Big Pilot's Heritage Watch 55

IW510401

Brand  : IWC
Collection  : Pilot's Watches
Model  : Big Pilot's Heritage Watch 55
Reference  : IW510401
Nber of pieces : 100
Complement : Titanium - Calfskin Leather Strap
Year : 2016
Is not commercialised any more

16 500 €Recorded list price in FranceI WANT IT

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  • Brand  : IWC
    Collection  : Pilot's Watches
    Model  : Big Pilot's Heritage Watch 55
    Reference  : IW510401
    Nber of pieces : 100
    Complement : Titanium - Calfskin Leather Strap
    Year : 2016
    Is not commercialised any more
    List Price : 16 500 €
    Diameter : 55 mm
    Thickness : 13.5 mm
    Styles : Vintage
    Types : Hand-winding
    Calibre : Calibre 98300
    Complication : Small Seconds
    Case material : Titanium
    Case peculiarity : Screwed-down crown
    Anti-magnetic
    Soft-iron inner case
    Shape : Round
    Water-resistance : 60 meters
    Dial color : Black
    Display : Superluminova luminescent hands
    Indexes : Triangles
    Arabic numerals
    Superluminova luminescent
    Baton-type
    Glass : Domed
    Sapphire
    Antireflective coating
    Glass secured against displacement by drop in air pressure
    Strap material : Calfskin
    Leather
    Strap color : Dark Brown
    Strap clasp : Pin buckle
    + More characteristics :
    Movement
    IWC-manufactured calibre 98300
    Frequency: 18,000 A/h (2.5 Hz)
    Jewels: 18
    Power reserve: 46 h
    Small hacking seconds at “6 o’clock”
    Glucydur® beryllium alloy balance
    Breguet spring

    Case
    Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields
    Screw-in crown with friction clutch
    Glass secured against displacement by drop in air pressure, antireflective coating on both sides

    Ttitanium pin buckle

DESCRIPTION

  • IWC PILOT’S WATCHES 2016: AUTHENTIC AND ELEGANT

    THE NEW PILOT’S WATCHES FROM IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

    The 2016 Pilot’s Watch collection from Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen offers a wide, balanced range of Pilot’s Watches stretching from the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch to the stylish Mark XVIII and the elegant Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36. 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. The exclusive and emotional “Antoine de Saint  Exupéry” and “Le Petit Prince” collections should also be a source of pleasure to many  collectors this year.

    “In 2016, we’re widening our range to include smaller Pilot’s Watches in the entry-level segment, without neglecting our traditional heritage,” explains Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. “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. At the same time, we’re producing the sizeable and authentic Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch, an observer’s watch that’s strongly reminiscent of the Big Pilot’s Watch of 1940. And this year, IWC is launching yet another world-first that fits in particularly well with the subject of flying: the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Chronograph is the first timepiece where a new time zone, including the date, can be set merely by turning the bezel. And finally, as every year, we have the exclusive ‘Antoine de Saint Exupéry’ and ‘Le Petit  Prince’ collections. Their appeal lies in their original design ideas, such as the special annual calendar.”

    PRECISELY ON COURSE

    BIG PILOT’S HERITAGE WATCH 55

    For 75 years, the historic Big Pilot’s Watch (52-calibre T.S.C.) was the largest wristwatch ever made at IWC in Schaffhausen. In 2016, IWC Schaffhausen unveils its successor: with an amazing 55-millimetre case diameter, the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 eclipses a record that was set back in 1940. Like its big brother, the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 looks very much like the historic original, but makes a few more concessions to modern ideas of aesthetics and comfort.

    Schaffhausen-based watch manufacturer IWC launched the Big Pilot’s Watch (52-calibre T.S.C.) in 1940. It was the birth of the observer’s watches from Schaffhausen. The Swiss company is now reviving this tradition: with the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 (Ref. IW510401) and the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 (Ref. IW510301), it is launching two fabulous new models that are unmistakably inspired by the original observer’s watch.

