire (IW503601) the Spitfires cover every field. The Automatic Spitfire is a simple 39mm time-only watch with automatic manufacture caliber 32110, 72 hours of power reserve and water resistance to 6 bar. The other end of the spectrum is, of course, the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Spitfire. This is a perpetual calendar that is limited to 250 pieces. It comes in a bronze case, that is measures at 46,2mm with the IWC manufacture caliber 52615. A 54-Jewel, automatic movement that has 7 days (!) of power reserve, and features such as date, day, month, year in four digits and perpetual moon phase for both northern and southern hemispheres.

Other than the aforementioned 2 models IWC released 3 additional watches in the new Spitfire line. The Pilot’s Watch UTC Spitfire Edition “MJ271” (W327101) as the name suggests is a watch with UTC (Coordinate Universal Time) functionality. Again, a limited edition (of 271 pieces) this model uses the IWC manufacture caliber 82710 which is the first with such a feature. The UTC Spitfire has a 41mm bronze case, titanium case back and 60 hours of power reserve. Furthermore, we have the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire (IW387901 in steel and IW387902 in bronze) with a reduced case diameter of 41mm and thickness of 15.3mm. The caliber (69380) in the Chronograph Spitfire is the same as the Chronograph Top Gun and Mojave Edition models. Both the steel and bronze models have steel backs, and either a textile or leather straps.

Timezoner Spitfire

Finally, the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Spitfire Edition “The Longest Flight” (IW395501). IWC calls this model the highlight of the collection. A limited edition of 250 watches. For the first time in IWC’s history, the Timezoner Spitfire combines the Timezoner mechanism with an automatic IWC-manufactured movement (82760). All this in a 46mm steel case with steel back, green textile strap and a thickness of 125.2mm. The 82760 caliber is a 25-Jewel, movement with 60 hours of power reserve. Its function includes; Date, Central hacking seconds, Timezoner function for setting another time zone using the rotating bezel, a 24-hour display for Worldtimer function. A special edition watch to the “Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight” project. Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt brought the project to life to fly around the world in a 2^nd World War Spitfire plane that Boutlbee Brooks had bought at a Bonhams auction in 2009.

For more information, visit the official IWC website here.