{"lien_WSTV":"","tax_name":"deprecated","tax_rate":20,"id_manufacturer":"0","id_supplier":"0","id_category_default":"497","id_shop_default":"1","manufacturer_name":false,"supplier_name":false,"name":"Grande Montre d'Aviateur TOP GUN Miramar","description":"<strong>2012: the year of the high-flyers\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/><strong>The new Pilot\u2019s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen<\/strong><br \/><br \/>IWC Schaffhausen gets off to a powerful start in 2012: the year of the Pilot\u2019s Watch. With five new models, the TOP GUN collection establishes itself as an independent formation within the IWC Pilot\u2019s Watch family. The year\u2019s high-flyer is the TOP GUN Miramar: a tribute to the place in California where the myth of the elite pilots was born. And two Pilot\u2019s Watches featuring many of fine watchmaking\u2019s greatest achievements prepare for take off: the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN and the Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>\u201cFor the new TOP GUN Pilot\u2019s Watches we drew on our long tradition of manufacturing unusual deck watches. In the1940s, Pilot\u2019s Watches made in Schaffhausen were widely used as so-called B watches for flight navigation,\u201d explains Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. \u201cBack then, only wristwatches with the highest possible precision were good enough for navigators: the pilot and his crew would synchronize their watches to the navigator\u2019s.\u201d Since the main priority for navigation is optimum legibility of the seconds and minutes, these two were often the only indicators shown on the outer ring; the hours would be relatively small and appeared on a central ring. This particular detail inspired IWC\u2019s designers to display the hour circle and the chapter ring separately on the dials of the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN Miramar and the Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar.\u201cThe process of retracing the historic roots of our Pilot\u2019s Watches gave us the idea of using the Miramar tocreateour first linewith a military-style design,\u201d adds Christian Knoop, Creative Director at IWC. \u201cThis allows us to combine various styles in an imaginative way \u2013 even with luxury elements, if we wish. That\u2019s one of the reasons the new Miramar line is such a perfect fit for IWC: premium-class watches with out- standing mechanics and a rugged, almost hardedged feel.\u201d The dark, metallic sheen of the grey ceramic case and the matte anthracite of the dial all waken associations with precision instruments used in aviation. The use of specific camouflage colours such as beige for the hands and chapter ring, together with green for the strap, underscore the desired look. The textile strap leans visibly on the tough webbing belts. It is complemented by two high-tech materials, typical for TOP GUN, that were introduced to watchmaking by IWC as early as the 1980s: zirconium oxide for the case, along with titanium for the controls and the watch back. Both the Miramar models \u2013 like the entire TOP GUN collection, incidentally \u2013 are equipped with IWC-manufactured calibres. Like the other Big Pilot\u2019s Watch,theBig Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN Miramar is equipped with the largest automatic movement made by IWC, with a power reserve of 168 hours. This also explains the 48-millimetre case diameter. The calibre 89365 found in the Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramaris one of the most advanced and robust chronograph movements ever produced. It has a flyback function as well as an analogue display for stopped minutes and seconds. Commenting on the family\u2019s positioning in the international watch market, Karoline Huber, Director Marketing & Communications at IWC, explains: \u201cFlying enthusiasts all over the world think of Miramar in California as the birth place of the Top Gun legend. With our new TOP GUN Miramar design line, we are addressing watch lovers who consciously embrace IWC\u2019s long-standing tradition of manufacturing Pilot\u2019s Watches but who also wish to benefit from the technological advances of the 21st century and the inimitable quality typical of IWC.\u201d\u00a0<br \/><br \/><strong>Classic TOP GUN collection: black and white with red highlights\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The TOP GUN edition has held a permanent place in IWC Pilot\u2019s Watches collection since 2007. The elaborately equipped Big Pilot\u2019s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUNcomes with a host of advanced features, including a perpetual calendar with its four-digit year display, moon phase display and seven-day power reserve. The Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUNunites the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology. The tiny aircraft silhouette on the seconds hand creates an eye-catching signal-red highlight on the black-and-white dial. The Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN, which comes with a flyback function and protection against magnetic fields, is also equipped with an IWC-manufactured movement.\u00a0<br \/><br \/><strong>Rising fast: the Spitfire combines fabulous contours with first-class mechanics\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/>In 2003, IWC Schaffhausen launched a Pilot\u2019s Watch line that took not only its name from the Spitfire but also reflected the elegance and out- standing technology of the legendary single-propeller aircraft. Now, the designers and technicians have subjected the Spitfire watches to a thorough general overhaul. With a streamlined design and new features, they remain firmly on course for success. All the latest models are fitted with IWC-manufactured calibres. The gold and stainless-steel cases are meticulously machined by hand; the result is a vibrant interplay of shiny, silky matte and structured surfaces. The sun-pattern finish gives the slate-coloured dial a metallic sheen that optically references its namesake. The Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month in its red gold case combines tasteful design with the art of watchmaking at its finest. It is the first IWC Pilot\u2019s Watch to show the date and month digitally in the form of four large numerals; in visual terms, it goes perfectly with the instrument appearance and revives the tradition of the Pallweber system, now dating back well over 100 years. The Spitfire Chronographwith its IWC-manufactured 89365 calibre is available in red gold and stainless steel. With its vertically arranged numerals, the date window is an unmistakable sign that the engineers had the shape of an altimeter in mind when they designed it.The metal bracelet supplied with Reference 387804, is fitted with a newly developed fine-adjustment mechanism. Simply pressing the IWC button in the folding clasp lengthens the bracelet; to shorten it, the bracelet is pushed together until it is the correct length. Both the pin buckle and folding clasp are slightly bolder, in order to match the larger case diameter.