IWC Launch Big Pilot’s Watch Tourbillon Le Petit Prince Duo in Ceramic and Platinum

While it’s easy to think of IWC as a tool watch brand, they’re also at the top of the haute horology game thanks to watches like the Eternal Calendar. Now they’re also taking their charming Le Petit Prince to new haute horological heights with a duo of Pilot’s Watch Tourbillon Le Petit Prince watches. First is the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Le Petit Prince in ceramic, second is the Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince in platinum.

IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Le Petit Prince

The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Le Petit Prince marks the first time that Le Petit Prince sub-collection has been presented with a ceramic case. Ceramic is an incredibly tough, scratch resistant material so it makes sense that up until now it has been reserved for IWC’s sportiest watches such as those aforementioned Top Gun editions. However, now that IWC has introduced a rich, blue ceramic colour, it perfectly suits the signature colour scheme of the Petit Prince design. The case itself measures a bold 46.5mm in diameter, really putting the “Big” in Big Pilot’s Watch. There are also gold accents across the case and dial including the oversize crown.

Mechanically the watch combines two of horology’s most famous high complications, the tourbillon and the perpetual calendar. The tourbillon sits in pride of place at 12 o’clock, rotating once every 60-seconds allowing it to serve double duty as the watch’s seconds indicator. The calendar portion of the display then consists of days, date, months, year and moonphase spread across the subdials at 3, 6 and 9. The subdial at 3 o’clock also features a power reserve indicator marking the watch’s 7-day power reserve.

The movement powering these complications is the 51950 calibre. It’s visible through the exhibition caseback where you can see the rotor decorated in classic Le Petit Prince style with the titular character from the Antoine de Saint Exupéry novel standing on an asteroid. The same motif is also used in place on the moon on the moonphase.

For price and availability, the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Le Petit Prince is limited to 100 pieces and is price on request.

Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince

Next is the Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince in platinum. It’s essentially an ultra-luxe interpretation of the already very luxurious gold edition of the same watch. At 43mm it’s still a very large watch but it’s actually the small version of the Big Pilot’s Watch, which was controversial when it was released for being too small according to diehard collectors. The use of platinum gives it more of that ‘stealth wealth’ vibe because it’s not so grandiose as gold and could be mistaken for steel. Though platinum is markedly harder to craft with than steel, making the watch something of a swan, serene of the surface and working like mad below.

As part of the Le Petit Prince collection it features a signature blue dial with the titular tourbillon located at 6 o’clock. It’s paired with oversize Arabic numerals to maintain the pilot’s watch aesthetic, easily visible at a glance and in low light conditions thanks to plenty of lume. Though let’s be honest, in platinum this watch is for refined occasions rather than sweating it out in a cockpit.

It’s a limited edition of 150 pieces at a price of £78,400. Not unexpected for a platinum watch housing the 82905 calibre tourbillon movement.

More details at IWC.

​Oracle Time 

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