IWC pays tribute to the Patrouille Suisse by dedicating the 2015 edition of the Big Pilot's Watch Edition "Patrouille Suisse" - a special version of the watchmaking icon first made in 1940 and now available in a limited series of 250 pieces - to the acrobats of the Swiss Airborne Aerobatic Flight Team. The watch sports a grey colour and is equipped with IWC's self-winding IWC-manufactured 51011 calibre with a power reserve of more than seven days. The latter is visible at 3 o'clock on the dial, with a small seconds display at 9 o'clock and a date display at 6 o'clock. The 46-millimetre sandblasted steel case houses a soft-iron cage to protect the movement from extreme magnetic fields. This is complemented by an anthracite calfskin strap with an engraved insert and folding clasp. The caseback is decorated with an engraving depicting three fighter planes: a tribute to the Northrop F-5E Tiger II, with which the Patrouille Suisse pilots draw their figures in the sky. The inscription "Tribute to Patrouille Suisse" and the progressive numbering, also on the case back, underline the fact that this is a limited special edition.