<br \/><br \/><strong>2012: the year of the high-flyers\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/><strong>The new Pilot\u2019s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen<\/strong><br \/><br \/>IWC Schaffhausen gets off to a powerful start in 2012: the year of the Pilot\u2019s Watch. With five new models, the TOP GUN collection establishes itself as an independent formation within the IWC Pilot\u2019s Watch family. The year\u2019s high-flyer is the TOP GUN Miramar: a tribute to the place in California where the myth of the elite pilots was born. And two Pilot\u2019s Watches featuring many of fine watchmaking\u2019s greatest achievements prepare for take off: the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN and the Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>\u201cFor the new TOP GUN Pilot\u2019s Watches we drew on our long tradition of manufacturing unusual deck watches. In the1940s, Pilot\u2019s Watches made in Schaffhausen were widely used as so-called B watches for flight navigation,\u201d explains Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. \u201cBack then, only wristwatches with the highest possible precision were good enough for navigators: the pilot and his crew would synchronize their watches to the navigator\u2019s.\u201d Since the main priority for navigation is optimum legibility of the seconds and minutes, these two were often the only indicators shown on the outer ring; the hours would be relatively small and appeared on a central ring. This particular detail inspired IWC\u2019s designers to display the hour circle and the chapter ring separately on the dials of the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN Miramar and the Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar.\u201cThe process of retracing the historic roots of our Pilot\u2019s Watches gave us the idea of using the Miramar tocreateour first linewith a military-style design,\u201d adds Christian Knoop, Creative Director at IWC. \u201cThis allows us to combine various styles in an imaginative way \u2013 even with luxury elements, if we wish. That\u2019s one of the reasons the new Miramar line is such a perfect fit for IWC: premium-class watches with out- standing mechanics and a rugged, almost hardedged feel.\u201d The dark, metallic sheen of the grey ceramic case and the matte anthracite of the dial all waken associations with precision instruments used in aviation. The use of specific camouflage colours such as beige for the hands and chapter ring, together with green for the strap, underscore the desired look. The textile strap leans visibly on the tough webbing belts. It is complemented by two high-tech materials, typical for TOP GUN, that were introduced to watchmaking by IWC as early as the 1980s: zirconium oxide for the case, along with titanium for the controls and the watch back. Both the Miramar models \u2013 like the entire TOP GUN collection, incidentally \u2013 are equipped with IWC-manufactured calibres. Like the other Big Pilot\u2019s Watch,theBig Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN Miramar is equipped with the largest automatic movement made by IWC, with a power reserve of 168 hours. This also explains the 48-millimetre case diameter. The calibre 89365 found in the Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramaris one of the most advanced and robust chronograph movements ever produced. It has a flyback function as well as an analogue display for stopped minutes and seconds. Commenting on the family\u2019s positioning in the international watch market, Karoline Huber, Director Marketing & Communications at IWC, explains: \u201cFlying enthusiasts all over the world think of Miramar in California as the birth place of the Top Gun legend. With our new TOP GUN Miramar design line, we are addressing watch lovers who consciously embrace IWC\u2019s long-standing tradition of manufacturing Pilot\u2019s Watches but who also wish to benefit from the technological advances of the 21st century and the inimitable quality typical of IWC.\u201d\u00a0<br \/><br \/><strong>Classic TOP GUN collection: black and white with red highlights\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The TOP GUN edition has held a permanent place in IWC Pilot\u2019s Watches collection since 2007. The elaborately equipped Big Pilot\u2019s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUNcomes with a host of advanced features, including a perpetual calendar with its four-digit year display, moon phase display and seven-day power reserve. The Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUNunites the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology. The tiny aircraft silhouette on the seconds hand creates an eye-catching signal-red highlight on the black-and-white dial. The Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN, which comes with a flyback function and protection against magnetic fields, is also equipped with an IWC-manufactured movement.\u00a0<br \/><br \/><strong>Rising fast: the Spitfire combines fabulous contours with first-class mechanics\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/>In 2003, IWC Schaffhausen launched a Pilot\u2019s Watch line that took not only its name from the Spitfire but also reflected the elegance and out- standing technology of the legendary single-propeller aircraft. Now, the designers and technicians have subjected the Spitfire watches to a thorough general overhaul. With a streamlined design and new features, they remain firmly on course for success. All the latest models are fitted with IWC-manufactured calibres. The gold and stainless-steel cases are meticulously machined by hand; the result is a vibrant interplay of shiny, silky matte and structured surfaces. The sun-pattern finish gives the slate-coloured dial a metallic sheen that optically references its namesake. The Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month in its red gold case combines tasteful design with the art of watchmaking at its finest. It is the first IWC Pilot\u2019s Watch to show the date and month digitally in the form of four large numerals; in visual terms, it goes perfectly with the instrument appearance and revives the tradition of the Pallweber system, now dating back well over 100 years. The Spitfire Chronographwith its IWC-manufactured 89365 calibre is available in red gold and stainless steel. With its vertically arranged numerals, the date window is an unmistakable sign that the engineers had the shape of an altimeter in mind when they designed it.The metal bracelet supplied with Reference 387804, is fitted with a newly developed fine-adjustment mechanism. Simply pressing the IWC button in the folding clasp lengthens the bracelet; to shorten it, the bracelet is pushed together until it is the correct length. Both the pin buckle and folding clasp are slightly bolder, in order to match the larger case diameter.