Jewellery & Watch News
One of the biggest releases from IWC Schaffhausen during this week’s Watches and Wonders 2021 event was undoubtedly their new IWC Big Pilots 43 reference IW3293. The iconic aviation design features an all-new ergonomic 43 millimetre stainless steel case with a choice of a black or blue dial and an IWC-manufactured 82100 calibre at its centre.
“The Big Pilot’s Watch perfectly embodies IWC’s extensive heritage and expertise in engineering rugged and reliable instruments tailored to meet the needs of elite aviators. It exemplifies how a purely functional design can transform into a cultural icon. Today, the Big Pilot’s Watch is not only one of the most recognised watch designs in the world but also an expression of a certain character and mindset,” explains Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen.
The History of IWC’s Big Pilots Watches
Before we delve into the details of the new IWC Big Pilots 43mm watch collection, it’s first important to understand the importance of the Big Pilots model especially in regards to the brand’s history and the expertise they have developed over the years in manufacturing professional instruments for the cockpit. Back in 1936, IWC Schaffhausen launched their first pilots watch, the “IWC Special Watch For Pilots IW436”, a true marvel of its time with a rotating bezel with an arrowhead index that could be used to register take off times and an anti-magnetic escapement as part of the mechanical movement. Four years later, there was demand for a larger military observation watch and so in 1940, the IWC Big Pilots watch was revealed.
The Big Pilot’s Watch Calibre 52 T.S.C. came in at a hefty 55-millimeter in diameter with an iconic oversized crown designed for ease of use even when wearing gloves and large luminous Arabic numerals for instant legibility. These very same essentials have remained the DNA of every IWC Big Pilots watch since. The collection was revived back in 2002 under the Big Pilot’s Watch Ref. 5002, a 46mm design weighing only 150 grams. Since then, the IWC Big Pilots has undergone only a small few changes including a slight modification made to the style of the numerals and of course, several new IWC in-house manufacture movements at their core. The new IWC Big Pilots 43mm collection largely follows in the footsteps of its historic predecessors but with a few more small changes.
The IWC Big Pilots 43mm Watch Collection
Although the Big Pilots watch has a long-standing heritage as a “tool watch”, collectors and connoisseurs of the IWC Schaffhausen brand will have already seen the design alongside a spectrum of complications including a perpetual calendar, annual calendar and constant-force tourbillon. For the new IWC Big Pilots 43mm watches however, functionality is stripped back to the basics with no power reserve indicator or even date window in sight, just a simple three-hand design for effortless legibility.
One of the other small but significant changes to the IWC Big Pilots 43 comes in its case size which now measures to 43 millimetres in diameter. The classic stainless steel case sits really nicely on the wrist thanks to the ergonomic profile, slim contoured lugs and calfskin leather strap. For now, there are three new IWC Big Pilots 43 watches to choose from. The first is reference IW329301 which delivers the steel case with a black dial and brown calfskin leather strap. The two other references feature a blue dial with reference IW329303 coming on a blue strap and IW329304 attired with a stainless steel bracelet.
“With the Big Pilot’s Watch 43, we have returned to the extreme purity of the original observation watch designed more than 80 years ago and created a simple threehand watch with no other elements on the dial. Despite its reduced size, the 43-millimetre case combines a bold look with great wearing comfort,” says Christian Knoop, IWC’s Creative Director.
Housed within the 43mm stainless steel case of each IWC Big Pilots 43 watch is the IWC-manufactured 82100 calibre. Like with all IWC in-house automatic movements, the mechanical calibre focuses on ensuring maximum precision and reliability. It comes equipped with the highly efficient automatic winding system developed by Albert Pellaton, which uses the rotor’s smallest movements in either direction to wind the mainspring and components like the automatic wheel engineered entirely from wear-free ceramic. When fully wound, the Calibre 82100 delivers a healthy power reserve of 60 hours alongside classic central hands for hours, minutes and seconds. The 22-jewelled movement can also be witnessed through the sapphire crystal glass case back.
Like some of the other IWC Watches and Wonders 2021 releases we’ve seen, including the IWC Pilots Chronograph 41, the Big Pilots 43 family has been developed alongside the brand’s EasX-CHANGE system. This unique technology allows wearers to quickly and easily change the strap of their watch over, so if you’re someone who likes to swap between two sophisticated aesthetics like a calfskin leather band or steel bracelet or someone who needs additional water resistance with a silicon strap, it’s the perfect addition and allows the IWC Big Pilots 43 watch to be ready for just about any occasion.
If you’d like to learn more about all the new IWC watch releases and the new IWC Big Pilots 43 watch collection, head over to the C W Sellors website here or get in touch with the team on 01335 453453 or send us a message at sales@cwsellors.com.
Specifications:
- Case Size: 43mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: Fixed
- Glass: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides
- Crown: Screw in
- Case Back: Exhibition
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: IWC manufacture calibre 82100, automatic
- Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds
- Power Reserve: 60 hours
- Jewels: 22
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: Black or Blue
- Strap: Calfskin leather or steel bracelet
- RRP: £7,200 (Leather), £8,000 (Bracelet)
- Release Date: May 2021
- References: IW329301, IW329303, IW329304
