Pilot Watches · Page 23

HANDS ON: The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Top Gun Edition and Perpetual Calendar “Mojave Desert”

IWC have the pilot’s watch game sussed out and their Top Gun series are among the toughest of the bunch, with a no-holds barred approach to the watch as a vital flight instrument. You might recognise a whiff of nostalgia in the large sword hands and classic onion crown big enough to twiddle with proper … ContinuedThe post HANDS ON: The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Top Gun Edition and Perpetual Calendar “Mojave Desert” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

New: Laco München Erbstück

Laco introduces a new heritage Pilot watch - the München Erbstück, complete with namesake heirloom patina baked right into the case and dial.

Hands-On: Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021

The upcoming Only Watch auction is an impressive catalogue of 53 one-off timepieces, a good number of which – more than a quarter of the total – are chronographs. Among the dozen chronographs, a couple caught my eye. One is the Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021. It’s essentially an evolution of the Breguet Type 20 created for Only Watch 2019, simple in design and execution but attractive in that simplicity. The Breguet Type XX Only Watch 2021 Initial thoughts Like another notable chronograph in the sale, the TAG Heuer Monaco, the Type XX is reinterpretation of an iconic model of the brand. But the Type XX Only Watch 2021 is a nostalgic reinterpretation with a chocolate-brown dial that evokes the aged, “tropical” effect found on vintage examples. That said, the vintage styling is its only weakness. The Type XX is almost identical to the Type 20 Only Watch 2019 – right down to the strap – though the point can be made that the two make a perfect pair. The Type XX (left), and Type 20 They are each inspired by historical aviator’s watches made for the military and civilian markets respectively (the vintage Type XX was marketed to civilians, while the Type 20 was supplied to the French military). So this year’s Type XX should go home with the owner of the Type 20 from 2019. Almost a doppelgänger – the Type 20 Only Watch 2019 Notably, the Type XX is powered by a vintage movement, though one that is from a later period from an actual vintage Type XX. Still, giv...

VIDEO: The IWC Pilot’s Watch Limited Edition collection celebrates the real Top Guns

IWC rarely shy away from a limited edition, especially not when it’s in celebration of military icons. New to the IWC catalogues is a batch of Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Editions that celebrate three F/A-18 Super Hornet flying squadrons of the US Navy - the Royal Maces, the Tophatters, and the Blue Angels.  The dial As … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: The IWC Pilot’s Watch Limited Edition collection celebrates the real Top Guns appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Top of Their Game

IWC Schaffhausen has been producing reliable aviation tool instruments since their first Pilot’s Watch in 1936. We explore the making of the IWC Big Pilot into an icon against all odds and take stock of their newest Pilot’s Watches.

About the Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Edition “Pink Dial Project”

IWC’s Chief Marketing Officer and Creative Director, Franziska Gsell and Christian Knoop respectively, on the Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Edition “Pink Dial Project” and why the brand decided to donate to #ThePinkdialProject.

VIDEO: IWC introduces two new stealth Top Gun Ceratanium Pilot’s watches

Today we are highway-ing into the danger zone, with two new complicated IWC Top Gun Ceratanium pilot’s watches that will take your breath away. OK, enough Top Gun puns. Focus Zach. IWC has brought forth two new stealth Ceratanium references: the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Ceratanium and the IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Top Gun … ContinuedThe post VIDEO: IWC introduces two new stealth Top Gun Ceratanium Pilot’s watches appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

New: IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition Racing Green

New: IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition Racing Green: Black ceramic case, a Ceratanium® crown, and a dial in striking racing green.

IWC Big Pilot Roadshow in Miami

The Revolution team catches up Stanislas Rambaud , IWC US President at the Big Pilot roadshow in Miami. The roadshow featured special interactive exhibition, watchmaking classes, entertainment from Grammy nominated musicians, and showcase of supercars for the guests. Watch the fascinating interview and look for IWC roadshow next in Houston and New York.

About the Airain Type 20 Pink Ribbon Pièce Unique

Vintage Watches: 1987 Rolex Air-King With Domino's Pizza Dial, A 1964 Tudor Oyster-Prince Ranger, And A 1986 Rolex GMT-Master In 18k Yellow Gold

Bust out the Pizza Tracker and stay away from The Noid, it's Domino's Air King time.

Up Close: IWC Big Pilot Ref. 5003 “Markus Bühler”

One of the most distinctive Big Pilot’s Watches IWC has ever made is also one of the least known – and even perhaps the rarest model ever. Named after its creator, the Big Pilot’s Watch Edition “Markus Bühler” ref. 5003 was conceived by a then apprentice at IWC and subsequently made it into production, but as a tiny limited edition of only a dozen watches. The fundamentals of the Markus Bühler edition are simple – a gently-modified Unitas 6498 – but the look effectively conveys the purpose of design. With the “turbines” on the front and back, it is unmistakably a pilot’s watch. Initial thoughts When I first saw the Big Pilot Markus Bühler at the time of its launch in 2008, I thought it was silly. Despite being a limited edition, the Big Pilot “Turbine” was a downgrade from the standard Big Pilot’s Watch, going from the impressive, in-house cal. 5000 with a seven-day power reserve to a Unitas, albeit one with unusual, asymmetric striping on the bridges. But I was wrong. The simple yet effective concept – and its intrinsic aesthetic appeal – means the Markus Bühler has grown on me. I rank it amongst the most notable Big Pilots ever. Its appeal lies in the fact that the design is straightforward and symmetrical, with minimal modification to the original Big Pilot dial, save for the seconds. The dial design was the work of Gerd Plange, who’s been part of the IWC design team since 2001. During the period when he designed the “turbine” d...

