IWC Schaffhausen Big Pilot’s Watch Le Petit Prince 7 Days Power Reserve

IWC. There is hardly a lover of the art of watchmaking for whom these 3 letters mean nothing. The brand, founded in 1868 by American engineer and watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones in Switzerland, with the goal of producing high-quality watches for the American market, managed, acquired in 1880 by the Rauschenbach family, owned and managed by 4 generations of the family until 1955. The brand that was one of the first (as early as the end of the 19th Century) to start producing wristwatches. The undisputed founder of the so-called "pilot's watches," the first to use titanium for the cases of its chronographs and to produce unique works of horological art, such as the representatives of the Portuguese and Ingenieur series. It is certain that for everyone interested in watches, this abbreviation means something. For us, the term "pilot's watch" automatically brings to mind "IWC". Perhaps the reason for this is that IWC are known mainly for the production of pilot's watches, or because the brand developed its production especially during the Second World War, but most likely the main role in this was played by the fact that the brand supplied its products to both sides of the conflict. Both during and after the war, the countries that participated in the conflict were already very familiar with the quality of the brand, which provided it with several important advantages in the competition for the customer – recognizability, image, reputation. The watch presented today is the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch, first launched in 2016, and is a special version of the model, continuing the successful series of models dedicated to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It is known to all that he had a military aviation career, but he owes his fame to his writing. Undoubtedly, his most popular work is The Little Prince, and today's model is dedicated precisely to this masterpiece of his. The differences compared to the regular Big Pilot’s are few, but significant: a white date, polished hands, a polished bezel, and of course, a deep blue dial with a sunburst finish. And of course, the case back – the Little Prince himself is proudly placed there. The legibility of the watch is one of the best of all the watches I have owned and that have passed through my hands. The colors of the dial are very elegant – blue and white, and nothing disturbs this purity. The luminescence is not as strong as on an Omega PO, for example, but it allows for legibility throughout the night. The large Arabic numerals are proverbial, and combined with the hands, which are in the shape of an airplane propeller, they manage to achieve a truly unique composition! The original brown calfskin strap with metal rivets is very suitable for this watch and gives it the expected look for a pilot's watch. The case size is 46.2 mm. and regardless of the fact that in recent years fashion has directed manufacturers towards reducing sizes, IWC confirms the maxim "more is more" and this model deserves its name – it truly is a Big Pilot! At the heart of the watch beats Caliber 52110 – an in-house movement of the brand, operating at the usual frequency for most modern movements of 28,800 vibrations, with 31 jewels, and 257 parts – two barrels, Pellaton system, Breguet spring, and a remarkable power reserve of 168 hours! Unfortunately, the solid case back does not allow us to enjoy the appearance of the movement, and it is remarkable – besides having a great finishing, its balance is made of pure gold. Truly, this is a remarkable timepiece, with a complex movement, a limited edition – and the fact that it is in excellent condition and is offered in the most complete set possible, makes the offer even more attractive.