IWC goes to town with its IWC Big Pilot’s Watch, fitted with a tourbillon and dedicated to the protagonist of Le Petit Prince, the charming prince from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novella. Flaunting the Petit Prince sub-collection’s hallmark blue dial, the latest Big Pilot’s Watch belongs to the downsized, more manageable 43mm version introduced in 2021. Since 2013, IWC has enjoyed a unique collaboration with the heirs of Saint-Exupéry’s estate and has dedicated several Pilot watches to the little prince. To mark the tenth anniversary of these editions, IWC reserves 300 pieces of its 43mm Big Pilot’s Watch with a case and diamond-shaped conical crown crafted in 18k Armor Gold – a proprietary alloy that is more resilient than conventional 5N gold. With a height of 14.58mm, the case is brushed with a polished bezel, crown and caseback and is water-resistant to 100 metres. The deep blue dial with its radiant sunray finish features the large stylised gold-plated Arabic numerals of the “Le Petit Prince” editions, combined with the propeller-style hands and the gold-plated dots and triangle at noon of all IWC’s Pilot’s watches. As a pilot’s watch, legibility is taken seriously, and the Arabic numerals, hands and appliques are filled with luminescent material. Following in the footsteps of the first 43mm Big Pilot to receive this complication – the Big Pilot Markus Bühler – the large aperture at 6 o’clock hosts the one-minute flying tourbillon fitted with a stop mechanism for accurate settings. Powered by the same movement as the Markus Bühler, the calibre 82905 – a member of the 82000 family – is wound by a bi-directional Pellaton system with reinforced ceramic components. The automatic movement beats at a 4Hz frequency and delivers a robust power reserve of 80 hours. As a special edition, the 18k gold rotor depicts the prince standing on his asteroid.
IWC has released a new IWC Big Pilot’s Watch in dedication to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince, also known as The Little Prince in English. In line with the watchmaker’s tradition of paying homage to the world-known French novella, the latest edition features a 43mm-wide timepiece encased in 18-carat Armor Gold.
The watch face shows off a striking sunray dial in a deep blue tone, where the calming hue is contrasted with the radiant warmth of 5N red gold-plated Arabic Numerals, hands, and a tourbillon complication. These functional features are also coated in Super-LumiNova, which illuminates the dial in low-light conditions to ensure readability. Accompanying the timepiece is a calfskin strap arriving in a classic brown color, complete with an 18-carat Armor Gold. folding clasp.
Turning over to the caseback, the titular price can be spotted on the solid gold rotor, and recreating the novella’s iconic cover where he stands atop an asteroid. The caseback provides a partial view of its high-end 82905 Manufacture caliber. Geared with a Pellaton winding system that is fortified with ceramic components, the movement is capable of running 80 hours continuously.