Available in the Shop: 4 IWC Pilot’s Watches Ready for Flight

IWC’s Pilot’s Watch family has a long, rich tradition of precision military timekeepers dating back to 1936. From the iconic Mark XI to the revival in the 90s, aviation watches are defined by their legibility and reliability. That’s something that holds true today, whether you’re talking about a modern Top Gun chronograph or a hit limited edition like the Mark XVIII ‘Tribute to Mark XI’.

IWC and Collective partner up for the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition C.03

The private watch group Collective Horology has teamed up with IWC to create the Pilot’s Chronograph C.03, a watch that the founders of Collective refer to as a love letter to IWC. The pared-back pilot certainly evokes the golden era of Blümlien’s IWC through fine details, but the calibre is much more modern and, surprisingly, on-show through a sapphire back.

INTRODUCING: The Collective Horology x IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “C.03”

Two watch lovers, Gabe Reilly and Asher Rapkin, wanted to take the idea of a watch collectors’ club a step further, founding Collective Horology. The idea was to create a positive and intimate space for horological enthusiasts to come together and share their love for all things watchmaking. What separates Collective Horology from other clubs … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: The Collective Horology x IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “C.03” appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

You Are There: Visiting Tutima Glashütte In Germany – Reprise

Tutima has one leg in the realm of fine watchmaking and the other firmly placed in its lower to mid-priced Grand Flieger collection, composed of German pilot-style watches. Bhanu Chopra visited the Tutima manufacture in Glashütte, Germany for a closer look at how this duality works and what role it plays in the company's history.

Introducing: The Bell & Ross BR 03-93 GMT

A French standout in a crowded month of Swiss releases

Hands-On: The IWC Pilot's Watch Automatic Spitfire

Thirty-nine millimeters of pure steel pilot's watch.

Introducing: An IWC Big Pilot For Purists

An aviation classic is now (finally!) available with a smaller case and cleaner dial.

Hands-On: Taking The 41mm IWC Pilot's Chronograph Out For A Meal

Just because it can fly, doesn't mean it has to.

3 Vintage-Inspired Pilot’s Watches For The Serious (And Less Serious) Aviator From Patek Philippe, Zenith, And Breitling – Reprise

Pilot’s watches rank among the most successful of all watch genres, owing their strong popularity to an unmistakable design with an instrument-like look resulting from over 100 years of history as a technical aid in the cockpit. Modern pilot’s watches still exude this spirit of adventure and audacity, and here are three prime examples from 2018.

Review: the new IWC Pilot’s Chronograph Blue Angels®

IWC Schaffhausen has launched three new chronographs in its Pilot’s Watches collection. The new ceramic models are collaborative timepieces that the brand created in the context of its military programme with squadrons of the U.S. Navy.

Highlights: IWC Big Pilots in Singapore

Fully booked before it even opened, the IWC Big Pilot Exhibition in Singapore recently closed its doors and the 31 Big Pilot’s Watches that were on show have returned home to the IWC Museum in Schaffhausen. But for those who missed the show, we round up some of the historically significant examples that were on displayed. The lineup naturally includes the very first Big Pilot’s Watch ref. 5002, and also the ultra-rare Markus Bühler “Turbine” ref. 5003. (And the Big Pilot Roadshow will happen in various cities in the United States starting September; details at the end of this article.) 2002 – Big Pilot’s Watch ref. 5002 The modern-day Big Pilot can be traced back to the gigantic beobachtungsuhr (or”B-uhr” for short) that IWC supplied to the German air force in 1940. The one that started it all was the Big Pilot’s Watch ref. 500201 (widely known as the ref. 5002) that debuted at Baselworld in 2002. Codenamed “Big Pilot’s Watch – Mark XXI” while in development, the Big Pilot was due in part to the commercial success of the compact Mark 12 pilot’s watch. At the same time, it was also devised as a platform for the recently-launched, seven-day automatic cal. 5000, a movement large enough that the resulting pilot’s watch had to be, well, big. And big it was, though the ref. 5002 was smaller than the second world war original that was 55 mm. Still it retained many of the elements that defined the vintage B-uhr – onion crown, Arabic numerals, ...

A Brief History of the IWC Pilot’s Watch

One of IWC’s signature wristwatch lines – the other being the Portugieser – is the Pilot’s Watch, a collection descended from the timepieces dating to the earliest days of aviation. Popular for its functional styling and general affordability, the Pilot’s Watch collection is regularly updated – IWC revamped the range in 2016, 2019, and again this year – and diverse. There are two threads running through IWC’s modern-day Pilot’s Watch collection that connect to the brand’s historical aviator’s watches: the smaller “Mark” watches typically associated with the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and the oversized “B-Uhr” made for the German air force of the Second World War. Big pilot and small pilot – Mark IX and B-uhr The origins IWC’s history in aviator’s watches started the Special Pilot’s Watch ref. 436, now widely known as the “Mark IX”. Conceived by the two sons of Ernst Jakob Homberger, the then-owner of IWC, the Mark IX was unveiled in 1936. Homberger’s sons were both licensed pilots and understood the features required for good pilot’s watch, resulting in style that is now synonymous with the pilot’s watch genre. IWC was not the only maker of pilot’s watches during the period, though it was arguably the most successful since it continued to be a leading supplier of aviator’s timepieces for the next two decades. The Mark IX had a 38 mm case – extraordinarily oversized in an era when the standard man’s watch was a...