    With a case diameter of 55 millimetres, the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 follows on directly from the Big Pilot’s Watch of 1940. This enormous eye-catcher, available in a limited edition of just 100 watches, is aimed primarily at collectors and lovers of authentic pilot’s watches. With a slightly smaller but still imposing case diameter of 48 millimetres, the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48, which is limited to 1,000 pieces, is a practical alternative for every-day use.

    But it is not only the watches’ size so much as their unmistakable visual features that will make the hearts of watch connoisseurs race. From the dial design and colour of the luminescent numerals to the shape of the propeller-like hands, cone-shaped crown and historic leather straps, it is as if the Heritage watches were taking us on a journey back in time to the pioneering days of aviation. Except that now we have state-of-the-art IWC watch technology.

    BIG. COMPACT. AUTHENTIC.

    Anyone with a Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 (Ref. IW510401) on his wrist can be sure of one thing: making an impression. IWC’s engineers took their cue from the original design and size of 1940 and brought the Big Pilot’s Watch back to life. Except this time it is in titanium. The lighter material is a nod to modern-day possibilities: weighing  less than 150 grams, the watch is not quite as heavy on the wrist as the 183 grams of the original in stainless steel. Back then, size meant important advantages. Firstly, it meant that the watch could have as big a movement as possible, guaranteeing the precision required for navigation or observer’s watches.  Secondly, a large dial was better able to accommodate clear numerals and offered much greater legibility. Back in those days, the dial design was very much based on historic cockpit instruments. Anything not absolutely necessary was abandoned to ensure that important information could be read off quickly and easily, even in poor visibility. The dial was matte black, and IWC’s watchmakers had coated the big Arabic numerals and indices showing the minutes with a thick layer of beige-coloured radium. The health hazard posed by radioactive luminescent coatings was only recognized years later, at which point radium was replaced by harmless materials.  The current SuperLumiNova®* coating guarantees excellent legibility. As in the original, the chapter ring, Arabic numerals and propeller-like hands are beige.

    TRIANGLE ONCE AGAIN UNDER CHAPTER RING

    As an unmistakable sign of quality, even today the hands are blued. The figure “9” - omitted in subsequent models of the Big Pilot’s Watch after 2002 - is back in its old, familiar  position. And taking the place of the “12” is a triangular index with dots on either side, which make it possible to recognize the relative position of the hands and read the time even with a cursory glance in the dark. Today, the black dial and triangle are two features typical of a classic pilot’s watch. The fact that IWC’s designers chose to place it below “12 o’clock” instead of integrating it in the chapter ring is a further evocation of the 1940 original. However, there is one small, visible difference: the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 does not feature a central seconds hand like the Big Pilot’s Watch (52-calibre T.S.C. - Tirette Seconde Centrale), produced in accordance with military specifications. Back then, pulling out the crown stopped the balance, thus allowing pilots and navigators to synchronize their watches with down-to-the-second accuracy. Today, the small seconds is found at “6 o’clock”, and the IWC hand-wound 98300 calibre can likewise be stopped by pulling out the crown.

    FRICTION CLUTCH PROTECTS HAND-WOUND CALIBRE AGAINST OVERWINDING

    As is usual in an observer’s watch, the titanium case is sand-blasted to eliminate reflections that might be detrimental to the watch’s legibility or betray the wearer’s position to the enemy. The watch movement itself is protected against magnetic fields by a soft-iron inner case. The cone-shaped crown is a reminder of those early days of flying, when pilots in their unheated cockpits were forced to wear thick gloves. Back then, the crown needed to be unusually  large and chunky to make setting and winding the watch possible even with gloves. And today, as in the past, the crown makes the daily ritual of winding the watch by hand a very special experience. With such a large crown, it would be easy to overwind and damage the mechanism, which for safety’s sake is equipped with a friction clutch to prevent this from happening. The IWC hand-wound 98300 calibre features an elongated index for simple and precise setting absorption system and a 46-hour power reserve. The case back has been kept decidedly simple: the numbering from 01/100 to 100/100 is an unmistakable sign of this great watch’s exclusiveness. The Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 is limited to 100 pieces and available exclusively from selected IWC boutiques all over the world.

