4,095 articles · 577 videos found · page 12 of 156
Revolution
Eleonor Picciotto, Editor-at-Large of Revolution, and Wei Koh, Founder of Revolution, sit down with Zenith CEO Julien Tornare to find out more about the 2023 renditions of the Zenith Pilot. The manufacture debuted a diverse array of novelties at Watches and Wonders 2023. Among these were the Zenith Pilot Big Date Flyback, Zenith Pilot Automatic, […]
Time+Tide
As the popularity of rubber straps becomes ever more apparent, and to aid in providing the best personal touch to their wearer’s watches, IWC is introducing a slew of options for the members of their Pilot’s range. Over the last 18 months the brand has updated the water resistance of their core Pilots range to … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The IWC EasX-CHANGE straps refresh old favourites with a sporty touch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
IWC has a suite of instantly recognisable models synonymous with the brand, namely the Pilot’s Watches and of course, the Portugieser. But one collection does get as much recognition as its peers, despite being almost 40 years old. Named after the famous seaside city in Italy, the Portofino was introduced in 1984 (though the inaugural model didn’t yet have the Portofino name at the time) as an oversized pocket watch-style wristwatch, something of a clarion call to persist with mechanical watchmaking after the Quartz Crisis. Now the brand has revived one of the classics from the line with the Portofino Perpetual Calendar. At 40 mm in diameter, it’s the most compact of IWC’s perpetual calendars and is equipped with an in-house movement from the 82000 family. Initial thoughts The perpetual calendar is a sought-after complication for its utility but also its aesthetics, especially when it includes a moon phase, which adds a touch of romanticism to the design. IWC’s latest take on the complication is straightforward, practical, and priced reasonably enough. In fact, it’s essentially a visually-simplified version of the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42, which uses the same movement but inside a larger case. While not revolutionary in technical terms, the Portofino Perpetual Calendar is a solid performer with a concise design. It retains all the features that made the 1990s original appealing but adds a few contemporary touches in both design and the in-house base m...
Revolution
From 22 to 30 October, IWC is holding an exhibition featuring its partnership with Top Gun and its incredibly popular colored ceramic pilot’s watches. Jeremiah met with IWC’s Chief Design Officer, Christian Knoop to take a first look at the exhibition and explore the brand’s world of color and Top Gun. We also got to […]
SJX Watches
Twenty-twenty two has been all about the Pilot’s Watch for IWC, but with a particular focus on materials, including coloured ceramics and titanium. All that materials tech, watchmaking, and military provenance is now on show in Singapore with Monochromatic Top Gun. Taking place from October 22-30, 2022, the exhibition showcases the brand’s aviator’s watches – including rarely-seen watches made for actual military pilots – along with its watchmaking knowhow in a series of classes and talks. The centrepiece of the exhibition is the all-ceramic line of Pilot’s Watches named after the US Navy’s fight jet academy, Top Gun. Historically available only in black, the Top Gun collection has more recently become a platform for IWC to roll out a range of coloured ceramics. Naturally the show includes the year’s new launches, namely the Top Gun chronographs in forest green or white ceramic. Earlier models such as the Miramar with its sand-coloured ceramic case are also on show, along with the quintessential all-black version. Notably, the exhibition also includes 15 military-issue watches, each bearing a unit insignia on the dial, in perhaps its most intriguing section. Rarely seen since they are only available to members of the individual air force and navy units, such watches reflect the fact that the Schaffhausen watchmaker is the sole official supplier of watches to the US Navy and Marine Corps. As a result, IWC has created watches for some 350 squadrons, includin...
