VIDEO: The IWC Pilot’s Watch Limited Edition collection celebrates the real Top Guns

Fergus Nash

IWC rarely shy away from a limited edition, especially not when it’s in celebration of military icons. New to the IWC catalogues is a batch of Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Editions that celebrate three F/A-18 Super Hornet flying squadrons of the US Navy — the Royal Maces, the Tophatters, and the Blue Angels.

The dial

As much as a limited-edition watch can often just include a different logo and call it a day, IWC have made sure to capture some of the essence of each squadron in subtle ways. The black and yellow colour scheme of the watch for the Royal Maces echoes their ‘STRKFITRON 27’ banner above the medieval mace, which is placed at 6 o’clock to be used as the running seconds subdial. The yellow switching in the calfskin-backed strap gives the watch an overall modern feeling, at least in comparison to the blood red stitching in the smooth leather strap of the Tophatters watch. Being based on the eldest squadron, this watch has more of an old school air to it. The red and black look does have somewhat of an older world charm to it, living up to the Tophatters’ motto of “The Oldest and Boldest.”

Appropriately for a dedication to an aerobatics team, the limited edition in support of the Blue Angels is the flashiest version of the three, showing off its yellow and blue theme with comprehensive style. Where the first two watches only have coloured tips to their chronograph seconds hand, the Blue Angels version has the whole hand soar across the dial in its bold yellow colour, picking out those details in the logo, chronograph pushers, and date wheels.

Of course, the rest of the dial is laid out as you would expect for an IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph. The iconic flieger triangle is at 12 o’clock, with Arabic numerals placed around the hour markers with the exception of the quarters that are taken up by complications. The sword hands are aggressive, making them easier to read at a glance as well as carrying through that military vibe.

The case

Between these three references, the dimensions are identical to each other. A 44.5mm diameter with a lug-to-lug distance of around 53mm means that it’s unavoidably a whopper, but that’s the point of a true aviation watch. A big case means a big dial, and a big dial is much quicker to read. If you were flying a jet and going 1900km/h, would you want to spend any longer than necessary trying to read the time? By the time you’ve gotten used to the sheer size of watch, the 15.7mm height will seem positively slim, and the ceramic material used in the case does help to shed some weight. The curvature of the lugs helps it conform to the wrist, although the watch could be great bodybuilding inspiration for those with smaller wrists. Both the Royal Maces and Tophatters editions use the exceedingly stealthy black ceramic case, while the Blue Angels version uses a slightly more decorative shade of ultramarine blue to match the dial.

The movement

Powering the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronographs is the in-house IWC caliber 69380, based on the legendary ETA/Valjoux 7750 but with several upgrades. The increase in jewels from 25 to 33 should instantly tell you that this is more of a luxury movement, and the extra four hours of power reserve bring this model up to 46 hours. The beat rate is 28,800vph, and it’s column wheel ensures that operating the chronograph is satisfying with a definitive click. The base plates and automatic winding rotor are nicely decorated, although the movement is hidden by an engraved solid caseback unique to each watch. The Blue Angels model shows a fleet of jets flying in formation, the Tophatters caseback shows the logo and celebrates their century-old legacy, and the Royal Maces get a larger depiction of the F/A 18E Super Hornet jet which they fly.

The verdict

These watches are all priced at $17,000AUD each, which is a $4,900AUD premium over the base model Top Gun that has the same specifications and movement. Whether or not that extra cost seems worth it to you is solely dependant on your enthusiasm for these elite groups of pilots. With an annual production limit of 500 pieces, it’s not a large stretch of the imagination to believe that many of these watches will end up in the hands of those pilots themselves. The argument could be made that to own one of these watches is to celebrate, and even participate in that legacy.

For more information on these pieces head to IWC.

Made in partnership with IWC. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.