\u00a0<br \/><br \/><strong>Classic Pilot\u2019s Watches \u2013 slightly modified\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The Pilot\u2019s Watches made by IWC in the 1930s and 1940s established a legend that lives on in the classic Pilot\u2019s Watches family. The most conspicuous change compared to their predecessors \u2013 with the exception of the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch\u2013 is the vertical triple date display at \u201c3 o\u2019clock\u201d, whose form underscores the cockpit-style design more emphatically. In 2012, the Big Pilot\u2019s Watchwill appear with its familiar looks as well as the highly efficient IWC-manufactured 51111- calibre movement. Compared with its predeces- sor, the Mark XVI, the Pilot\u2019s Watch Mark XVII is 2 millimetres larger at 41 millimetres. With its new red design features, the dial of the Pilot\u2019s Watch Double Chronographis even more attractive, and thanks to a larger case diameter \u2013 now 46 millimetres \u2013 it is also significantly more legible. The stainless-steel case of the Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronographhas increased by a mod- erate 1 millimetre to 43 millimetres. The new Pilot\u2019s Watch Worldtimerhas a 24-hour ring that enables the wearer to look at all 24 time zones, including the Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). The city ring shows the names of 23 places around the globe, each of which represents a time zone. The dial shows local time, which can be adjusted forwards or backwards in one-hour steps \u2013 also when crossing the International Date Line. \u201cIt is with pride and confidence that IWC looks forward to 2012, our year of the Pilot\u2019s Watch. We have six exciting new models, including two Perpetual Calendar models, with some of the most complex watchmaking features imaginable, the new Miramar design line and the new-look Spitfire collection,\u201d sums up Georges Kern.\u00a0<br \/><br \/><strong>Pilot\u2019s Watches for 76 years\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The Schaffhausen-based watch manufacturer IWC has been making rugged and reliable timepieces for pilots and their passengers since the mid-1930s. Right from the start, IWC Pilot\u2019s Watches were designed to offer optimum legibility by day and night and established the look of an instrument: a look that has since determined the appearance of this special breed of watches, to this day. The IWC Special Pilot\u2019s Watch, launched in 1936, stood out with a distinctive black dial that was set off by striking luminescent hands and large luminescent numerals. Outstanding technical features of the IWC Special Pilot\u2019s Watch included a shock-protected balance wheel bearing and a non-magnetic escapement. With its 55-millimetre diameter, the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch 52 T. S. C. of 1940 is the biggest wristwatch IWC Schaffhausen has ever manufactured. As a deck watch it featured, among other things, a central hacking seconds to enable pilots and navigators to synchronize their watches with down-to-the-second precision. An extra-long leather strap also meant that it could be fastened around a flight suit. The clearly arranged dial was a perfect example of reductionism: a style cue and a paragon for all classic Pilot\u2019s Watches. The Mark 11, with its hand-wound 89 calibre, manufactured from 1948 onwards for the Royal Air Force, established itself as the best-known IWC Pilot\u2019s Watch of them all. Its movement was enclosed in a soft-iron inner case to shield the mechanism from magnetic fields. The Mark 11 was used success-fully by the Royal Air Force for over 30 years.\u00a0<br \/><br \/><strong>2012: the year of the high-flyers\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/><strong>The new Pilot\u2019s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen<\/strong><br \/><br \/>IWC Schaffhausen gets off to a powerful start in 2012: the year of the Pilot\u2019s Watch. With five new models, the TOP GUN collection establishes itself as an independent formation within the IWC Pilot\u2019s Watch family. The year\u2019s high-flyer is the TOP GUN Miramar: a tribute to the place in California where the myth of the elite pilots was born. And two Pilot\u2019s Watches featuring many of fine watchmaking\u2019s greatest achievements prepare for take off: the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN and the Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>\u201cFor the new TOP GUN Pilot\u2019s Watches we drew on our long tradition of manufacturing unusual deck watches. In the1940s, Pilot\u2019s Watches made in Schaffhausen were widely used as so-called B watches for flight navigation,\u201d explains Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. \u201cBack then, only wristwatches with the highest possible precision were good enough for navigators: the pilot and his crew would synchronize their watches to the navigator\u2019s.\u201d Since the main priority for navigation is optimum legibility of the seconds and minutes, these two were often the only indicators shown on the outer ring; the hours would be relatively small and appeared on a central ring. This particular detail inspired IWC\u2019s designers to display the hour circle and the chapter ring separately on the dials of the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN Miramar and the Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar.\u201cThe process of retracing the historic roots of our Pilot\u2019s Watches gave us the idea of using the Miramar tocreateour first linewith a military-style design,\u201d adds Christian Knoop, Creative Director at IWC. \u201cThis allows us to combine various styles in an imaginative way \u2013 even with luxury elements, if we wish. That\u2019s one of the reasons the new Miramar line is such a perfect fit for IWC: premium-class watches with out- standing mechanics and a rugged, almost hardedged feel.\u201d The dark, metallic sheen of the grey ceramic case and the matte anthracite of the dial all waken associations with precision instruments used in aviation. The use of specific camouflage colours such as beige for the hands and chapter ring, together with green for the strap, underscore the desired look. The textile strap leans visibly on the tough webbing belts. It is complemented by two high-tech materials, typical for TOP GUN, that were introduced to watchmaking by IWC as early as the 1980s: zirconium oxide for the case, along with titanium for the controls and the watch back. Both the Miramar models \u2013 like the entire TOP GUN collection, incidentally \u2013 are equipped with IWC-manufactured calibres. Like the other Big Pilot\u2019s Watch,theBig Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN Miramar is equipped with the largest automatic movement made by IWC, with a power reserve of 168 hours. This also explains the 48-millimetre case diameter. The calibre 89365 found in the Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramaris one of the most advanced and robust chronograph movements ever produced. It has a flyback function as well as an analogue display for stopped minutes and seconds. Commenting on the family\u2019s positioning in the international watch market, Karoline Huber, Director Marketing & Communications at IWC, explains: \u201cFlying enthusiasts all over the world think of Miramar in California as the birth place of the Top Gun legend. With our new TOP GUN Miramar design line, we are addressing watch lovers who consciously embrace IWC\u2019s long-standing tradition of manufacturing Pilot\u2019s Watches but who also wish to benefit from the technological advances of the 21st century and the inimitable quality typical of IWC.