IWC

AndrewD
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IWC Pilot Chronograph Edition Antoine de Saint Exupery

While we are waiting to see the new IWC releases at SIHH in a few days I thought it would be good to revisit some novelties from SIHH 2012.

This first piece is the steel version of the IWC Pilot Chronograph Edition Antoine de Saint Exupery (Ref. IW387806). The watch is housed in a 43mm x 15.5mm steel case with a screw-down signed crown which is water resistant to 200m. Beneath the engraved solid case back is the automatic Cal. 89361 flyback chronograph with date display. This is a 38 jewel, 4Hz movement with a power reserve of 68 hours when fully wound.

I particularly like the brushed tobacco brown dial, applied numerals, the combined elapsed minutes and hours chronograph counters at 12 o’clock and the classic pilot sword/propeller hands. A nice thick stitched brown calf leather strap on a deployant clasp completes the package. And in steel, this version is a very affordable piece. There is also a version in rose gold limited to 500 pieces (Ref. IW387805) but I really prefer this steel watch and the contrast with the brown dial and strap.

Case back engraved with the American built Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The Lightning was called the “fork-tailed devil” by the German pilots during WWII. The plane was quiet in the air and considered relatively easy to fly. It was very versatile and was used for bombing and ground attacks and photo-reconnaissance missions. The Lightning that Antoine de Saint Exupery crashed in July 1944 was actually the F-B5 reconnaissance variant. The remains of the plane were found off the cost of Marseille in 2000 and are now on display in the French Air and Space Museum just outside of Paris.