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Time+Tide
IWC’s recent partnerships with Pantone, Orlebar Brown, Hot Wheels and more have yielded a variety of takes on different models from their collection. Their latest collaboration sees a green-tinged, effort bound in leather, rubber and ceramic, as Filling Pieces, a Dutch footwear brand, pay tribute to IWC’s “Woodland” Pilot’s Chronograph, released at this year’s Watches and … ContinuedThe post IWC and Filling Pieces create the perfect watch + sneaker pairing appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Top Gun editions have been a staple of IWC’s catalogue since 2007. Over the years, the collection has become a space of exploration for the brand – utilising advanced materials such as ceramic to push the boundaries of what it means to be a top-notch pilot’s watch. Many of these designs leveraged the stealth appeal … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: IWC reveal two new Top Gun Chronographs in “Lake Tahoe White” & “Woodland Green” ceramic appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Slated to be the first space flight with an entirely civilian crew, Inspiration4 take off in September 2021 for a three-day orbit of Earth. Operated by SpaceX, the space travel company founded by Elon Musk, the mission will keep time with the help of IWC, which has created the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Inspiration4” for the four-person crew. Featuring white ceramic cases and blue-lacquered dials, the four watches will be sold at auction after the space flight, with proceeds going to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, a paediatric hospital funded by donations that treats severely ill children and teenagers for free. Initial thoughts Being four watches that will be sold to benefit a good cause, the Inspiration4 chronographs are certainly a good thing. It helps that the design is appealing. Though the overarching elements of the watch are familiar – white ceramic and blue – they are combined in a novel manner for IWC. Both the star-speckled dial and white ceramic case are unique in the IWC line up. But the fact that these four are the first-ever Pilot’s watches in white ceramic (aside from prototypes from two decades ago) probably hints at something similar in the pipeline. If, and when, such a watch does emerge, I hope the production version will be smaller than the 44.5 mm that the Inspiration4 is, though that’s unlikely since the ceramic chronographs are all that size. Four travellers The four watches have been made for the crew of Inspiratio...
SJX Watches
Most famous for its functional aviator’s watches, most notably the Big Pilot’s Watch, IWC is going even further with the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL, a highly experimental version of the Big Pilot with extreme shock resistance that was tested by the Fracture & Shock Physics Group at Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge University. The Big Pilot XPL boasts exceptional shock resistance – made possible with advanced and ingenious engineering – and an eye-watering price tag. Initial Thoughts The Big Pilot XPL is certainly an impressive piece of engineering, with its hyper-modern aesthetic being a result of the shock-resistance mechanism within the case. The look is clean and strikingly legible, as a pilot’s watch should be. Despite its looks, the Big Pilot XPL is not even that big. In fact, at 44 mm wide and just over 12 mm thick, it is one of the smaller Big Pilot models to date. This, together with the lightweight Ceratanium case means that it will likely be quite wearable. Highly legible The Big Pilot XPL will retail for CHF80,000, or about US$87,000, an eye-watering price for a time-only IWC, despite all of the engineering inside. However, it might be a bargain from another perspective – this might just be the cheapest watch with a performance comparable to a Richard Mille. That said, ultra-shock resistant watches have rarely performed well commercially, aside from Richard Mille’s multiple creations. In fact, IWC’s sister company, Jaeger-LeCoultre,...
SJX Watches
One of the five makers of the beobachtungsuhr, or B-uhr, supplied to the German Luftwaffe during the second world war, IWC is perhaps best known for its pilot’s watches. And the quintessential modern-day IWC pilot’s watch is arguably the Big Pilot’s Watch, which is modelled on the oversized B-uhr (which translates “navigation watch”). Watches and Wonders 2021 sees a litany of new Pilot’s Watches from IWC, including the Big Pilot’s Watch 43, a more wearable, 43 mm version of its extra-large aviator’s watch that was historically 46.2 mm. The reduction in size is made possible due to the cal. 82100, instead of the seven-day cal. 52110 found in its larger brother. Available with black or blue dials, along with the option of a bracelet, the new Big Pilot sticks to traditional dial colours, with no green on offer, despite the faddish colour being found on the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 that’s being launched at the same time. The Big Pilot Watch 43 in blue Initial thoughts A theme at this year’s Watches & Wonders seems to be downsizing – brands from Rolex to Panerai seem to be responding to rising demand for smaller cases. By shrinking the Big Pilot from 46 mm to 43 mm, IWC caters to those who still want a biggish pilot’s watch, but one that will be easier to wear. Aside from the reduced size, the new Big Pilot 43 has been pared back in terms of design (which is also a consequence of the new movement). Gone are the date and power reserve display ind...
