Pilot Watches · Page 24

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...

IWC Introduces the Pilot’s Watch Laureus Edition 2021 in Blue Ceramic

Long an annual tradition for IWC – now in its 15th consecutive year in fact – the “Laureus Sport for Good” edition is back once again in its usual blue livery that echoes the emblem of the eponymous charity with the IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Edition ‘Laureus Sport for Good’. Each annual Laureus edition sees IWC facelift one of its watches, from the classical Portofino to the sporty Pilot’s Watch, typically in a simple fashion with the addition of a blue dial – good enough but not quite great. This year the brand is doing something a bit more special with its entry-level aviator’s watch, which gets a blue ceramic case in a first for the brand. Initial thoughts As is typical of the IWC Pilot’s Watch, the new Laureus edition is simple, coherent and appealing. But it offers a bit more with the tone-on-tone case and dial, making it slightly more special than the standard Pilot’s Watches, or even past Laureus editions. Though IWC used a similar formula for the Laureus edition of two years ago – that had a polished, black ceramic case instead – the latest edition is tangibly better. For one, a blue ceramic case is rare, having been utilised by only a handful of watchmakers, and it also looks pretty cool. At the same time, the watch has been upgraded in technical terms. It houses the new, five-day cal. 32111, which is derived from the cal. 32115 first seen in the ultra-shock resistance Big Pilot XPL. Both are in turn modified versions of the cal. 32...

Exhibition: Two Decades of the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch in Singapore

Modelled on a navigation instrument of the second world war, the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch has since become the archetypal modern-day aviator’s watch for the Schaffhausen watchmaker – and reputedly a favourite of Formula 1 champ Lewis Hamilton. As the Big Pilot approaches its 20th anniversary – the original ref. 5002 was introduced in 2002 – IWC is staging an exhibition dedicated to its oversized pilot’s watch in Singapore. The exhibition will showcase 31 Big Pilots from the IWC Museum, including the legendary and quirky Big Pilot’s Watch Markus Bühler “Turbine” ref. 5003 (stay tuned for a few highlights from the exhibition, including the Bühler). The exhibition is open to the public daily from September 9-12, but registration is required for entry. Update September 7, 2021: Registration is closed as the exhibition has reached the maximum capacity allowed by government guidelines, as a result walk-in visitors cannot be admitted. The watch that started it all, a 1940s Beobachtungsuhr, or “navigator’s watch”, made for the German Air Force Exhibition details The Big Pilot Exhibition Design Orchard 250 Orchard Road Singapore 238905 September 9-12, 2021 12 pm – 9 pm on weekdays, and 11 am – 9 pm weekends Entry is free, but registration is required on IWC.com. Update September 7, 2021: All pre-registration tickets have been taken up. Walk-ins will be accepted on a first-come- first-served basis, but subject to venue capacity. This was brought to y...

Invite: IWC Big Pilot Exhibition – Singapore Sept 9-12

Your invitation to the IWC Big Pilot Exhibition from 9 to 12 September 2021, which will feature 30 historical Big Pilot pieces from the IWC Museum.

Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Red Bronze: Channeling The Past With Warmth And Color

With its bronze case, deep red dial, and dark brown strap, the Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver Red Bronze captures the essence of the aesthetics of the best of 1970s design: dark richness. It’s also why Joshua Munchow loves it and thinks it may be his favorite BR 03-92 to date.

INTRODUCING: the Hanhart PIONEER TwinControl #FliegerFriday Limited Edition

Often our readers really respond to watches that are released by the less usual suspects. Something different and more approachable, that still serves up a serious level of quality and value to the prospective buyer. Hanhart may not be a household name, but it’s a storied German watch manufacture, established in 1882, with a rich … ContinuedThe post INTRODUCING: the Hanhart PIONEER TwinControl #FliegerFriday Limited Edition appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

Hanhart Introduces the Flieger Friday Edition

Historically the world’s leading producer of mechanical stopwatches – the sort once standard issue at athletic meets – Hanhart has shifted its focus to sports chronographs in recent years. Most of them are based on the brand’s vintage watches from the early- to mid- 20th century, especially the distinctive pilot’s chronographs it supplied to the German air force. While some of its offerings are remakes, the brand’s latest is an overtly modern take on the 1930s pilot’s chronograph. The #FliegerFriday Edition combines a black-coated steel case with a dark blue dial as well as the brand’s trademark red reset pusher. With the origins of the design are vintage, the Flieger Friday Edition has a calculated casual style that stems from its inspiration – the social media hashtag #FliegerFriday, which refers to wearing a pilot’s watch over the weekend. Initial thoughts Hanhart is not short of vintage remakes – usually executed with signature elements like a red pusher or knurled bezel – so the modern style of the Flieger Friday Edition is unusual and welcome. Admittedly the blue-dial sports chronograph formula is well used, but here it’s done with a little more novelty by pairing the dial with a steel case coated in black diamond-like-carbon (DLC). Add to that the splash of red, and the result is a striking watch that does live up to the hashtag’s basis of a fun, weekend watch. The watch is reasonably priced at US$2,700, which is not much more than the...

New: Hanhart #FliegerFriday Edition Chronograph

Hanhart introduces a new chronograph with a rather interesting name...called #FliegerFriday, this chronograph is a limited edition of 100 pieces.