    For the brown calfskin strap, the designers took their inspiration from the historic leather strap found on the Big Pilot’s Watch. This allowed the timepiece to be worn over a thick flying suit. The strap is divided in two and sewn together at the ends, which makes it impossible to drop the watch accidentally when putting it on your wrist. Then, as now, two rivets on the spring bar hold the strap together. After all, some of the features that made the 1940s Pilot’s Watch so special simply cannot be enhanced.

    BIG PILOT’S HERITAGE WATCH 48 WITH 8-DAY MOVEMENT

    The Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 (Ref. IW510301) makes more concessions to modern-day aesthetics and concepts of comfort. And that, of course, begins with its size. On the wrist, the 48-millimetre case is particularly impressive and is guaranteed to attract inquisitive glances at the office or the dinner table. The watch is suited to everyday use thanks primarily to its light titanium, which reduces its weight to 120 grams. The IWC hand-wound 59215 calibre gives the owner the convenience of a 192-hour power reserve  that guarantees accurate running for 8 days before it automatically stops. Just how much energy remains can be seen on the power reserve display visible through a small aperture covered by sapphire glass on the back of the watch. Despite the aperture, this Pilot’s Watch also has a soft-iron inner case that guides magnetic fields safely around the movement. The 48 Heritage Watch likewise features a friction clutch against overwinding and is supplied with a riveted calfskin strap.

    OBSERVER’S WATCHES ONCE CAME WITH SEPARATE DOWN-TO-THE-SECOND ACCURACY

    Using an observer’s watch back in the 1940s called for a chrono meter with down-to-the-second accuracy and  a secure grasp of astronomy-based navigation. Simply  “dividing up” time was a complex business. Prior to take-off, the flight commander would set his observer’s watch by a fixed chronometer in the flight preparation centre; this was set using a time signal on the radio, which in turn took the time from a central seconds pendulum clock.

    On board the aircraft, the Pilot’s Watches were thus the most precise. The navigator held the octant and was  connected to the wearer of the observer’s watch, the flight commander, by radio. When the observer had set the sights of the octant so that they were in line with the star or sun, he would call out “Attention, zero!” and switch on his octant. On hearing the keyword “zero”, the wearer of the observer’s watch would read off the precise time. The exact course could then be calculated using a set of special tables.

    IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN
    With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people, and maintains partnerships with organizations dedicated to climate and environmental protection.

  • IWC PILOT’S WATCHES 2016: AUTHENTIC AND ELEGANT

    THE NEW PILOT’S WATCHES FROM IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

    The 2016 Pilot’s Watch collection from Swiss luxury watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen offers a wide, balanced range of Pilot’s Watches stretching from the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch to the stylish Mark XVIII and the elegant Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36. 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. The exclusive and emotional “Antoine de Saint  Exupéry” and “Le Petit Prince” collections should also be a source of pleasure to many  collectors this year.

    “In 2016, we’re widening our range to include smaller Pilot’s Watches in the entry-level segment, without neglecting our traditional heritage,” explains Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. “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. At the same time, we’re producing the sizeable and authentic Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch, an observer’s watch that’s strongly reminiscent of the Big Pilot’s Watch of 1940. And this year, IWC is launching yet another world-first that fits in particularly well with the subject of flying: the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Chronograph is the first timepiece where a new time zone, including the date, can be set merely by turning the bezel. And finally, as every year, we have the exclusive ‘Antoine de Saint Exupéry’ and ‘Le Petit  Prince’ collections. Their appeal lies in their original design ideas, such as the special annual calendar.”

    PRECISELY ON COURSE

    BIG PILOT’S HERITAGE WATCH 55

    For 75 years, the historic Big Pilot’s Watch (52-calibre T.S.C.) was the largest wristwatch ever made at IWC in Schaffhausen. In 2016, IWC Schaffhausen unveils its successor: with an amazing 55-millimetre case diameter, the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 eclipses a record that was set back in 1940. Like its big brother, the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 looks very much like the historic original, but makes a few more concessions to modern ideas of aesthetics and comfort.

    Schaffhausen-based watch manufacturer IWC launched the Big Pilot’s Watch (52-calibre T.S.C.) in 1940. It was the birth of the observer’s watches from Schaffhausen. The Swiss company is now reviving this tradition: with the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 (Ref. IW510401) and the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 (Ref. IW510301), it is launching two fabulous new models that are unmistakably inspired by the original observer’s watch.

