The Schaffhausen manufacture’s claim to fame was birthed on the backs of Pilot Watches and SIHH 2016 IWC Watches were focused on an all new expanded range of Pilot’s Watches.

2016 IWC Watches: Elegant New Pilot’s Collection

The latest Pilot’s Collection from IWC Schaffhausen completes the range with a balanced, nuanced lineup lead by new limited editions of their famed Big Pilot’s Watch.

2016 IWC watches: Introducing the IWC Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 reference IW510401. Remarkably, without date complication which is a commercial leap of faith for any watchmaker.

The largest of the new IWC 2016 Watch collection, the Big Pilot’s heritage Watch reference 55 is a faithful homage to the original Tirette Seconde Centrale made for the German Air Force in the 40s. Like its modern descendant unveiled in 2016, the calibre 52 TSC was the biggest watch ever built by the Schaffhausen manufacture.

The Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 follows in the same traditions of the B-Uhr or navigation watch used by old school aviators. Powering the newest Big Pilot is the calibre 98300 or “Jones calibre” which is an almost authentic replication of the early IWC pocket watch movements designed under the auspices of founder Florentine Ariosto Jones.

The iron cage of the new 2016 Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55, comprising of the dial, caseback and casing ring redirects magnetic fields around, thus protecting the movement.

Though the purposefully closed caseback (for reasons which will become clear in a moment) hides the new “old” movement, the calibre 98300 beats at a leisurely 18,000 vph in contrast to newer movements yet retains chronometric stability thanks to a proportionally larger balance wheel with Breguet overcoil balance spring. Also setting the movement apart is the long regulator index, that said, the evolution of watchmaking know-how has made the Heritage Watch 55 3mm thinner at 13.5mm and the benefit of contemporary materials such as titanium casing reduces the weight to less than 150g.

An authentic Big Pilot’s Watch, 2016’s Heritage Watch 55 is equipped with a soft iron inner case, endowing the movement with magnetic resistance (granted there are more modern techniques to increase anti-magnetic properties but they wouldn’t be very era authentic now would they?); a throwback to the golden age of flying when steel airplanes possessed less shielding and used primitive magnetos fuel ignition systems. In fact, ambient magnetic radiation from the atmosphere and equipment were so severe that it was simply easier for the navigator to compensate his compass relative to the magnetic fields generated from aircraft to aircraft. The Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 price: USD14,800 and limited to 100 pieces.

That said, 55 mm is a lot of watch to wear on one’s wrist and the new 2016 Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 probably gives the rest of us smaller wrist mortals a chance to rock a Big Pilot watch without looking juvenile.

Oddly, it’s a pip thicker than the Heritage Watch 55 at 14.5mm thickness and again utilises the soft iron anti-magnetic case similar to its larger sized brethren, nevertheless, it would be a pretty good call to say that the 48mm Heritage Watch 48 with the calibre 59215 similar to the Portuguiser Hand-Wound 8 Days is probably the more commercially attractive version with date display. Also in contrast to the 55’s 48 hour power reserve is the 48’s vaunted 8 days run time at a contemporary beat of 28,800. The Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 price: USD14,800 and limited to 1000 pieces.

“In 2016, we’re widening our range to include smaller Pilot’s Watches in the entry-level segment, without neglecting our traditional heritage, with our stylish Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII and elegant Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36, we’re addressing women and men with slimmer wrists who have a penchant for elegance and understatement. ” – Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen

SIHH 2016 and the Return of the 36mm IWC Pilot’s Watch

Hans Homberger’s pilot’’s licence was issued in 1936. That same year, IWC Schaffhausen manufactured the.’special watch for pilots’. One can argue that the reason why IWC launched Pilot’s Watches in the first place is because.the sons of Ernst Jakob Homberger, Managing Director at the time, were passionate pilots.

IWC’s history with making pilot’s watches is inescapable, beginning in 1936 with a “Special Watch” designed specifically for aviators. The 1936 IWC “Special Watch for Pilots” was equipped with a rotating bezel to mark the passage of short time periods; an immensely useful innovation for aviators navigating by the combination of time travelled and bearing to compute distance. While the large (for the time period) 37.5 mm steel watch with anti-magnetic properties was designed with input from the sons of IWC’s first owner Homberger, the b-uhr rather than this model became the wartime staple for World War II fighter aces. The b-uhr would go on to inspire the Big Pilot’s Watch with signature large crown while the 1936 Special Watch would go on to inspire the Mark XI for post-war civilian and military aviators from 1948 onwards.

