IWC - Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition "The Last Flight"

The new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition "The Last Flight" is characterised by a brown ceramic case made from silicon nitride, a brown dial and a calfskin strap in the same colour. The colour is reminiscent of the tobacco colour of the flying suit that Antoine de Saint-Exupery was used to wear. Pushbuttons, crown and case back create a contrast with the rest of the watch being made in titanium (1,700 pieces - Ref. IW388004), in red gold (170 pieces - Ref. IW388006) or in platinum (17 pieces - Ref. IW388005).

The famous pilot and author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry disappeared over the Mediterranean on his last reconnaissance flight for the Free French Air Force in July 1944. IWC commemorates 70 years since the last flight of the celebrated French aristocrat, writer, poet, and pioneering aviator with three special limited editions of its signature Pilot's Watch model.

The new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition "The Last Flight" is characterised by a brown ceramic case made from silicon nitride, a brown dial and a calfskin strap in the same colour. The colour is reminiscent of the tobacco colour of the flying suit that Saint-Exupery was used to wear.

The high-performance ceramic silicon nitride material used for the case has several outstanding properties such as exceptional heat resistance, unusual hardness, corrosion resistance and very low wear and tear. The massive case has a diameter of 46 mm, a thickness of 16.5 mm and offers water resistance to 6 bar.

Pushbuttons, crown and case back create a contrast with the rest of the watch. They are available in titanium (1,700 pieces - Ref. IW388004), in red gold (170 pieces - Ref. IW388006) or in platinum (17 pieces - Ref. IW388005).

The automatic chronograph movement is the IWC-manufactured calibre 89361 featuring a hour and minute totalizer on a subdial at 12 o’clock, a flyback function and small hacking seconds at 6 o'clock. The movement beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour guaranteeing 68 hours of power reserve.

The back of the watch is engraved with a special image commemorating the 70th anniversary of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s last flight. The same motif is embossed in the leather case used for the packaging of the timepiece.

In November, Sotheby’s Geneva will auction one of the platinum models. IWC will donate the entire proceeds to the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation which will help the Hospital Pequeno Príncipe in Curitiba, Brazil’s largest children’s hospital specialized in complex heart operations and cancer treatment, to create a library for its young patients in the hospital’s recreational area.