Home » The Salon International De La Haute Horlogerie » SIHH 2016 Review – IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire
At SIHH 2016 watch show, the IWC Schaffhausen presented completely renewed and remodeled range of IWC Pilot’s Watches. IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire comes with a new simple date display instead of a triple date window, a day aperture is integrated into the dial and now, there is an elegant stainless steel bracelet to secure watch on the future owner’s wrist, which is yet another new feature.
The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire (ref. IW377719) has been designed as the ultimate sports timepiece which is appropriate for everyday use. It is housed in a round stainless steel case which measures 43mm in diameter and 15mm in thickness. The case is shielded with antireflective sapphire crystals and the front glass is secured against displacement by drop in air pressure. The case construction offers decent water resistance of 60 meters (approximately 200 feet).
Its charming case incorporates a polished steel bezel, as well as two rows of links which are also mirror polished, thus offering the utmost feel of elegance.
The beating heart of the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire is the impeccable caliber 79320 mechanical chronograph movement which guarantees mechanical accuracy for stopped times and aggregate timing up to 12 hours. The self-winding mechanism is built on 25 jewels and promises up to 44 hours of power reserve when fully wound. A soft-iron inner case protects the precision movement against magnetic fields.
Underneath the convex sapphire glass lies a slate-colored dial with its metallic shimmer and sun-pattern finish, which perfectly sports the gray fuselage of the iconic British Spitfire aircraft. This single engine fighter that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries during the 1930s and 1940s was a piece of aerodynamic wizardry with outstanding performance. We might say the same thing about the new Pilot’s Watch named after the eponymous Spitfire.
As you can see on the image above there is a simple date window at the 3 o’clock position instead of the altimeter-like vertical triple date display. Right next to the date aperture there is a day display. Two chronograph counters are situated at 12 and 6 o’clock positions, while a small hacking seconds sub-dial with red sub-dials hand is placed on the left side at the 9 o’clock position.
From the rear, an engraving of a Spitfire can be found on the stainless steel case back. Finally, the watch is also available with the two-tone textile straps, inspired by the historic Nato straps. This textile wristband is more comfortable but the steel bracelet gives the watch an enhanced sense of luxury.
