This is perhaps the closest (along with the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII) that IWC gets to the Type A B-Uhr watch in their pilot’s watch collection launched in January 2016. It has a double-riveted strap by Santoni, a conical screw-in crown, and a simple dial design with just date and power reserve subdial added to the classic layout. The typeface for the hour numbers has been adjusted. The case size has been reduced from 48 to 46 mm, and it is 16 mm thick, in steel, water resistance 6 bar.
The watch is powered by the in-house 51111 calibre, which is one of IWC’s largest movements, running at 21,600 vibrations per hour, 3 Hertz. The space available makes it possible to have a comparatively large mainspring, so that power reserve is over 7 days, automatically limited to 168 hours (exactly 7 days) so that the watch runs with optimum precision during the segment of power with sufficient torque. The crown provides the stop-second function, to make it easier to set the watch to the second. The movement is protected against magnetic fields by a soft iron inner case.
Reference and price
The Big Pilot’s Watch IW500912 costs €13,700 incl. tax, £9,950 incl. VAT. Available from April 2016.
