The IWC Big Pilot might just be having the busiest year in its multi-decade history. Not only has the entire collection been redesigned in the slightly smaller IWC Big Pilot 43, but we also got the all-new Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN Ceratanium and a unique piece for the Australian market. If that wasn’t enough, the Schaffhausen-based brand has just announced the first-ever IWC Big Pilot Chronograph.
Officially called the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Monopusher Edition “Le Petit Prince”, the fresh to market chronograph is contained within the original steel 46mm Big Pilot case. Pleasingly, in an admirable effort to maintain the source DNA of the design, the chronograph mechanism can be operated from the single oversized crown, without the need for extra pushers on the case sides.
Not only has this kept the case consistent with the rest of the collection, but its simple symmetry is matched by the layout of the dial. Featuring a discreet date window and a pair of subdials at 12 and 6 o’clock to track running seconds and chronograph minutes, the dial is balanced and easy to read. Especially with the large Arabic hour markers and sword hands filled with luminous paint, the surface of the dial acts as a blue canvas.
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In classic Big Pilot style, the new chronograph arrives on a brown calfskin leather strap, complete with securing rivets and contrast stitching. Inside the Big Pilot Chronograph is the IWC-manufactured movement 59365 calibre, which you are able to get an uninterrupted view of through the sapphire crystal caseback. Containing 281 components and running at 28,800vph, the movement also offers an impressive 192 hours of power reserve.
We’re still a month away from the new year, but with new releases like this, IWC doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all. Offering a new complication to an iconic design in the Big Pilot, we can only wait with bated breath to see what the watchmaker will release in 2022. The IWC Big Pilot Chronograph has an RRP of $25,200 and is limited to 500 pieces worldwide.