\u201d\u00a0<br \/><br \/><strong>Classic TOP GUN collection: black and white with red highlights\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The TOP GUN edition has held a permanent place in IWC Pilot\u2019s Watches collection since 2007. The elaborately equipped Big Pilot\u2019s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUNcomes with a host of advanced features, including a perpetual calendar with its four-digit year display, moon phase display and seven-day power reserve. The Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUNunites the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology. The tiny aircraft silhouette on the seconds hand creates an eye-catching signal-red highlight on the black-and-white dial. The Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN, which comes with a flyback function and protection against magnetic fields, is also equipped with an IWC-manufactured movement.\u00a0<br \/><br \/><strong>Rising fast: the Spitfire combines fabulous contours with first-class mechanics\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/>In 2003, IWC Schaffhausen launched a Pilot\u2019s Watch line that took not only its name from the Spitfire but also reflected the elegance and out- standing technology of the legendary single-propeller aircraft. Now, the designers and technicians have subjected the Spitfire watches to a thorough general overhaul. With a streamlined design and new features, they remain firmly on course for success. All the latest models are fitted with IWC-manufactured calibres. The gold and stainless-steel cases are meticulously machined by hand; the result is a vibrant interplay of shiny, silky matte and structured surfaces. The sun-pattern finish gives the slate-coloured dial a metallic sheen that optically references its namesake. The Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month in its red gold case combines tasteful design with the art of watchmaking at its finest. It is the first IWC Pilot\u2019s Watch to show the date and month digitally in the form of four large numerals; in visual terms, it goes perfectly with the instrument appearance and revives the tradition of the Pallweber system, now dating back well over 100 years. The Spitfire Chronographwith its IWC-manufactured 89365 calibre is available in red gold and stainless steel. With its vertically arranged numerals, the date window is an unmistakable sign that the engineers had the shape of an altimeter in mind when they designed it.The metal bracelet supplied with Reference 387804, is fitted with a newly developed fine-adjustment mechanism. Simply pressing the IWC button in the folding clasp lengthens the bracelet; to shorten it, the bracelet is pushed together until it is the correct length. Both the pin buckle and folding clasp are slightly bolder, in order to match the larger case diameter.\u00a0<br \/><br \/><strong>Classic Pilot\u2019s Watches \u2013 slightly modified\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The Pilot\u2019s Watches made by IWC in the 1930s and 1940s established a legend that lives on in the classic Pilot\u2019s Watches family. The most conspicuous change compared to their predecessors \u2013 with the exception of the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch\u2013 is the vertical triple date display at \u201c3 o\u2019clock\u201d, whose form underscores the cockpit-style design more emphatically. In 2012, the Big Pilot\u2019s Watchwill appear with its familiar looks as well as the highly efficient IWC-manufactured 51111- calibre movement. Compared with its predeces- sor, the Mark XVI, the Pilot\u2019s Watch Mark XVII is 2 millimetres larger at 41 millimetres. With its new red design features, the dial of the Pilot\u2019s Watch Double Chronographis even more attractive, and thanks to a larger case diameter \u2013 now 46 millimetres \u2013 it is also significantly more legible. The stainless-steel case of the Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronographhas increased by a mod- erate 1 millimetre to 43 millimetres. The new Pilot\u2019s Watch Worldtimerhas a 24-hour ring that enables the wearer to look at all 24 time zones, including the Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). The city ring shows the names of 23 places around the globe, each of which represents a time zone. The dial shows local time, which can be adjusted forwards or backwards in one-hour steps \u2013 also when crossing the International Date Line. \u201cIt is with pride and confidence that IWC looks forward to 2012, our year of the Pilot\u2019s Watch. We have six exciting new models, including two Perpetual Calendar models, with some of the most complex watchmaking features imaginable, the new Miramar design line and the new-look Spitfire collection,\u201d sums up Georges Kern.\u00a0<br \/><br \/><strong>Pilot\u2019s Watches for 76 years\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The Schaffhausen-based watch manufacturer IWC has been making rugged and reliable timepieces for pilots and their passengers since the mid-1930s. Right from the start, IWC Pilot\u2019s Watches were designed to offer optimum legibility by day and night and established the look of an instrument: a look that has since determined the appearance of this special breed of watches, to this day. The IWC Special Pilot\u2019s Watch, launched in 1936, stood out with a distinctive black dial that was set off by striking luminescent hands and large luminescent numerals. Outstanding technical features of the IWC Special Pilot\u2019s Watch included a shock-protected balance wheel bearing and a non-magnetic escapement. With its 55-millimetre diameter, the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch 52 T. S. C. of 1940 is the biggest wristwatch IWC Schaffhausen has ever manufactured. As a deck watch it featured, among other things, a central hacking seconds to enable pilots and navigators to synchronize their watches with down-to-the-second precision. An extra-long leather strap also meant that it could be fastened around a flight suit. The clearly arranged dial was a perfect example of reductionism: a style cue and a paragon for all classic Pilot\u2019s Watches. The Mark 11, with its hand-wound 89 calibre, manufactured from 1948 onwards for the Royal Air Force, established itself as the best-known IWC Pilot\u2019s Watch of them all. Its movement was enclosed in a soft-iron inner case to shield the mechanism from magnetic fields. The Mark 11 was used success-fully by the Royal Air Force for over 30 years.\u00a0<br \/><br \/><strong>A tribute to the supermen of the skies\u00a0<br \/>Two new Pilot\u2019s Watches: TOP GUN Miramar and TOP GUN<\/strong><br \/><br \/>Heading up the professional Pilot\u2019s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen is the new 2012 TOP GUN collection. And in the vanguard is the new Miramar line: a tribute to the birthplace of the Top Gun legend in California.