IWC Big Pilot’ S Heritage Watches 55+48

Schaffhausen-based watch manufacturer IWC launched the Big Pilot’s Watch (52-calibre T.S.C.) in 1940. The Swiss company is now reviving this tradition: with the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 (Ref. IW510401) and the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 (Ref. IW510301), two fabulous new models that are unmistakably inspired by the original observer’s watch.

Anyone with a Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 is in titanium. The lighter material is a nod to modern-day possibilities: weighing­ less than 150 g, the watch is not quite as heavy on the wrist as the 183 g of the original in stainless steel. The current Super- LumiNova®* coating guarantees excellent legibility. As in the original, the chapter ring, Arabic numerals and propeller- like hands are beige.

As an unmistakable sign of quality, even today the hands are blued. The figure “9” – omitted in subsequent models of the Big Pilot’s Watch after 2002 – is back in its old, familiar position. And taking the place of the “12” is a tri-angular index with dots on either side, which make it possible to recognize the relative position of the hands and read the time even with a cursory glance in the dark. Today, the black dial and triangle are two features typical of a classic pilot’s watch.

However, there is one small, visible difference: the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 does not feature a central seconds­ hand like the Big Pilot’s Watch (52-calibre T.S.C. – Tirette Seconde Centrale), produced in accordance with military specifications..

Today, the small seconds is found at “6 o’clock”, and the IWC hand-wound 98300 calibre can likewise be stopped by pulling out the crown.

As is usual in an observer’s watch, the titanium case is sand-blasted to eliminate reflections that might be detrimental to the watch’s legibility or betray the wearer’s position to the enemy. The watch movement itself is protected against magnetic fields by a soft-iron inner case. The cone-shaped crown is a reminder of those early days of flying, when pilots in their unheated cockpits were forced to wear thick gloves. Back then, the crown needed to be unusually large and chunky to make setting and winding the watch possible even with gloves. And today, as in the past, the crown makes the daily ritual of winding the watch by hand a very special experience. With such a large crown, it would be easy to overwind and damage the mechanism, which for safety’s sake is equipped with a friction clutch to prevent this from happening. The IWC hand-wound 98300 calibre features an elongated index for simple and precise setting of the active length of the spring, a highly effective shock absorption system and a 46-hour power reserve. The case back has been kept decidedly simple: the numbering from

01/100 to 100/100 is an unmistakable sign of this great watch’s exclusiveness.

For the brown calfskin strap, the designers took their inspiration from the historic leather strap found on the Big Pilot’s Watch. This allowed the timepiece to be worn over a thick flying suit. The strap is divided in two and sewn together at the ends, which makes it impossible to drop the watch accidentally when putting it on your wrist. Then, as now, two rivets on the spring bar hold the strap together. After all, some of the features that made the 1940s Pilot’s Watch so special simply cannot be enhanced.  An enormous eye-catcher Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 is available in a limited edition of just 100 watches.

The Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 (Ref. IW510301) makes more concessions to modern-day aesthetics and concepts of comfort. And that, of course, begins with its size. On the wrist, the 48-mm case is particularly impressive and is guaranteed to attract inquisitive glances at the office or the dinner table. The watch is suited to everyday use thanks primarily to its light titanium, which reduces its weight to 120 g. The IWC hand-wound 59215 calibre gives the owner the convenience of a 192-hour power reserve that guarantees accurate running for 8 days before it automatically stops. Just how much energy remains can be seen on the power reserve display visible through a small aperture covered by sapphire glass on the back of the watch. Despite the aperture, this Pilot’s Watch also has a soft-iron inner case that guides magnetic fields safely around the movement. The 48 Heritage Watch likewise features a friction clutch against overwinding and is sup-plied with a riveted calfskin strap. The Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 is limited to 1,000 pieces.