The new IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36’s step recessed dial with sunray finishing makes it a dressier alternative for the Mark XII.

After many decades of flight service, the Mark series would retire and return only in 1994. It is true that the 36mm IWC Pilot’s Watch shares design codes similar to the Mark series but it is a dressier alternative to the sportier Mark XIII.

Like the other two new 2016 IWC watches, the 36mm Pilot’s Watch is equipped with anti-magnetic shielding via soft iron case. Armed with a Sellita movement modified to IWC calibre 35111 with 42 hour power reserve, the Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36 is considered entry level to IWC’s pilot watch collection. Before you gripe about Sellita calibres, you should consider that the Mark XV used modified ETA 2892 kit and not an assembled ebauche simply because the Schaffhausen’s modifications tend to go beyond a decorative rotor but also technical improvements to gear trains, wheels and levers. I believe the Schaffhausen manufacture would treat a Sellita no differently. IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36mm Price: USD3,950.

The New Icon: IWC Mark XVIII

The 40mm IWC Mark XVIII is the go between Pilot’s watch sitting a size up from the Pilot 36 and the larger Big Pilot collection. It also comes in white dial and/or bracelet editions.

The most anticipated of 2016 IWC watches is the IWC Mark XVIII Pilot’s watch with all new case proportions – 40mm. An update on its 41mm predecessor with altimeter style date window, the new Pilot’s Mark  XVIII sits as an in-between of the Pilot’s Watch 36 and the latest 44mm Big Pilot.

Joining the new 2016 IWC watches is the Pilot’’s Watch Mark XVIII (Ref. IW327002) with silver-plated dial and black calfskin strap by Santoni.

Like the Pilot’s Watch 36, the new Mark XVIII is driven by a Sellita calibre to keep prices affordable for the entry-range of IWC Pilot’s watches. The 40mm Mark XVIII is price USD3,950 like the 36mm. Guess you have to choose between the value of elegant sunray dial finishing or a larger steel case.

New innovation from the IWC manufacture: Timezoner Chronograph

IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Chronograph (Ref. IW395001) the only watch that enables the user to set another time zone, together with the date and 24-hour hand, in a single movement.

While the new dress Pilot’s 36 and the new Mark XVIII might have taken the bulk of the attention, the new Timezoner Chronograph is exemplar of Schaffhausen innovation for 2016 IWC watches.

With the new Timezoner Chronograph, a simple twist is all it takes to change the timezone, making it the perfect world time watch for frequent travellers. While the complication is exclusive to the manufacture due to IWC acquisition of the complication from Vogard watches’ Michael Vogt, the purchase is telling of Schaffhausen’s ability to spot a great innovation when they see one. As a result, the highly functional column wheel chronograph with in-house IWC calibre 89760 with flyback feature finds both hour and minute registers on a single subdial keeping the world timer dial layout fairly balanced without undue clutter.

It’s not your usual travel timezone watch, it’s much easier to use with a push and twist locking bezel which keeps all time, date and 24 hour hand indicators in sync. Meanwhile, the manufacture calibre 89760 within takes into account daylight savings of the summer months, keeping time zones an hour different from each other. The newly introduced Timezoner Chronograph is a fairly nifty, no-brainer travel watch priced USD11,900.

The Belle of 2016 IWC Watches: Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince”

Saving my favourite for last, the Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince”. Taking 2015’s popular Portugieser Annual Calendar and dressing it in Big Pilot aesthetic codes have given the celebrated 52850 calibre a new perspective.

While Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince motif is not readily apparent (like IWC’s other Little Prince editions, he appears on the reverse side), the most attractive but divisive element would be the large applied numerals. Why? Because human memories are short, typography of this nature is readily found in early Pilot’s watches of the 30s and 40s and it returned to collective consciousness thanks to Zenith’s bold Type 20 series and two years later, Patek Philippe’s own aviation inspired timepiece.

Returning is the gorgeous midnight blue sunburst dial with the “inverted toothy-grin” three window annual calendar day-date-month display and balanced subdials, one for seconds and the other reminding you of its impressive 7 day power reserve. Everything properly anchored by the large white super-luminova fore mentioned aviator-style numerals.

The Little Prince takes centre-stage with his own visually dominant oscillating mass, with the Prince standing astride the B612 flower-motif “cratered” asteroid.

But none of the technical or aesthetic details really matter when you consider that the limited 250 piece Big Pilot Annual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince” is really IWC and the Fondation Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s way of building academic facilities for a good cause in swanky style. New 2016 IWC Big Pilot Annual Calendar price: USD40,300