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>The pilots who pass out from the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School in Fallon, Nevada, are part of the world\u2019s flying elite. Their insignia: Top Gun. Top Gun is also the name of an IWC watch collection offering the very best in mechanical watchmaking today. And in 2012, five new models will be taking off. Three of them feature the classical TOP GUN design,recognizable from the instrument look of the dial and the attractive mix of materials consisting of ceramic for the case, titanium for the push-buttons and crown, as well as the soft strap material. They are joined by two timepieces in the new TOP GUN Miramar line. The design of the case and dial was inspired by old observer\u2019s watches. The most conspicuous visual features are the shimmering metallic grey of the ceramic case and the rugged green textile strap.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>The Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN (Ref.501901) combines the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology from the 21st century. Fully wound, the IWC-manufactured 51111-calibre movement consisting of 311 components will keep the movement running for 7 days. And if it is not already clear, the Top Gun insignia on the case back says it all: the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch has entered the age of supersonic flight. The Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN Miramar (Ref. 501902) incorporates precisely the same technical features but comes in three colours: matte grey, beige and green: in design terms a first for IWC.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>The ideal choice for complex airborne manoeuvres is the Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN (Ref.388001) with protection against magnetic fields and a glass secured against drops in pressure. And with the IWC-manufactured 89365-calibre movement, it is equally impressive on the inside. With the same specifications, the Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar (Ref.388002) features the new design and is equally \u201cairworthy\u201d.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>No less impressive is the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN (Ref.502902), with a wealth of complex technological features that include a perpetual calendar with four-digit year display, moon phase display and 7-day power reserve. Working away inside the black ceramic case is one of IWC\u2019s largest and most efficient automatic winding systems.\u00a0<br \/><br \/><strong>Asking the ultimate of man and machine\u00a0<\/strong><br \/><br \/>The Edition TOP GUN has held a permanent place in IWC\u2019s Pilot\u2019s Watch family since 2007. It takes its name from a special training course offered by the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, the \u201cStrike Fighter Tactics Instructor\u201d, better known by the legendary accolade \u201cTop Gun\u201d. Pilots who successfully complete this course are part of a tiny elite comprising the best trained, fastest reacting and most courageous of their breed. The technology used is state of the art. Within the space of a A tribute to the supermen of the skies Two new Pilot\u2019s Watches: TOP GUN Miramar and TOP GUN few seconds, the jets reach their take-off speed of just under 300 km\/h. During training flights above the endless deserts of Nevada, they hurtle through the air at up to twice the speed of sound.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>As exacting as the demands placed on the young pilots, they are no less stringent than those placed on the equipment. The quality standards required of a watch designed for flying are formidable, and IWC Schaffhausen swears by two materials that it was the first to use in watchmaking worldwide: high-tech ceramic for the case and titanium for the crown and controls. The zirconium oxide case is sintered at 2,000 degrees Celsius and machined with diamond tools. It is also nonmagnetic, acid-resistant, light and, like titanium, very skin-friendly. IWC introduced titanium to watch case-making while working with Porsche Design. Both companies were forerunners in the machining of this high-tech material, which is corrosion-resistant and tougher than steel but weighs only about half as much.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>During dogfights \u2013 air-to-air combat calling for spectacular manoeuvres that any pilot must master \u2013 both man and material are subject to enormous g-forces. The cockpit occupant briefly undergoes the equivalent of up to nine times the acceleration of gravity. He is pushed back forcefully into his seat: his body contorts and even his watch presses deeply into his wrist.\u00a0<br \/><br \/>During regular centrifuge sessions, the pilots have to tolerate 9 g for 15 seconds, which seems like an eternity, without losing consciousness, as their own weight increases to around 600 kilograms. In a similar test with a centrifugal accelerator, IWC Pilot\u2019s Watches have withstood forces of up to 30 g for minutes at a time. So what possible use could that be' Generally speaking, none at all. But when the ejector seat is used, it generates forces of up to 20 g and the Pilot\u2019s Watch designers in Schaffhausen think like the Top Gun instructors in Fallon:it\u2019s better to be safe than sorry.<div><br \/><\/div><div><strong>Team spirit and tradition<\/strong><\/div><div><strong><br \/><\/strong> <strong>The new TOP GUN Miramar design line<\/strong><\/div><div><strong><br \/><\/strong> Inspired by the spirit of the first Top Gun flight school in Miramar, California, two models in the TOP GUN collection race into 2012: the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN Miramar and the Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Mira- mar. At the same time, both timepieces ref- erence IWC\u2019s longstanding tradition in the manufacture of deck watches.<\/div><div><br \/> The United States Navy Fighter Weapons School \u2013 the official title of the Top Gun flight training programme \u2013 was based in Miramar, California, from 1969 to 1996. In the eyes of air- craft enthusiasts all over the world, the small town about 30 kilometres north of San Diego, is the origin of the Top Gun legend.\u00a0<\/div><div><br \/><\/div><div>And because Top Gun pilots spend so much time in the air, it\u2019s vital that they also keep their feet on the ground. Shared values like cama- raderie, team spirit and a sense of tradition are reinforced at barbecues and veteran reunions. But the feeling of belonging common to the elite pilots is best shown by their famous hand-made G1 flight jackets. Authentic signs of wear and tear indicating countless missions, increase the jacket\u2019s sentimental value, while sewn-on patches closely document the pilot\u2019s career : the aircraft types he has flown, clubs and societies, aircraft carriers and successfully completed training courses. Of these, the Top Gun insignia commands the highest respect. Pieces of military clothing such as the flight jacket are considered to be timeless classics and have long had an influence on civilian fashion.