Last night, IWC launched their new Pilot's Collection at an intimate event in a venue dressed perfectly to capture the machismo, the aeronautical legacy and the overall class of the brand. The walls were adorned with pilot paraphernalia, the tables were festooned with dried native flowers and many wrists were adorned with IWC watches; the iconic Big Pilot a crowd favourite, with many variations in attendance. In a relatively short time, this striking model has earned icon status in IWC's pilot stable — and last night, people voted with their wrists. Stories about the brand and its watches abounded. Ex-AFL player (Sydney Swans, Richmond Tigers) and musician (check out Kayex on Spotify or Apple Music) Tom Derickx sat next to me at the dinner and spoke of his Mark XVIII, a small-sized watch for such a big guy, and said that he liked its slim profile and comfortable size for everyday wear as a carpenter and musician. "I wear it surfing, I wear it sleeping, I never take it off." He proved the point by showing the tan line it had created. (The fact that he even has a tan line shows the stark difference between Melbourne and Sydney winter life… Read More
INTRODUCING: The IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Edition "Laureus Sport for Good"
The substantial and subtly blue IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Edition "Laureus Sport for Good" is the 13th (unlucky for some, but clearly not IWC) edition watch celebrating the Schaffhausen-based brand's partnership with the Laureus Sport for Good, which leverages the power of sport to end violence, discrimination and disadvantage. It's a cause as worthy as the watch is good-looking. The Aquatimer Chronograph is a large, sporty timepiece. It's 45mm of pure grunt — aggressive case architecture and lots of clever tech: the internal bezel that you operate by turning the external one, the flyback chronograph movement and a case that's been coated in black rubber, for an under-the-radar look that really stands out. And then, of course, there's the blue. Subtle, dark and inky like the deep waters it's been designed to conquer, while there's still a flash of light visible, thanks to the starburst finish. The colour is well-matched thanks to the textured rubber strap, which is comfortable, and far more stylish than a rubber strap has any right to be. The caseback is engraved with a charming illustration with the theme of 'Time to Learn', of children, happily gambolling around — the work of a young Sri Lankan boy named… Read More
HANDS-ON: The IWC Pilot's Watch Automatic Spitfire hits the mark
The Mark XI was the first watch that really got me 'into' watches, and it has endured over the decades as an icon of good, utilitarian design. Its influence has been very visible in IWC's Pilot's family over the years, but this watch, the IWC Pilot's Watch Automatic Spitfire, might be the closest we've seen IWC come in a long time to hitting that mark in a regular production model (sorry about the pun, I couldn't help it). There are three main reasons why this watch is so great: the dial, the case and the movement. All these elements add up to create a watch that's greater than the sum of its parts. Let's break it down. The dial IWC has done a great job with the dial here; it's a really nice blend of clarity and heritage. All the classic hallmarks are there: crisp white Arabic numerals, surrounded by a minute track with larger hash markers at five-minute intervals. The signature triangle and double dot at 12, along with the cardinal hours, all in a faded, cream-coloured lume, which sits on the right side of the line between vintage-inspired and overbaked. The hands, in the characteristic Spitfire sword… Read More
WATCHSPOTTING: IWC's Big Pilot never looked so small – The Rock rocks a Bronze Spitfire in Las Vegas
Yesterday, Dwayne Johnson touched down in Las Vegas to showcase his new buddy action flick Hobbs & Shaw at CinemaCon, an industry event. But while I'm sure there were explosions aplenty, what really grabbed our attention was something else entirely. What The Rock was wearing. That Ferragamo knit with a palm print is in-credible. Also, the dude is wearing the brand new IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Spitfire — which is, let's be clear, a 46.2mm watch that certainly earns the 'Big' moniker — like it's a dainty 36mm. Nuts. This particular Big Pilot was released at SIHH earlier this year, and is one of the crown (complicated) jewels in the revamped Spitfire collection — with a bronze case, green dial and a lot of complication. It's limited to 250 pieces and has an indicative Australian RRP of $42,600
"I definitely think the Porsche Design by IWC Ocean 2000 is undervalued, but don't expect that to last forever!" 6 reasons it might be a sleeper classic