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SJX Watches
Perhaps the most widely leaked recent launch, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Tribute to 3705” is a remake of the uncommon, ceramic-case Fliegerchronograph of 1994. Available only online via IWC’s web store, the Tribute to 3705 reproduces the look of the original, but in a larger case made of Ceratanium, essentially a titanium-ceramic composite. And the movement is the in-house cal. 69380. Initial thoughts Possessing the clear, functional style of IWC’s first-generation pilot’s watches, the original 3705 was a good looking watch. Being a pretty faithful remake, the Tribute to 3705 is almost as attractive. A little of the original’s proportions have been lost – the hour hand on the remake looks a bit short – but the Tribute to 3705 is appealing. And it’s also an upgrade with the new case material as well as the in-house movement, which enhances the appeal. It is, however, expensive at US$11,900. That’s 20% more pricey than the Top Gun “SFTI” chronograph, which has a ceramic case and the same movement. No doubt conceived to capitalise on desirability of the original 3705 – an example once owned by former IWC chief executive Gunter Blumlein sold for a little under US$54,000 in 2018 – the Tribute to 3705 will be sold exclusively online via IWC.com. That makes the project feel a little opportunistic, since it means IWC will retain almost all of the margin on the watch, instead of having to split it with a third-party retailer or even a...
Time+Tide
Just as IWC overhauled their Pilot’s collection in 2019, this year is all about the Portugieser collection for the Schaffhausen-based brand. While there are more than a dozen new references within the 2020 lineup, there’s one particular piece that not only captures the new direction of the collection but also encapsulates what IWC does so … ContinuedThe post Complexity made simple with the IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 Boutique Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
The flagship of IWC’s new Portugieser watches unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2020 is not the most complicated, but it is certainly the most unusual. The Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide is a first for IWC, introducing a brand-new complication to its line-up – a tide indication that tracks the ocean’s ebbs and flows. Initial thoughts The Yacht Club Moon & Tide is a big, heavy and shiny sports watch with twin sub-dials, but it is far more interesting than the typical watch in this category (which is almost always a chronograph). One of the very rare, comprehensive tide-display watches on the market, the Yacht Club Moon & Tide incorporates twin tidal displays, which are useless for most but fascinating, not just because they are rare but also because they are, in essence, an astronomical complication. And the tidal displays are combined with IWC’s trademark double moon phase, making it a bit more compelling. (But like all tide-indicator watches, the new Yacht Club has a caveat: IWC points out it “works reliably on all coasts with two equally strong high and low tides per day”. It is not a flaw, but just a nature of the complication. More that below.) At the same time, the watch overall is constructed to IWC’s usual levels of quality, which is to say excellent. The only downside is the rose-gold case, resulting in a steep price tag; hopefully a steel or titanium version comes along (and it probably will). The tidal watch, until now The tide-indicator complicatio...
Time+Tide
The only thing thrown around more often than the word iconic by watch media is watch media cleverly saying how often the word iconic is being thrown around. But despite committing both sins in one paragraph, Sunday confession would be a comfortable one if you were talking about IWC pilot’s watches as iconic. With designs … ContinuedThe post What Sealed The Deal – Chris’ IWC 3706 Fliegerchronograph appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Organised in conjunction with retailer Sincere Fine Watches, Inside IWC History is a walkthrough the milestones of IWC, explained with a series of important watches from the brand’s museum. Happening at the Ngee Ann City mall from now till October 27, the exhibition is the largest to date held by the brand in Southeast Asia, with some 18 watches on show. The watches detail the three key families of IWC – Portuguese, Pilot’s Watches and Portofino – tracing the lineage with landmark watches. From the legendary Mark 11 to the Portugieser ref. 325, the exhibition showcases some of the most iconic vintage IWC watches, but also includes more recent watches, most notably from the Portofino line-up, which is one of the newest creations. The timepieces on show are an instructive guide through which the brand’s current watches can be better understood. The Portofino line-up, including the significant ref. 5251 (centre) The first “special watch for pilots” Wristwatches designed specifically for aviation have defined most of IWC’s 151-year history, and it all began in 1936 with the “special watch for pilots”. Ernst Jakob Homberger, then the managing director of IWC, had two sons who were aviation enthusiasts and licensed pilots, so he decided to produce a watch purpose-built for aviation. Even though it was intended for civil aviation, the watch was notably robust and advanced. Sometimes known as the “Mark IX” by enthusiasts, it had a 37.5mm steel case fitt...
