IWC Schaffhausen – Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 (Ref. IW510401) & Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 (Ref. IW510301)

Launched in 1940, the historic Big Pilot’s Watch (52-calibre T.S.C.) was the largest wristwatch ever made at IWC in Schaffhausen.

It was the birth of the observer’s watches from Schaffhausen. The Swiss company is now reviving this tradition by unveiling the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55(Ref. IW510401) and the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 (Ref. IW510301).

With a case diameter of 55 millimetres, the Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55, which us 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 everyday use.

IWC Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55 (Ref. IW510401)

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.

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.

As is usual in an observer’s watch, the titanium case is sandblasted 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 of the active length of the spring, a highly effective shock 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 make 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.

Technical details

Model: IWC Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 55, Ref. IW510401

Edition
Limited edition of 100 watches

Movement
IWC-manufactured Calibre 98300 Mechanical movement
Frequency: 18,000 A/h | 2.5 Hz
Jewels: 18
Power reserve: 46 h
Winding: Hand-wound
Glucydur®* beryllium alloy balance –
Breguet spring

Case, dial and strap
Titanium case
Diameter: 55 mm
Height: 13.5 mm
Glass: Sapphire glass, convex, antireflective coating on both sides
Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields
Screw-in crown with friction clutch
Glass secured against displacement by drop in air pressure
Water-resistant: 6 bar
Black dial, Small hacking seconds at “6 o’clock”
Brown calfskin strap, titanium pin buckle

IWC Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 (Ref. IW510301)

The Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48 (Ref. IW510301) makes more concessions to modern-day aesthetics and concepts of comfort.

Featuring an impressive 48mm titanium case, the watch is suited to everyday use thanks primarily to its light weight (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 over-winding and is supplied with a riveted calfskin strap.

Technical details

Model: IWC Big Pilot’s Heritage Watch 48, Ref. IW510301

Edition
Limited edition of 1,000 watches

Functions
Date display
Small hacking seconds at “6 o’clock”

Movement
IWC-manufactured Calibre 59215 Mechanical movement
Frequency: 28,800 A/h | 4 Hz
Jewels: 30
Power reserve: 8 days (192 h)
Winding: Hand-wound
Glucydur®* beryllium alloy balance
Breguet spring

Case, dial and strap
Titanium case
Diameter: 48 mm
Height: 14.5 mm
Glass: Sapphire glass, convex, antireflective coating on both sides
Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields
Window with sapphire glass for power reserve display
Screw-in crown with friction clutch
Glass secured against displacement by drop in air pressure
Water-resistant : 6 bar
Black dial
Brown calfskin strap, titanium pin buckle

• Know more about IWC Schaffhausen watch brand and its history.

• Discover more IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN watches (from 2011 to 2022).

• Discover IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN watches archives from 1990 to 2010.