SIHH 2019: IWC’s Spitfire and Top Gun timepieces reach for the sky
- Latest collections expand on the Pilot’s Watch theme and display the stylish practicality associated with the brand
Its connection to the world of aviation has always given IWC an edge of authenticity when it comes to creating the Pilot’s Watch. With the company’s long history of supplying military with timekeepers, the Pilot’s Watch has evolved from a utilitarian tool to one of stylish practicality.
IWC might as well have announced 2019 as the year of the Pilot’s Watch as it further delves into its aviation roots through the expansion of its core collection to include two new stand-alone series, the Spitfire range and the Top Gun collection. Add to that a new Little Prince references in the Big Pilot’s Watch collection and there is plenty for fans of the Pilot series to fawn over.
There is a certain pressure for a house with history to balance heritage and that element of surprise and novelty when launching new timepieces. There is perhaps no one with a better understanding of this delicate dance than IWC creative director Christian Knoop, who has played a key role in the realisation of this year’s new timepieces. “It’s always important to respect our DNA and history when introducing something new,” he says.
Hence the idea of developing the Pilot’s Watch by going back to its aviation roots, extending the Spitfire and Top Gun pieces into fully-fledged collections. “The idea is to stop only redoing, but to maintain classics and focus on collections with more room for growth.”
Knoop references the Spitfire, which this year has been flushed out as a stand-alone branch of the Pilot’s Watch collection to include pieces in steel with black dial and bronze with green dial, both equipped with functions covering a range of complexity.
“The Spitfire series was always a little brother to the Pilot’s Watch collection. This year, we wanted to give it a proper presence. We now have a new Timezoner Spitfire Edition, ‘The Longest Flight’, in the collection, a new product limited to 250 pieces,” Knoop says.
The idea is to stop only redoing, but to maintain classics and focus on collections with more room for growth
The Timezoner Spitfire Edition, “The Longest Flight”, is inspired by a project launched by the watchmaker to restore an original Spitfire plane in preparation for a flight around the world.
In steel, the piece is accented with beige lume to give it that vintage appeal. The movement is a new in-house calibre, 82760, which works to power the date and both time zones, which can be adjusted with the rotating bezel.