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Time+Tide
Some of my favourite releases from SIHH 2019 were the watches from the IWC Spitfire collection, which offers a host of twists on their classic pilot’s collection, and a few special limited editions - like the Timezoner Spitfire Edition “The Longest Flight”. At SIHH we also learned more about the story of this watch, or … ContinuedThe post RECOMMENDED READING: The Silver Spitfire’s epic 27,000-mile trip starts today (and IWC is on board) appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Editor’s note: The Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph might not be the first watch that comes to mind when you think of IWC (it’s not a Pilot for example), but really, maybe you should change that. Just look at Jason’s snaps from our 2018 review. The story in a second: The sportiest member of the Portugieser family … ContinuedThe post IWC make that luxury yacht life look oh-so-good appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
6 pieces of the IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36mm Special Edition for The Rake and Revolution is now available to buy on MrPorter.com
Time+Tide
One of my highlights of SIHH every year is IWC – and not just because their booth is exceptional; this year it was dominated by an actual gleaming silver Spitfire. No, I like seeing IWC because the watches rarely disappoint, and this year was absolutely no exception. The Pilot’s collection is one of the brand’s … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: 6 of the best new IWC watches from SIHH 2019 appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Revolution
In the presence of friends and well wishers, our limited edition timepiece, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36mm Special Edition for The Rake & Revolution was launched on the third night of SIHH 2019, at the grand IWC booth.
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Deployant
IWC focus for this year is their pilot range, with some special pieces with the Spitfire and Top Gun. Plus Le Petit Prince. The Spitfire Collection. IWC will attempt to fly around the world in an original Spitfire. Called the Longest Flight, it will cover 43,000km, 26 countries in 100 flight segments. Inspired by theRead More
Time+Tide
The pointer date is one of Oris’ most recognisable complications. Making its debut in 1938, it wasn’t until it was reintroduced in 1984 that it became a regular part of the catalogue. Paired with another of Oris’ signature designs, the heritage-inspired Big Crown pilot’s watch, Baselworld 2018 sees a couple of fresh-faced dials, as well as a … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Oris Big Crown Pointer Date in blue and the brand new 36mm version available in both steel and bronze appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
When IWC made the revamped Da Vinci collection their main focus at SIHH 2017, it’s fair to say that there was a little bit of confusion – if not downright consternation – among the watch-loving faithful. Coming off two straight years of strong, masculine product – the Portugieser and the Pilot’s – the dressy Da … ContinuedThe post HANDS-ON: Not your typical sports chrono – the IWC Da Vinci Chronograph Edition “Laureus Sport for Good Foundation” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
There’s a good reason the Portugieser collection is one of IWC’s most popular (in Australia at least). It’s a big, commanding watch that nevertheless possesses a grace and charm that belies its large size. This combination makes it one of the go-to statement watches. But did you know that it’s also got the weight of … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Explaining a legend – the history of the IWC Portugieser appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Of all the Apples to Apples battles so far, this is pound for pound the closest fight. Today our airborne aces are the Breitling Navitimer 01 (46mm) and the IWC Pilot’s Chronograph. Both watches have histories – and credibility – written in the skies, both are priced at about the same price point, and both are worn with … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: Apples to Apples episode 3, Breitling vs IWC – a dogfight in the sky! appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
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