Addition are being made to the Spitfire and Top Gun lines, with a new watch using Ceratanium for the first time for a completely jet black double chronograph.
Think IWC Schaffhausen and almost immediately its Pilot’s Watches come to mind, the star timepieces that have been at the forefront of the watchmaker’s engineering prowess for over 80 years.
For the forthcoming SIHH, it has announced a whole new fleet of Pilot’s Watches to continue bringing the magic of flight to those who wear them, continuing on a legacy that was set from the days of the Mark 11.
Addition are being made to the Spitfire range, the popular line inspired by the iconic Mark 11. The Top Gun line also has new additions, made from the first time using Ceratanium for a completely jet black double chronograph.
Here’s a look.
Timezoner Spitfire Edition “The Longest Flight”
For the first time ever at IWC, it combines the patented Timezoner mechanism with an entirely automatic IWC-manufactured movement and is limited to just 250 watches. This special edition is dedicated to the “Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight” project. It has been specially developed for pilots Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones to coincide with their flight around the world in a Spitfire. The colour scheme of the watch design, with its stainless steel case, its black dial and its green textile strap, is reminiscent of the cockpit of a Spitfire.
The watch can be set to a different time zone by means of a simple rotational movement of the bezel. The hour hand, the 24-hour display and the date rotate automatically at the same time. The 24-hour display has been designed as a rotating disc beneath the dial. This means that the dial moves closer to the front glass, making it easier to read. The newly developed 82760 IWC-manufactured calibre has a Pellaton winding with components made from wear-resistant ceramic and boasts a power reserve of 60 hours.
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire
The backbone of the new line, this is IWC’s first first Pilot’s Chronograph with a movement from the 69000 calibre family and a reduced case diameter of just 41 millimetres.
The 69000 calibre family, first introduced in 2016, constitutes one of the most important developments in IWC-manufactured movements in IWC’s early history. Now, for the first time, IWC has incorporated a member of this calibre family into its Pilot’s Watches. The 69380 IWC-manufactured calibre is a robust, reliable and high-precision chronograph movement with a classic column wheel design. The stopped hours and minutes are displayed on the two subdials at “9 o’clock” and “12 o’clock”. It also features a date and day display. The pawl-winding system, which winds up on both sides, boasts a power reserve of 46 hours.The bronze case, the olive green dial and the brown calf leather strap give this chronograph a unique character. Over time, the bronze develops a special patina, making each and every watch a unique piece.
Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph TOP GUN Ceratanium
The new TOP GUN line sees IWC make use of the innovative new material Ceratanium for the first time in a Pilot’s Watch. This model in particular sees the company bringing to the market its first ever pilot’s watch that is completely jet black.
Developed by IWC, Ceratanium is a material that combines the advantages of titanium and ceramic in a groundbreaking new composition. The patented material is as lightweight and unbreakable as titanium and at the same time as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic. It is also characterised by its excellent skin compatibility, its high degree of corrosion-resistance and its matte black colour. This has enabled IWC to create its first completely black design, without a coating, including all watch components such as push-buttons or pin buckles (more detailed information in separate article).
The double chronograph has an integrated split-seconds hand mechanism for simultaneously measuring short periods of time. It is powered by the 79230 calibre with self-winding mechanism and boasts a power reserve of 44 hours. The watch, with its black dial and black hands, sits on a rubber strap and textile inlay.
Learn more at the official website here.
(Source: IWC Schaffhausen)