    With a case diameter of 55 millimetres, the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 follows on directly from the Big Pilot’s Watch of 1940. This enormous eye-catcher, available in a limited edition of just 100 watches, is aimed primarily at collectors and lovers of authentic pilot’s watches. With a slightly smaller but still imposing case diameter of 48 millimetres, the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48, which is limited to 1,000 pieces, is a practical alternative for every-day use.

    But it is not only the watches’ size so much as their unmistakable visual features that will make the hearts of watch connoisseurs race. From the dial design and colour of the luminescent numerals to the shape of the propeller-like hands, cone-shaped crown and historic leather straps, it is as if the Heritage watches were taking us on a journey back in time to the pioneering days of aviation. Except that now we have state-of-the-art IWC watch technology.

    BIG. COMPACT. AUTHENTIC.

    Anyone with a Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 (Ref. IW510401) on his wrist can be sure of one thing: making an impression. IWC’s engineers took their cue from the original design and size of 1940 and brought the Big Pilot’s Watch back to life. Except this time it is in titanium. The lighter material is a nod to modern-day possibilities: weighing  less than 150 grams, the watch is not quite as heavy on the wrist as the 183 grams of the original in stainless steel. Back then, size meant important advantages. Firstly, it meant that the watch could have as big a movement as possible, guaranteeing the precision required for navigation or observer’s watches.  Secondly, a large dial was better able to accommodate clear numerals and offered much greater legibility. Back in those days, the dial design was very much based on historic cockpit instruments. Anything not absolutely necessary was abandoned to ensure that important information could be read off quickly and easily, even in poor visibility. The dial was matte black, and IWC’s watchmakers had coated the big Arabic numerals and indices showing the minutes with a thick layer of beige-coloured radium. The health hazard posed by radioactive luminescent coatings was only recognized years later, at which point radium was replaced by harmless materials.  The current SuperLumiNova®* coating guarantees excellent legibility. As in the original, the chapter ring, Arabic numerals and propeller-like hands are beige.

    TRIANGLE ONCE AGAIN UNDER CHAPTER RING

    As an unmistakable sign of quality, even today the hands are blued. The figure “9” - omitted in subsequent models of the Big Pilot’s Watch after 2002 - is back in its old, familiar  position. And taking the place of the “12” is a triangular index with dots on either side, which make it possible to recognize the relative position of the hands and read the time even with a cursory glance in the dark. Today, the black dial and triangle are two features typical of a classic pilot’s watch. The fact that IWC’s designers chose to place it below “12 o’clock” instead of integrating it in the chapter ring is a further evocation of the 1940 original. However, there is one small, visible difference: the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 does not feature a central seconds hand like the Big Pilot’s Watch (52-calibre T.S.C. - Tirette Seconde Centrale), produced in accordance with military specifications. Back then, pulling out the crown stopped the balance, thus allowing pilots and navigators to synchronize their watches with down-to-the-second accuracy. Today, the small seconds is found at “6 o’clock”, and the IWC hand-wound 98300 calibre can likewise be stopped by pulling out the crown.

    FRICTION CLUTCH PROTECTS HAND-WOUND CALIBRE AGAINST OVERWINDING

    As is usual in an observer’s watch, the titanium case is sand-blasted to eliminate reflections that might be detrimental to the watch’s legibility or betray the wearer’s position to the enemy. The watch movement itself is protected against magnetic fields by a soft-iron inner case. The cone-shaped crown is a reminder of those early days of flying, when pilots in their unheated cockpits were forced to wear thick gloves. Back then, the crown needed to be unusually  large and chunky to make setting and winding the watch possible even with gloves. And today, as in the past, the crown makes the daily ritual of winding the watch by hand a very special experience. With such a large crown, it would be easy to overwind and damage the mechanism, which for safety’s sake is equipped with a friction clutch to prevent this from happening. The IWC hand-wound 98300 calibre features an elongated index for simple and precise setting absorption system and a 46-hour power reserve. The case back has been kept decidedly simple: the numbering from 01/100 to 100/100 is an unmistakable sign of this great watch’s exclusiveness. The Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 is limited to 100 pieces and available exclusively from selected IWC boutiques all over the world.

