Early "observation watches," also known as pilots' watches, were simple: Three light hands against a dark dial with a minute track stuffed inside an oversized case. These watches played a large part in the proliferation of aviation, and IWC has been at it since the 1930s. In fact, the current Big Pilot's Watch isn't that much different from the pilots' watches of yesteryear. Much like fixed-wing aircraft, there isn't much that can drastically change in a flieger-styled Pilot's watch because the underlying function dictates a certain design.
So things move rather slowly, and the incremental changes over time appeal to purists. In 2002, IWC added the Big Pilot's Watch Ref. 5002 to its lineup. Inspired by IWC's earliest designs, the watch was a success. Today, that design is being updated with three new references: A blue-dialed option on a strap or bracelet, and a black-dialed variant on a leather strap, all inside a 43mm case.
Initial ThoughtsYou'll notice something absent from these new references; there's nary a date window (or power reserve indicator) in sight. This is as minimal as it gets when it comes to an IWC pilot's watch. Sure, the case is still 43mm, but flieger designs and early pilots' watches were never small. They were often larger than 50mm, so a 43mm case size is very much in line with the watch's ancestors, and sized proportionally for today's trends. Additionally, pilot's watches from the days of Spitfires and P-51 Mustangs didn't have date windows either, so in a way, this new 43mm interpretation is more true-to-form than any model featuring a complication.
The original Big Pilot's design featured a 46mm case, so the idea behind shaving off 3mm is to ensure that more folks are comfortable wearing it. In a press release, IWC creative director Christian Knoop noted that "many people love the design, but they cannot strap a 46-millimetre timepiece on their wrist." He's entirely right. And yet if they shrunk the Big Pilot any smaller than 43mm, they'd have to call it something else!
ADVERTISEMENT The BasicsBrand: IWCModel: Big Pilot's Watch 43Reference Number: Ref. IW329301 (Stainless steel case, black dial, rhodium-plated hands, brown calf leather strap); Ref. IW329303 (Stainless steel case, blue dial, rhodium-plated hands, blue calf leather strap); Ref. IW329304 (Stainless steel case, blue dial, rhodium-plated hands, stainless steel bracelet).
Diameter: 43mmThickness: 13.6mmCase Material: Stainless steelDial Color: Black, blueIndexes: Arabic numerals, lumedLume: Super-LumiNovaWater Resistance: 100mStrap/Bracelet: Calfskin strap (Ref. IW329301 and Ref. IW329303), Stainless Steel bracelet (Ref. IW329304)
The MovementCaliber: IWC Caliber 82100Functions: Hours, minutes, secondsPower Reserve: 60 hoursWinding: AutomaticFrequency: 28,800 vphJewels: 33
Pricing & AvailabilityPrice: $8,400 (Ref. IW329301 and Ref. IW329303) and $9,350 (Ref. IW329304).Availability: MayLimited Edition: No
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