\u00a0 The military design and the extensive experience of IWC in the manufacture of so-called deck watches were a source of inspiration to IWC Schaffhausen in its creation of the TOP GUN Miramar line. The desired visual effect is reached by the metallic sheen of the grey ceramic case, the beige of the hands and chapter ring and the green of the textile strap.\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><div><strong><br \/><\/strong><\/div><div><strong>The historic legacy of the deck watches<\/strong><\/div><div><strong><br \/><\/strong><\/div><div> The chapter ring contains another surprising new feature for IWC\u2019s Pilot\u2019s Watches: the outer numerals indicate the minutes while the hours are shown in a signal red inner circle. The unusual division into an external chapter ring and an inner hour circle is a reference to the deck watches of the 1930s and 1940s, and con- sequently the historic legacy of IWC\u2019s Pilot\u2019s Watches. In order to determine the astronomical position on long-haul flights, it was vital that the minutes and seconds on deck watches could be read off with maximum precision. The enormous importance of precise time for pilots can be seen from the lengths they went to in order to obtain it : prior to take-off, the navigator would set his observer\u2019s watch by a surface 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. Once aboard, the navigator passed on the exact time to the captain, who usually wore a chronograph.\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><div><br \/><\/div><div>With its new TOP GUN Miramar line, IWC Schaffhausen addresses watch lovers who consciously celebrate the historical legacy behind the Pilot\u2019s Watches, but do not wish to forgo the technological advances of the 21st century.\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><div><strong><br \/><\/strong><\/div><div><strong>Tradition reinterpreted<\/strong><\/div><div><strong><br \/><\/strong> <strong>Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN and Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN Miramar<\/strong><\/div><div><strong><br \/><\/strong> More than 70 years after its maiden flight and 10 years after a greatly publicized relaunch, the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch finally enters the jet age in 2012 thanks to the TOP GUN line. The Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN Miramar reminds us of those magnificent men in their legendary flying suits.<\/div><div><br \/> Designed by IWC for professional pilots back in 1940, the Big Pilot\u2019s Watch came with an ori- ginal pocket watch movement and large central seconds. Together with the IWC Special Pilot\u2019s Watch and the Mark 11, it established the cockpit-style design that has remained to this day. The black dial of the certified observer\u2019s and deck watch came with a white chapter ring and arrowhead index at \u201c12 o\u2019clock\u201d, striking luminescent hands and big luminescent numerals. Its legibility was exemplary.\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><div><br \/><\/div><div>In 2002, the Schaffhausen-based manufacturer IWC revived its own Big Pilot\u2019s Watch heritage. The enormous timepiece created quite a stir, and unmistakably drew on its historic forebear with the 52 T. S. C. pocket watch calibre. Its clas- sical design and the efficient movement with a 7-day power reserve and Pellaton automatic winding combine the tradition and innovation typical of IWC in the production of professional pilot\u2019s watches.\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><div><strong><br \/><\/strong><\/div><div><strong>Haute Horlogerie and high-tech materials<\/strong><\/div><div><strong><br \/><\/strong> In 2012, yet another Big Pilot\u2019s Watch will be taking its place among the other IWC giants : the <strong>Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN <\/strong>(Ref. 501901) in its ceramic case. It offers a more contemporary take on functionality with new materials and design elements. The clearly arranged dial with the striking black-and-white contrast remains, as do the power reserve and date displays. The most conspicuous addition to the popular cockpit look of the design is the small, signal red aircraft silhouette that serves as a counterpoise on the seconds hand and has established itself as one of the distinctive features of the TOP GUN line. Also typical of the TOP GUN are the high-tech materials : first, zirconium oxide, the tough, hard-wearing and scratch-resistant ceramic used for the case, which is water-resistant to 6 bar. Then there\u2019s the extremely rugged titanium used for the crown. And finally the black soft strap used to secure the 48-millimetre case securely and comfortably to the wearer\u2019s wrist.\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><div><br \/><\/div><div>The 51111 calibre is one of the largest auto- matic movements manufactured by IWC and, with its patented pawl-winding system, builds up a 7-day power reserve in virtually no time. But the power reserve mechanism is smart and allows it to run for only 168 hours before stop- ping the movement. This way, it is certain that the watch will keep perfect time for 7 days when it is fully wound. On the front, the sapphire glass has antireflective coating on both sides and is secured against sudden drops in pressure. And on the reverse side of the watch, the Top Gun insignia explains why : this watch has earned \u201cairworthy\u201d status.\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><div><strong><br \/><\/strong><\/div><div><strong>Tribute to a legend\u00a0<\/strong><\/div><div><strong><br \/><\/strong>With identical specifications, the <strong>Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN Miramar <\/strong>(Ref. 501902) is a\u00a0tribute to the original Marine Corps Top Gun flight school in Miramar, California. It was from here that the reputation of the ultra-cool elite pilots in their even cooler flight gear spread all over the world. The new Miramar line picks up on elements of the military design. The shimmering metallic ceramic case and the anthracite-coloured dial lean on the typical colour and material repertoire as do the hands and chapter ring in beige and the green textile strap. The separate depiction of the minutes in the outer ring and the hours on a smaller inner ring is reminiscent of the deck watches of the 1930s and 1940s. Back then, the aircraft\u2019s position and flight time were determined with the aid of octants and deck watches.<\/div><div><br \/> The Big Pilot\u2019s Watch TOP GUN Miramar is one of the very best of its kind. A claim underscored by the elaborate Top Gun engraving on the ti- tanium case back.\u00a0<\/div>","description_short":"","quantity":0,"minimal_quantity":"1","available_now":"","available_later":"","price":13416.666667,"specificPrice":false,"additional_shipping_cost":"0.00","wholesale_price":"0.000000","on_sale":"0","online_only":"0","unity":"","unit_price":0,"unit_price_ratio":"0.000000","ecotax":"0.000000","reference":"IW501902","supplier_reference":"","location":"","width":"0.000000","height":"0.000000","depth":"0.000000","weight":"0.000000","ean13":"","upc":"","link_rewrite":"grande-montre-daviateur-top-gun-miramar","meta_description":"2012: the year of the high-flyers\u00a0The new Pilot\u2019s Watches from IWC SchaffhausenIWC Schaffhausen gets off to a powerful start in 2012: the year of the Pilot\u2019s...","meta_keywords":"","meta_title":"Watch IWC Grande Montre d'Aviateur TOP GUN Miramar | Montres d'Aviateur IW501902 Ceramic - Anthracite Dial - Textile Strap","quantity_discount":"0","customizable":"0","new":false,"uploadable_files":"0","text_fields":"0","active":"1","redirect_type":"","id_product_redirected":"0","available_for_order":"0","available_date":"0000-00-00","condition":"new","show_price":"1","indexed":"1","visibility":"both","date_add":"2015-08-03 22:47:21","date_upd":"2015-09-30 12:59:49","tags":false,"base_price":"13416.666667","id_tax_rules_group":"1","id_color_default":0,"advanced_stock_management":"0","out_of_stock":0,"depends_on_stock":false,"isFullyLoaded":true,"cache_is_pack":"0","cache_has_attachments":"1","is_virtual":"0","id_pack_product_attribute":null,"cache_default_attribute":"0","category":"pilot-s-watches","pack_stock_type":"3","id":3304,"id_shop_list":null,"force_id":false,"customization_required":false}
