In the year of the Pilot’s Watches, IWC Schaffhausen enriched this line with five new TOP GUN models. Now, the Swiss-based manufacturer added a new limited edition watch to the Pilot’s Family as a tribute to the great French polymath Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry IW387806
The new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Antoine de Saint Exupéry is the sixth timepiece that has been released in honor of Saint-Exupéry. The previous model was the Big Pilots Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
Henri Guillaumet and Antoine de Saint Exupéry
The new Pilot’s Chrono perfectly combines the aspirations of pioneering days of aviation with modern watch technology.
The Swiss watchmaker offered two versions of this watch. The luxury model in 18-karat red gold which is limited to 500 pieces (the referent number of this model is IW387805) and the more affordable variant in stainless steel with the referent number IW387806.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry IW387806
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry IW387805
The case of the new IWC timepiece is coated on both sides with convex sapphire crystals with antireflective coatings. The new watch is also secured against displacement by drop in air pressure and provides no less than 60 meters (200 feet) of water resistance.
The round case measures 43 mm in diameter and 15.5 mm in thickness. Its masculine case incorporates a narrow bezel, and on the right side, there is a screw-down crown and two chronograph push buttons.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry Stainless Steel
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Antoine de Saint Exupéry is equipped with the IWC-made caliber 89361 mechanical chronograph movement with a flyback function. The self-winding mechanism is built on 38 jewels and beats at the rapid frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz). The impeccable movement provides full 68 hours of power reserve when fully wound. The flyback function allows you to stop, reset and restart the chronograph by the press of a single button.
Underneath the front sapphire glass lies a gorgeous tobacco-colored dial with Arabic numerals as hour markers and two sub-dials. The overall quality of the watch’s appearance has been underscored by the sun-pattern finish on the dial. In my opinion, the most interesting detail on its “tobacco” dial is a sub-dial located at the 12 o’clock position. Thanks to the in-house developed and manufactured mechanism, this totalizer is used by the stopwatch function to measure minutes and hours. Elapsed minutes and hours are recorded in the single counter which houses two separate sub-dial hands. Thus, it eliminates the need for a second counter of the kind often used for aggregate timing, for example.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry Dial
There is also a second sub-dial which is situated at the 6 o’clock. This counter displays continuous seconds and comprises a date window. The propeller-like hour and minute hands, as well as sub-dial hands are domed with luminescent material from shaft to tip and guarantee perfect legibility even in deep darkness.
This year’s Antoine de Saint Exupéry wristwatch offers optimum protection against the effects of external magnetic fields (so prevalent in the modern world) in the form of a soft-iron inner case.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry Caseback
A special treat for all admirers of Antoine de Saint Exupéry is set on the case back which is embellished with an engraving of his last aircraft, the Lightning P-38. For the wristlet, IWC chose a calfskin strap with the cream-colored quilted stitching.
