No watch is more associated with IWC than the Big Pilot, and no material is hotter than bronze in the watchmaking in industry today. Put the two together and what you get is one of the most desirable creations that could possibly come out of the Schaffhausen based manufacture in recent days.

The new 46.2mm, ref. IW501005 Big Pilot’s Watch Heritage in bronze is exactly this.

It gets all of its good looks from the historic Big Pilot’s Watch (Calibre 52 T.S.C.) of the 1940s. It features a black dial and blue hands that are coated with the same luminescent material used for the minute track and hour numerals.

The watch is powered by the IWC-manufactured calibre 52110, which is better known for the 7-day power reserve it dishes out to the Big Pilot line up.

IWC is also announcing a second, titanium version of the watch, the ref. IW501004, which — save for the bronze case — is identical to the former in terms of its dial treatments and movement used. But where the titanium ref. IW501004 is going to be part of the Big Pilot’s regular production, the bronze ref. IW501005 will be limited to just 1500 pieces.

Two other watches form part of this announcement, including the ref. IW502706, Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Antoine de Saint Exupéry”, in a 46.2mm red gold case that will be limited to 250 pieces.

The second is the ref. IW327006, Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Heritage that features a 40mm titanium case and is bestowed with the same dial treatments as the larger titanium Big Pilot’s Watch Heritage, ref. IW501004.

All four watches being announced today will be available from November 2017 at all IWC boutiques and with the brand’s major retail partners.

Technical Specifications

Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Antoine de Saint Exupéry”, ref. IW502706

Movement

Self-winding IWC-manufactured calibre 52850; soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic interference; annual calendar display with date, day and month; hours, minutes and small hacking seconds; power reserve display for 7-day power reserve

Case

46.2mm 18-carat red gold case; water resistant to 60m

Strap

Brown calfskin strap by Santoni

Big Pilot’s Watch Heritage Titanium, ref. IW501004 and Bronze, ref. IW501005

Movement

Self-winding IWC-manufactured calibre 52110; soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic interference; hours, minutes and central hacking seconds; date; power reserve display for 7-day power reserve

Case

46.2mm titanium case for ref. IW501004 and bronze case for ref. IW501005; water resistant to 60m

Strap

Brown calfskin strap

Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Heritage, ref. IW327006

Movement

Self-winding calibre 35111; soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic interference; hours, minutes and central hacking seconds; date; 42-hour power reserve

Case

40mm titanium; water resistant to 60m

Strap

Brown calfskin strap