When the idea was first hatched that we would work with IWC on auctioning a rare-in-this-condition Porsche Design by IWC Ocean 2000 ref 3504 for charity, a name quickly emerged as someone to consult with on the process. Carson Chan is not only the Head of Mission of Greater China for the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), but he's also an out and proud superfan of this collaboration between Porsche Design and IWC that was, as we explained in the last story, a victim of its outrageous success. Whenever we would speak about this particular watch, well before this opportunity arose, his excitement and energy level rose alarmingly. It's only natural that now, barely 12 hours from the end of the auction of the Porsche Design by IWC Ocean 2000 ref 3504, that we unleash the geek beast in Carson, and give you a couple more — I would say fairly salient — reasons to take it off the market for a still-reasonable price. The bidding is currently at $9000AUD ($6400USD, a pinch really). The auction ends at midday tomorrow AEST. Once again, we wish all bidders luck. 1. What makes the Porsche Design by IWC Ocean 2000 ref 3504 a collectible… Read More
NEWS: We are auctioning a seriously cult-worthy watch for charity, the Porsche Design by IWC Ocean 2000
The Porsche Design by IWC Ocean 2000 ref 3504 is the kind of model that makes the experience of being into watches great again. But more about the watch later. Because the really great news is that we have one (in pretty extraordinary condition) to auction on eBay, from this morning. You can bid on the watch right now, here. The auction will run for the next seven days. All monies raised will go toward the vital work of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Assocation of Victoria, an organisation dedicated to finding a cure for MND. "Until there is a cure, there is care," their site promises. Anyone who has been touched by MND knows that it is a cruel, dehumanising disease whose usually slow progress is agonising for all involved. Needless to say, it is a worthy cause. And the cause is combined, in this effort, with a pretty incredible watch, as we said above, in pretty incredible condition. Once you scratch the cool, smooth, pebble-like titanium surface of the Ocean 2000 you are immediately drawn into a world of storytelling and mythology that has been nicely compacted by the 35-odd years since its release. This, in short, is a crush… Read More
VIDEO: 6 of the best new IWC watches from SIHH 2019
One of my highlights of SIHH every year is IWC – and not just because their booth is exceptional; this year it was dominated by an actual gleaming silver Spitfire. No, I like seeing IWC because the watches rarely disappoint, and this year was absolutely no exception. The Pilot's collection is one of the brand's iconic staples, and hugely popular in Australia (and, for that matter, around the world). And at SIHH it got some major new additions, mainly in the Spitfire and Top Gun sub families. Spitfire is the more retro of the two, and covered off the classics — a pitch-perfect 39mm automatic, a chronograph, a simpler Timezoner, a Big Pilot-cased perpetual and even a welcome return of the UTC. Now, while it's easy to get caught up in the bronze cases and green dials on offer, for me the really big news is that the whole Spitfire family is now powered by in-house movements. Over in the Top Gun line, novel materials were the name of the game — with Ceratanium making an appearance on the Doppelchrono, and a gorgeous khaki 'Mojave' limited edition that I just can't get out of my head. So, time to cue… Read More
HANDS-ON: The IWC Pilot's Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun in Ceratanium
Materials innovation is looking like quite a thing in 2019 and for you, the watch buyers, that has to be good news: more aesthetic choices and (hopefully) better performance. Which brings us to IWC's new Top Gun Double Chronograph Ceratanium. Ceratanium? It's a naturally matt-black finish, but differs from PVD/DLC in one crucial respect: rather than a coating, it's integral to the base material (its name being a contraction of ceramised and titanium). It's the product of five years R&D within IWC, and is made by first milling the parts (case, pushers and crown) from a titanium alloy, then subjecting them to intense heat. The composition of the alloy triggers what IWC calls a "diffusion" process, which transforms the structure of the alloy's surface into ceramic. The result is a best-of-both worlds material – as light and unbreakable as titanium, and as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic. What's more, being part of the material itself, the finish cannot chip or wear off as a coating might. To the eye it looks deeply black, with neither sheen nor texture, but seeming to absorb every last suggestion of light. In the hand, the watch feels light yet very substantial. Although Ceratanium isn't… Read More