    For the brown calfskin strap, the designers took their inspiration from the historic leather strap found on the Big Pilot’s Watch. This allowed the timepiece to be worn over a thick flying suit. The strap is divided in two and sewn together at the ends, which makes it impossible to drop the watch accidentally when putting it on your wrist. Then, as now, two rivets on the spring bar hold the strap together. After all, some of the features that made the 1940s Pilot’s Watch so special simply cannot be enhanced.

    BIG PILOT’S HERITAGE WATCH 48 WITH 8-DAY MOVEMENT

    The Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 (Ref. IW510301) makes more concessions to modern-day aesthetics and concepts of comfort. And that, of course, begins with its size. On the wrist, the 48-millimetre case is particularly impressive and is guaranteed to attract inquisitive glances at the office or the dinner table. The watch is suited to everyday use thanks primarily to its light titanium, which reduces its weight to 120 grams. The IWC hand-wound 59215 calibre gives the owner the convenience of a 192-hour power reserve  that guarantees accurate running for 8 days before it automatically stops. Just how much energy remains can be seen on the power reserve display visible through a small aperture covered by sapphire glass on the back of the watch. Despite the aperture, this Pilot’s Watch also has a soft-iron inner case that guides magnetic fields safely around the movement. The 48 Heritage Watch likewise features a friction clutch against overwinding and is supplied with a riveted calfskin strap.

    OBSERVER’S WATCHES ONCE CAME WITH SEPARATE DOWN-TO-THE-SECOND ACCURACY

    Using an observer’s watch back in the 1940s called for a chrono meter with down-to-the-second accuracy and  a secure grasp of astronomy-based navigation. Simply  “dividing up” time was a complex business. Prior to take-off, the flight commander would set his observer’s watch by a fixed chronometer in the flight preparation centre; this was set using a time signal on the radio, which in turn took the time from a central seconds pendulum clock.

    On board the aircraft, the Pilot’s Watches were thus the most precise. The navigator held the octant and was  connected to the wearer of the observer’s watch, the flight commander, by radio. When the observer had set the sights of the octant so that they were in line with the star or sun, he would call out “Attention, zero!” and switch on his octant. On hearing the keyword “zero”, the wearer of the observer’s watch would read off the precise time. The exact course could then be calculated using a set of special tables.

    IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN
    With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of haute horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people, and maintains partnerships with organizations dedicated to climate and environmental protection.

  • Brand  : IWC
    Collection  : Pilot's Watches
    Model  : Big Pilot's Heritage Watch 55
    Reference  : IW510401
    Nber of pieces : 100
    Complement : Titanium - Calfskin Leather Strap
    Year : 2016
    Is not commercialised any more
    List Price : 16 500 €
    Diameter : 55 mm
    Thickness : 13.5 mm
    Styles : Vintage
    Types : Hand-winding
    Calibre : Calibre 98300
    Complication : Small Seconds
    Case material : Titanium
    Case peculiarity : Screwed-down crown
    Anti-magnetic
    Soft-iron inner case
    Shape : Round
    Water-resistance : 60 meters
    Dial color : Black
    Display : Superluminova luminescent hands
    Indexes : Triangles
    Arabic numerals
    Superluminova luminescent
    Baton-type
    Glass : Domed
    Sapphire
    Antireflective coating
    Glass secured against displacement by drop in air pressure
    Strap material : Calfskin
    Leather
    Strap color : Dark Brown
    Strap clasp : Pin buckle
    More characteristics :
    Movement
    IWC-manufactured calibre 98300
    Frequency: 18,000 A/h (2.5 Hz)
    Jewels: 18
    Power reserve: 46 h
    Small hacking seconds at “6 o’clock”
    Glucydur® beryllium alloy balance
    Breguet spring

    Case
    Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields
    Screw-in crown with friction clutch
    Glass secured against displacement by drop in air pressure, antireflective coating on both sides

    Ttitanium pin buckle