{"Compl\u00e9ment":"Ceramic - Anthracite Dial - Textile Strap","Statut de vente":"N est plus commercialis\u00e9","Date":"2012","Pi\u00e8ce unique":"No","S\u00e9rie limit\u00e9e":"No","Sexe":"Homme","Gaucher":"No","Diam\u00e8tre":"48","Epaisseur":"15","Types":"Self-winding","Styles":"Sporty","Calibre_autre":"51111","Affichage":"Luminescent hands","Complication":"Power Reserve Indicator","Mati\u00e8re du bo\u00eetier_autre":"Polished ceramic","Particularit\u00e9 du boitier":"Screwed-down caseback, Screwed-down crown","Particularit\u00e9 du boitier_autre":"Caseback stamped with TOP GUN logo","Etanch\u00e9it\u00e9":"60 meters","Forme":"Round","Couleur du cadran":"Charcoal","Index":"Baton-type, Luminescent, Arabic numerals, Triangles","Verre":"Domed, Sapphire, Antireflective coating","Mati\u00e8re du bracelet":"Textile","Fermeture du bracelet":"Pin buckle","Couleur du bracelet":"Green","Plus de caract\u00e9ristiques":"Movement<div>42 jewels<\/div><div>Frequency : 3 Hz (21.600 pvh)<\/div><div>Power reserve : 168 hours<\/div><div>Pellaton automatic winding<\/div><div>Glucydur beryllium alloy balance<\/div>"}
Grande Montre d'Aviateur TOP GUN Miramar
IW501902
| Brand : | IWC |
| Collection : | Pilot's Watches |
| Model : | Grande Montre d'Aviateur TOP GUN Miramar |
| Reference : | IW501902 |
| Complement : | Ceramic - Anthracite Dial - Textile Strap |
| Year : | 2012 |
| Is not commercialised any more | |
PDF INDEX CARD
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Brand : IWC Collection : Pilot's Watches Model : Grande Montre d'Aviateur TOP GUN Miramar Reference : IW501902 Complement : Ceramic - Anthracite Dial - Textile Strap Year : 2012 Is not commercialised any more List Price : 16 100 € Diameter : 48 mm Thickness : 15 mm Styles : Sporty Types : Self-winding Calibre : 51111 Complication : Power Reserve Indicator Case material : Polished ceramic Case peculiarity : Screwed-down caseback Screwed-down crown Caseback stamped with TOP GUN logo Shape : Round Water-resistance : 60 meters Dial color : Charcoal Display : Luminescent hands Indexes : Baton-type Luminescent Arabic numerals Triangles Glass : Domed Sapphire Antireflective coating Strap material : Textile Strap color : Green Strap clasp : Pin buckle + More characteristics : Movement 42 jewelsFrequency : 3 Hz (21.600 pvh)Power reserve : 168 hoursPellaton automatic windingGlucydur beryllium alloy balance
DESCRIPTION
- 2012: the year of the high-flyers
The new Pilot’s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen
IWC Schaffhausen gets off to a powerful start in 2012: the year of the Pilot’s Watch. With five new models, the TOP GUN collection establishes itself as an independent formation within the IWC Pilot’s Watch family. The year’s high-flyer is the TOP GUN Miramar: a tribute to the place in California where the myth of the elite pilots was born. And two Pilot’s Watches featuring many of fine watchmaking’s greatest achievements prepare for take off: the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN and the Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month.
“For the new TOP GUN Pilot’s Watches we drew on our long tradition of manufacturing unusual deck watches. In the1940s, Pilot’s Watches made in Schaffhausen were widely used as so-called B watches for flight navigation,” explains Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. “Back then, only wristwatches with the highest possible precision were good enough for navigators: the pilot and his crew would synchronize their watches to the navigator’s.” Since the main priority for navigation is optimum legibility of the seconds and minutes, these two were often the only indicators shown on the outer ring; the hours would be relatively small and appeared on a central ring. This particular detail inspired IWC’s designers to display the hour circle and the chapter ring separately on the dials of the Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar and the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar.“The process of retracing the historic roots of our Pilot’s Watches gave us the idea of using the Miramar tocreateour first linewith a military-style design,” adds Christian Knoop, Creative Director at IWC. “This allows us to combine various styles in an imaginative way – even with luxury elements, if we wish. That’s one of the reasons the new Miramar line is such a perfect fit for IWC: premium-class watches with out- standing mechanics and a rugged, almost hardedged feel.” The dark, metallic sheen of the grey ceramic case and the matte anthracite of the dial all waken associations with precision instruments used in aviation. The use of specific camouflage colours such as beige for the hands and chapter ring, together with green for the strap, underscore the desired look. The textile strap leans visibly on the tough webbing belts. It is complemented by two high-tech materials, typical for TOP GUN, that were introduced to watchmaking by IWC as early as the 1980s: zirconium oxide for the case, along with titanium for the controls and the watch back. Both the Miramar models – like the entire TOP GUN collection, incidentally – are equipped with IWC-manufactured calibres. Like the other Big Pilot’s Watch,theBig Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar is equipped with the largest automatic movement made by IWC, with a power reserve of 168 hours. This also explains the 48-millimetre case diameter. The calibre 89365 found in the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramaris one of the most advanced and robust chronograph movements ever produced. It has a flyback function as well as an analogue display for stopped minutes and seconds. Commenting on the family’s positioning in the international watch market, Karoline Huber, Director Marketing & Communications at IWC, explains: “Flying enthusiasts all over the world think of Miramar in California as the birth place of the Top Gun legend. With our new TOP GUN Miramar design line, we are addressing watch lovers who consciously embrace IWC’s long-standing tradition of manufacturing Pilot’s Watches but who also wish to benefit from the technological advances of the 21st century and the inimitable quality typical of IWC.”
