ALWAYS THINK BIGGER
The Schaffhausen-based watch company is paying tribute to its historical link with the British armed forces and in particular the famous fighter plane of the 1930s with two new timepieces.
Closely linked to the British armed forces, on land, at sea and in the air, since the end of the Second World War, IWC has taken the name of the Royal Air Force’s most famous single-seat fighter plane of the 1930s to christen a novelty with a very military spirit presented at the beginning of December and available in two variants: the Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Spitfire.
Impressive not only for the size of its case, but also for its thickness of 14.4mm and its large conical fluted crown, it is also impressive for the materials used, a matte gray treated titanium and an exclusive bronze alloy containing aluminum and iron for a greatly increased resistance. This metal case has a titanium back with a Spitfire silhouette engraved on it. Inside, a soft iron container protects the automatic movement, the IWC manufacture caliber 82100, from magnetic fields. This powerful motor, clocked at the standard 4hz frequency, provides a 60-hour power reserve.
The dial is available in two colors and two configurations. One adopts the aesthetic codes of the old observation watches by displaying the military time on its black disc, i.e. a timer in the foreground with large white Arabic numerals, while the gray hours are centralized and delimited by a thin circle. The other is dressed in khaki green and features a more “traditional” dial architecture in terms of display, all of which is overlaid by alpha type hands and a second hand.
Price: 9,500 CHF (titanium) – 9,900 CHF (bronze)
By Sharmila Bertin