Schaffhausen, 7th April 2021 – IWC Schaffhausen has launched the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar at the digital Watches & Wonders exhibition. The timepiece with a stainless steel case and a blue dial continues the long-standing tradition of perpetual calendar watches in the Big Pilot’s collection. Developed in the 1980s by Kurt Klaus, IWC’s legendary perpetual calendar automatically recognises different month lengths and leap years. Featuring a Pellaton winding system fitted with ceramic components, the IWC-manufactured 52615 calibre is visible through the sapphire glass back.
No other complication has taken centre stage on the Big Pilot’s large dial as often as the perpetual calendar. Since the first Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar was released in 2006 in a limited edition of 25 pieces in platinum, no less than 37 versions of the iconic Big Pilot’s design with a perpetual calendar have been issued.
With the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar (Ref. IW503605), the legendary complication marks its return to the classic collection. The timepiece features a stainless steel case, a blue dial and rhodium-plated hands. The date display and power reserve are located at 3 o’clock, the month display at 6 o’clock. The weekday display and the small seconds share the subdial at 9 o’clock. The double moon phase display at 12 o’clock correctly depicts the moon phase for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and only needs to be adjusted by one day after 577.5 years.
Developed in the 1980s by IWC’s former head watchmaker Kurt Klaus, the perpetual calendar automatically recognises different month lengths as well as leap years. The ingenious mechanical programme will not require any manual correction until 2100 when the leap year due will be omitted based on an exemption rule in the Gregorian calendar. Another distinguishing feature is the four-digit year display. An additional century slider is included within the case, enabling this timepiece to show the year until 2499. With all its displays perfectly synchronised, the calendar can be set easily via a single crown, offering a degree of user-friendliness that is unparalleled in the domain of mechanical calendars.
The IWC-manufactured 52615 calibre drives the calendar module using a single nightly switching impulse. The automatic movement comprises 386 components and was engineered with a focus on maximum precision and quality. The Pellaton automatic winding system builds up a power reserve of seven days in two barrels. Parts of the winding mechanism that are subject to high stresses are made of virtually wear-free ceramic. The decorated movement is visible through a glass back.
The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar is available from 7th April 2021 through IWC boutiques, authorised retail partners or online at IWC.com. The timepiece can be registered under the My IWC care program and thus benefits from a 6-year extension to the standard 2-year International Limited Warranty.
Download our brand-new IWC APP – currently available for iOS from the App Store – to virtually try on the new Pilot’s Watches using Augmented Reality (AR) and discover exciting features and exclusive content from the IWC Schaffhausen universe.
IWC has just introduced the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition Racing Green, a 250-piece limited edition combining a black zirconium oxide ceramic case to a dial in a striking racing green
The zirconium oxide ceramic is a high-tech material that IWC pioneered in the 1980s. It uses an engineering ceramic that is one of the hardest substances on earth. Polycrystalline powders are mixed with auxiliary substances to form a homogenous mass, shaped and then sintered at high temperatures in a kiln.
46 mm in diameter and 15.6 mm thick, the case is completed by a conical crown and a case back ring made of Ceratanium, another special alloy developed by IWC that is light as titanium and hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic.
The green dial displays date and power reserve at 3 o’clock, month at 6 o’clock, day of the week and running seconds at 9 o’clock.
At 12 o’clock, the moon phase display shows the moon as seen from the northern and southern hemispheres. Thanks to its accuracy, it it will only need to be adjusted by one day after 577.7 years.
The renowned perpetual calendar developed in the 1980s by Kurt Klaus, then head-watchmaker at IWC, also integrates the signature four-digit year display that can continue to function until 2499.
The gold-plated hands and the golden moons add a warm touch to the refined sun-brushed dial.
The calendar module is comprised of about 80 individual parts and driven via a single nightly switching impulse by the IWC-manufactured 52615 calibre
This 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) automatic movement builds up a power reserve of seven days thanks to its Pellaton winding system and two barrels. The components exposed to high stresses and strains are made of non-wearing ceramic. The finishes of the movement and its rotor with an 18-carat gold medallion can be appreciated through the sapphire glass back.