There are three new chronographs in the Pilot's Watches collection from IWC, directly inspired by the brand's collaboration with the U.S. Navy squadrons and available for the first time to non-pilots.
The first, called the Pilot's Watch Chronograph Edition "Royal Maces" (Ref. IW389107), pays tribute to the exclusively military edition developed by the Schaffhausen-based company for members of Strike Fighter Squadron 27, nicknamed "Royal Maces" and based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan. It features a black zirconium oxide ceramic case, while the push-buttons and crown are made of Ceratanium, a material developed by IWC that is as light and robust as titanium and at the same time as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic. The dial features the "Maces" logo at 6 o'clock and the day and date display in yellow. Details such as the stitching on the strap, the tip of the chronograph seconds hand and the small seconds also echo the squadron's characteristic yellow colour. On the grade 5 titanium caseback, alongside 'VFA-27', the squadron's official designation, is the engraving of its F/A-18E Super Hornet jet.
The second watch in the collection, the Pilot's Watch Chronograph Edition "Tophatters" (Ref. IW389108), owes its name and inspiration to The Strike Fighter Squadron 14, nicknamed "Tophatters", based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, and known as VFA-14, which is the oldest U.S. Navy squadron still in operation. Again, the case adopts black zirconium oxide ceramic while the chronograph pushers and crown employ Ceratanium. The 'Tophatters' logo, with its classic top hat, is visible on the dial at 6 o'clock and engraved on the titanium back. The day and date display, the tip of the chronograph seconds hand, the small seconds and the stitching on the black calfskin strap add further details in the squadron's characteristic red.
The third watch derived from IWC's licensing agreement, the Pilot's Watch Chronograph Edition "Blue Angels®" (Ref. IW389109) is inspired by the exclusively military model developed for members of the Blue Angels U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron in Pensacola. It is distinguished by its blue ceramic case whose brilliance is achieved by mixing zirconium oxide and other metal oxides. Here, too, the chronograph pushers and crown are made of Ceratanium. The iconic 'Blue Angels®' emblem with the gold wings of the U.S. Navy is visible on the dial at 6 o'clock; the typical characters are engraved on the titanium back. Yellow details can be found on the chronograph seconds hand, the small seconds and the day and date indicator at 3 o'clock. This watch comes with a blue rubber strap with a textile insert.
All three models are equipped with the self-winding IWC-manufactured 69380 calibre with a 46-hour power reserve and column-wheel and feature a soft-iron inner case to effectively protect the movement from the effects of magnetic fields. The annual production of these chronographs, which can be registered under the My IWC service programme and thus benefit from a 6-year extension to the standard 2-year limited international warranty, will be 500 pieces per edition. The price, the same for each of the three versions, is 12,100 euros.
The Pilot's Watches Chronograph Editions "Royal Maces", "Tophatters", and "Blue Angels®", together with the entire Pilot's Watches 2021 collection and a selection of Haute Horlogerie, will be among the protagonists of today's special meeting organised by IWC in collaboration with our magazine L'Orologio, scheduled at Moebius Milano. The event, reserved for 10 readers selected from among the members of L'Orologio Club, will also allow them to take part in the IWC Watchmaking Class to understand the workings of a mechanical watch by performing first-hand the delicate process of disassembling and reassembling a movement, under the guidance of a trainer from the Schaffhausen-based company. The meeting will be accompanied by a Lunch offered by Enrico Croatti, 2 Michelin stars, chef de cuisine and gastronomic coordinator of Moebius.
