AnthonyTsai
[PuristS]
22366
SIHH 2012: IWC novelties - new Pilot's watches
2012: the year of the high-flyers
The new Pilot’s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen
IWC Schaffhausen gets off to a powerful startin 2012: the year of the Pilot’s Watch. Withfive new models, the TOP GUN collectionestablishes itself as an independent formationwithin the IWC Pilot’s Watch family. Theyear’s high-flyer is the TOP GUN Miramar: atribute to the place in California where themyth of the elite pilots was born. And twoPilot’s Watches featuring many of fine watchmaking’sgreatest achievements prepare fortake off: the Big Pilot’s Watch PerpetualCalendar TOP GUN and the Spitfire PerpetualCalendar Digital Date-Month.
“For the new TOP GUN Pilot’s Watches we drewon our long tradition of manufacturing unusualdeck watches. In the 1940s, Pilot’s Watchesmade in Schaffhausen were widely used as socalledB watches for flight navigation,” explainsGeorges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. “Backthen, only wristwatches with the highest possibleprecision were good enough for navigators:the pilot and his crew would synchronizetheir watches to the navigator’s.” Since the mainpriority for navigation is optimum legibility ofthe seconds and minutes, these two were oftenthe only indicators shown on the outer ring; thehours would be relatively small and appearedon a central ring. This particular detail inspiredIWC’s designers to display the hour circle andthe chapter ring separately on the dials of theBig Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar and thePilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar.“The process of retracing the historic rootsof our Pilot’s Watches gave us the idea of usingthe Miramar to create our first line with a militarystyledesign,” adds Christian Knoop, CreativeDirector at IWC. “This allows us to combinevarious styles in an imaginative way – even withluxury elements, if we wish. That’s one of thereasons the new Miramar line is such a perfectfit for IWC: premium-class watches with outstandingmechanics and a rugged, almost hardedgedfeel.” The dark, metallic sheen of thegrey ceramic case and the matte anthracite ofthe dial all waken associations with precisioninstruments used in aviation. The use of specificcamouflage colours such as beige for the handsand chapter ring, together with green for thestrap, underscore the desired look. The textilestrap leans visibly on the tough webbing belts.It is complemented by two high-tech materials,typical for TOP GUN, that were introduced towatchmaking by IWC as early as the 1980s:zirconium oxide for the case, along with titaniumfor the controls and the watch back. Boththe Miramar models – like the entire TOP GUNcollection, incidentally – are equipped withIWC-manufactured calibres. Like the other BigPilot’s Watch, the Big Pilot’sWatch TOP GUNMiramar is equipped with the largest automatic movement made by IWC, with a powerreserve of 168 hours. This also explains the48-millimetre case diameter. The calibre 89365found in the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOPGUN Miramar is one of the most advanced and robust chronograph movements ever produced.It has a flyback function as well as an analoguedisplay for stopped minutes and seconds. Commentingon the family’s positioning in the internationalwatch market, Karoline Huber, DirectorMarketing & Communications at IWC, explains:“Flying enthusiasts all over the world think ofMiramar in California as the birth place of the Top Gun legend. With our new TOP GUN Miramardesign line, we are addressing watch loverswho consciously embrace IWC’s long-standingtradition of manufacturing Pilot’s Watches butwho also wish to benefit from the technologicaladvances of the 21st century and the inimitablequality typical of IWC.”
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This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2012-01-16 08:09:41 This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2012-01-16 08:29:56