INTRODUCING: The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Monopusher Edition “Le Petit Prince”
D.C. HannayA pilot’s watch has long been considered a cornerstone of any well-rounded watch collection. And when you talk about flieger-type pilot’s watches, the International Watch Company is probably the marque that comes to mind, specifically, their Big Pilot. Well, the Big Pilot lineup just got bigger.
If you’ve come this far, you probably know a bit about the history of the Flieger-style pilot’s watch, so I’ll spare you the trip down the rabbit hole (but if you don’t know, it’s a rather fascinating journey). Suffice it to say, the Big Pilot is the standard against which all others are measured, and Kind Of A Big Deal. A big enough deal for IWC that, at last count, their website listed no fewer than 54 versions of the Big Pilot, in a range that runs the gamut. You can select from several different complications, including classic time-only models, ‘big date’ versions, a world timer, perpetual and annual calendars, and even a tourbillon. Case options include steel, 18k gold, bronze, and high-tech ceramic, so you’re certainly spoiled for choice. And now, IWC gives you another option to consider, and it’s a stunner.
The new limited-to-500 Monopusher Edition “Le Petit Prince” brings a novel complication to the Big Pilot lineup for the first time in the model’s history, a chronograph. And it’s all controlled by a single button integrated into that Big Crown, but we’ll circle back to that.
First things first: Why “Le Petit Prince”?
There are several models in the Le Petit Prince series, all with a lovely blue sunray dial as the common thread, and they were created to honour the French author and aviator Antoine de Saint Exupéry. Among his many exploits, he was a pilot, participating in several record-breaking attempts, including endurance air races to such far-flung locales as Paris, Saigon, New York, and Patagonia. Sadly, his last flight was a military reconnaissance mission over occupied France during the Second World War, from which he never returned.
As an author, Saint Exupéry is known throughout the world as the writer and illustrator of “Le Petit Prince” (The Little Prince), nominally a children’s book, but one that continues to resonate with a much wider audience (it’s sold over 140 million copies since publication). I wonder if The Little Prince knows Tintin? Maybe they hang out? Talk about the watches named after them? I may not know the children’s literature of continental Europe, but dammit, I know what I like.
Kidding aside, IWC does a great deal of work with the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation, and have created several watches in support, including this latest edition.
Now that we know the backstory, let’s get to the watch itself. The 46.2 mm stainless case (told you it was big) is an icon in watch design, originally made to be worn over the sleeve of a flight jacket in an open cockpit. Likewise, the oversized crown was a practical choice, so that gloved hands could set the time more easily. And the crown in this edition is The Big Story, because apart from the usual functions of winding and time setting, it controls all three functions of the chronograph. You see, IWC just couldn’t abide ruining the classic lines of the Big Pilot by Frankensteining two pushers onto the case, so they created their first monopusher design for the range. A smart decision, and well worth the extra effort, in my view.
The case also features domed sapphire up front, and a sapphire display back, which affords a view of one of the prettiest movements in their catalogue. The whole affair is water-resistant to 60 metres, and unlike some manufacturers, IWC assures you that their listed 6 ATM is actually good for 60 metres, sufficient for snorkelling and watersports, though God knows why you would go swimming with a leather-strapped pilot’s watch, save for an emergency bailout. In that case, I’m sure the watch is the least of your concerns.
The deep blue of the dial is a design hallmark of the entire Le Petit Prince series, and the finishing, as you’d expect, is exquisite. The sword handset is rhodium-plated, and I’m a big fan of the vintage-styled applied numerals. Both are well-lumed, and visibility is superb, as it should be on such a vast expanse of a dial. There’s a date window at 3, and the bicompax chrono layout has the hour totaliser at 12, and the running seconds at 6. As the Radiohead song goes, everything in its right place.
About that movement: the 59365 is one of IWC’s three in-house chronograph calibers, and it’s only manual wind chrono movement, which is in line with the traditional pilot’s flieger. Being a monopusher design, the big faceted jewel of a crown controls all the action. One push of the integrated button starts the chrono hand, a second push stops it, and a third resets to zero. The 36-jewel movement operates at a frequency of 4Hz, and the power reserve is a massive 192 hours, or eight days. In a nice touch, you can keep track of what’s in the tank through the sapphire display back, via the power reserve display. I appreciate that the decision was made not to add a reserve meter to a well-balanced dial. In sum, the movement looks the business through the clear display back, in all its Côtes de Genève-striped, perlaged, and engraved glory.
The stock strap is exactly what it should be: Brown calfskin with white contrast stitching, the traditional rivets by the lugs, and a well-engineered deployant clasp. It’s the strap a Big Pilot wants, and there really is no reason to screw around with anything else. It’s called classic rock for a reason, folks.
The entire package is a welcome addition to the IWC catalogue, and more to the point, just how cool is a monopusher Big Pilot chronograph? So if you’re intrigued, don’t sleep on this one.
Pricing and availability:
The IWC Monopusher Edition “Le Petit Prince” is a limited edition of 500, and retails for $16,100 USD. Find out more here