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Thank you Tonny. I do look forward to seeing the caseback. Maybe you will convey my feelings to your friends in high places at IWC during SIHH this week:
I believe my sentiments are felt by many, not just by me. I would love to be part of a conversation with others to see how your brainchild could be enjoyed by at least a few more, since your friends at this collectors' meeting worked wonders, moreso than the in-house designers/marketing teams at IWC! Truly. Feel free to PM me with more details, and enjoy SIHH. Marc
Mystery watch revealed, sort of...
I posted this pic of an IWC watch which I happened to discover. I thought it was lovely; it was the first IWC watch that I could see purchasing, owning, wearing. But from where did it come? And how? It was nowhere to be found on the IWC website. So began ...
Mark, thank you so much for the presentation of this watch. A very appealing one, indeed. Two observations.
38 mm would have been better in my opinion. The original Mark II was 35 mm big. This one, with a 38 mm case, would have been perfect. A bit like the TT Geophysic and its 38, 5 mm case. I didn't hear someone complained about the size of the TT Geophysic. T...
Thanks for revealing this interesting back story to the watch :)
Made for fascinating reading indeed! And good luck finding one of the 27, keeping my fingers crossed!
One last thought...
As I have reflected on the limited facts at hand, one that has stood out is that "all pieces were pre-sold prior to production." The only way I can explain this is that the special event with Andrew Thomas, either hosted by or for/with him, was in fact a ...
I caught wind of this watch on an IG post back in Nov 2017
I emailed IWC about purchasing one and got this response: 12/3/17 Dear Mr. xxxxxx, Thank you for your interest in IWC Schaffhausen. In regards to your inquiry, the Pilot's Watch Mark XVIII edition "Andrew Thomas" IW327008 valued at 4,150 USD is unavailabl...
Very nice story! The hunt is on then?
I guess meeting with Andrew Thomas to trace the 27 watches would be an idea! I am not sure the font for numerals is the Portuguese one, the 9 is rather different, straighter/flatter and longer on the middle right. Keep us updated if you find one! I really...
Regards from 17/27
And I am happy to have the Portugieser 75th as well in my collection. Two beauties
Wow. Welcome! Would you share the caseback with me? Also, would you fill in the blanks about...
the special event for Dr Thomas, and who were fortunate enough to receive these little beauties from M. Georges Kern/Dr. Thomas? It makes me wonder: When manufacturers (not just IWC) are aware of what small tweaks to a regular production model will make t...
Regards from 17/27 answer
Hi Marc, will post the picture of the caseback later. I am at Sihh the whole week and I haven't the watch with me. The watch was created by some iwc collectors during a drink at a collectors meeting. The idea was to make a small run of these watches as a ...
24x7.... actually!
Tonny, indeed I am one of the fortunate to not only own one of these handsome timepieces but also to have been present at its “birth” - when the original idea and design of “the perfect watch for pilots” was born during the October 2015 IWC Collectors Mee...
M 8541 Vintage: Thank you so much for your added history to this gem and yes much improved pilot's watch. Please see my second note to Tonny below.
Everything I said to him I extend to you as well. You and others and Dr. Thomas produced an amazing special piece. I just wish I could have one! Marc
Thank you Tonny. I do look forward to seeing the caseback. Maybe you will convey my feelings to your friends in high places at IWC during SIHH this week:
I believe my sentiments are felt by many, not just by me. I would love to be part of a conversation with others to see how your brainchild could be enjoyed by at least a few more, since your friends at this collectors' meeting worked wonders, moreso than ...
Wonderful Story
I have always wanted a “simple”, easy to read Pilot like this. Struggle to find the “perfect “ version but, for me, I think this is it. As others have said, perhaps IWC will take the hint!
May the Force be With You!
(as someone once said in a film sometime). Best wishes, Steve
The caseback
Good research, however, although you got some of the facts right, some were quite wrong. This watch was supposed to have stayed under the RADAR, but it appears the cat is out of the bag. The actual and detailed story of its genesis will one day be written...
Thank you Tony for sharing the caseback version 1. At the risk of repeating myself, especially with IWC principals gathered and accessible this week at SIHH, I hope my thread
initiates a conversation amongst those principals, as to why, whatever its genesis, the fantastic design of this pilot's watch, so much more appealing to me, and many others [based on the views of this thread] [and that is only amongst those who visit/rea...
The Genesis
As the design progressed, in the back of a restaurant menu, in that auspicious evening of 8 October 2015 the Special Watch for Aviators was being conceived by a small group of collectors to be the perfectest IWC traditional pilot's watch, with form strict...
Tony, marvelous added background. I highly commend your group for a wholly successful result. If you look at my original post from Dec 31, 2017,
I wrote that I though a cursive script International Watch Co would have been the cherry on top! Great minds think alike, as they say. I assumed the manual wind hacking central seconds movement was not (easily) accessible. Since the dial was created for t...
Production and distribution
We could have designed the Special Watch For Aviators to be the perfectest pilot's watch since the Mark 11, but we did not have the means to turn the project into reality. After all, we were just a bunch of dedicated collectors, and in order to make it ha...
I salute you. Pretty, pretty good turned out damn good given your stated and unstated trials/tribulations. Fwiw, my birthday is November 14. That would have been
a great b-day present for me. If you are in contact with Andrew, and he has one of those spare 27 laying around, give him my contact info...! Again, thank you so much for your history to complete my investigations... Best, Marc
To the best of my knowledge all 27 were sold...
...but I would not be surprised if/when one shows up in the secondary market, although that would be against the spirit of this project. However, in view of the interest the SWFA generated among IWC aficionados, I would not be surprised if IWC come up wit...
I completely understand the spirit of the project. I do not exaggerate when I say that the SWFA appeals to me more than any of the watch unveilings
that I have seen published from the ongoing SIHH 2018 from any manufacture. Regrettably, based on your two year journey synopsis, it seems that IWC is reluctant and/or unwilling to produce the "ultimate" pilot's watch for anyone, and I can't fathom why th...
A great page-turner watch story, great work!
Now I would like to see our newest PPro members tonnyberteloot & 8541 vintage & tonygomes share more watches that they own and other stories they have. Hint, hint. Very cool! 😁 As a side note, this story makes IWC more compelling to me than any of their g...
Thank you for sharing this fantastic discovery.
I saw Andrew Thomas on Instagram connected IWC posts. Never knew who he was. Now, there is light and even more so a great story about a truly attractive watch. Thank you very much for bringing it to my attention. Like it! Cheers Kolosstt
I highly recommend you get
an IWC Mark 11 (RAF, BOAC, or civilian) or even better yet a JLC RAF Mark 11 or RAAF Mark XI to fill your pilot/navigator's/aviator's watch void. The dial and hands pattern of the Mark 11 specification watches are the standard since 1948 and have not been...
Wow didn't know there.was such passion towards this watch.
I was fortunate enough to be one of those 27 fine gentlemen owning this timepiece. Still loving it a lot. ...