Classic TOP GUN collection: black and white with red highlights
The TOP GUN edition has held a permanent place in IWC Pilot’s Watches collection since 2007. The elaborately equipped Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUNcomes with a host of advanced features, including a perpetual calendar with its four-digit year display, moon phase display and seven-day power reserve. The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUNunites the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology. The tiny aircraft silhouette on the seconds hand creates an eye-catching signal-red highlight on the black-and-white dial. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN, which comes with a flyback function and protection against magnetic fields, is also equipped with an IWC-manufactured movement.
Rising fast: the Spitfire combines fabulous contours with first-class mechanics
In 2003, IWC Schaffhausen launched a Pilot’s Watch line that took not only its name from the Spitfire but also reflected the elegance and out- standing technology of the legendary single-propeller aircraft. Now, the designers and technicians have subjected the Spitfire watches to a thorough general overhaul. With a streamlined design and new features, they remain firmly on course for success. All the latest models are fitted with IWC-manufactured calibres. The gold and stainless-steel cases are meticulously machined by hand; the result is a vibrant interplay of shiny, silky matte and structured surfaces. The sun-pattern finish gives the slate-coloured dial a metallic sheen that optically references its namesake. The Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month in its red gold case combines tasteful design with the art of watchmaking at its finest. It is the first IWC Pilot’s Watch to show the date and month digitally in the form of four large numerals; in visual terms, it goes perfectly with the instrument appearance and revives the tradition of the Pallweber system, now dating back well over 100 years. The Spitfire Chronographwith its IWC-manufactured 89365 calibre is available in red gold and stainless steel. With its vertically arranged numerals, the date window is an unmistakable sign that the engineers had the shape of an altimeter in mind when they designed it.The metal bracelet supplied with Reference 387804, is fitted with a newly developed fine-adjustment mechanism. Simply pressing the IWC button in the folding clasp lengthens the bracelet; to shorten it, the bracelet is pushed together until it is the correct length. Both the pin buckle and folding clasp are slightly bolder, in order to match the larger case diameter.
2012: the year of the high-flyers
The new Pilot’s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen
IWC Schaffhausen gets off to a powerful start in 2012: the year of the Pilot’s Watch. With five new models, the TOP GUN collection establishes itself as an independent formation within the IWC Pilot’s Watch family. The year’s high-flyer is the TOP GUN Miramar: a tribute to the place in California where the myth of the elite pilots was born. And two Pilot’s Watches featuring many of fine watchmaking’s greatest achievements prepare for take off: the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN and the Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month.
“For the new TOP GUN Pilot’s Watches we drew on our long tradition of manufacturing unusual deck watches. In the1940s, Pilot’s Watches made in Schaffhausen were widely used as so-called B watches for flight navigation,” explains Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. “Back then, only wristwatches with the highest possible precision were good enough for navigators: the pilot and his crew would synchronize their watches to the navigator’s.” Since the main priority for navigation is optimum legibility of the seconds and minutes, these two were often the only indicators shown on the outer ring; the hours would be relatively small and appeared on a central ring. This particular detail inspired IWC’s designers to display the hour circle and the chapter ring separately on the dials of the Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar and the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar.“The process of retracing the historic roots of our Pilot’s Watches gave us the idea of using the Miramar tocreateour first linewith a military-style design,” adds Christian Knoop, Creative Director at IWC. “This allows us to combine various styles in an imaginative way – even with luxury elements, if we wish. That’s one of the reasons the new Miramar line is such a perfect fit for IWC: premium-class watches with out- standing mechanics and a rugged, almost hardedged feel.” The dark, metallic sheen of the grey ceramic case and the matte anthracite of the dial all waken associations with precision instruments used in aviation. The use of specific camouflage colours such as beige for the hands and chapter ring, together with green for the strap, underscore the desired look. The textile strap leans visibly on the tough webbing belts. It is complemented by two high-tech materials, typical for TOP GUN, that were introduced to watchmaking by IWC as early as the 1980s: zirconium oxide for the case, along with titanium for the controls and the watch back. Both the Miramar models – like the entire TOP GUN collection, incidentally – are equipped with IWC-manufactured calibres. Like the other Big Pilot’s Watch,theBig Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar is equipped with the largest automatic movement made by IWC, with a power reserve of 168 hours. This also explains the 48-millimetre case diameter. The calibre 89365 found in the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramaris one of the most advanced and robust chronograph movements ever produced. It has a flyback function as well as an analogue display for stopped minutes and seconds. Commenting on the family’s positioning in the international watch market, Karoline Huber, Director Marketing & Communications at IWC, explains: “Flying enthusiasts all over the world think of Miramar in California as the birth place of the Top Gun legend. With our new TOP GUN Miramar design line, we are addressing watch lovers who consciously embrace IWC’s long-standing tradition of manufacturing Pilot’s Watches but who also wish to benefit from the technological advances of the 21st century and the inimitable quality typical of IWC.”
Classic TOP GUN collection: black and white with red highlights
The TOP GUN edition has held a permanent place in IWC Pilot’s Watches collection since 2007. The elaborately equipped Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUNcomes with a host of advanced features, including a perpetual calendar with its four-digit year display, moon phase display and seven-day power reserve. The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUNunites the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology. The tiny aircraft silhouette on the seconds hand creates an eye-catching signal-red highlight on the black-and-white dial. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN, which comes with a flyback function and protection against magnetic fields, is also equipped with an IWC-manufactured movement.
Rising fast: the Spitfire combines fabulous contours with first-class mechanics
In 2003, IWC Schaffhausen launched a Pilot’s Watch line that took not only its name from the Spitfire but also reflected the elegance and out- standing technology of the legendary single-propeller aircraft. Now, the designers and technicians have subjected the Spitfire watches to a thorough general overhaul. With a streamlined design and new features, they remain firmly on course for success. All the latest models are fitted with IWC-manufactured calibres. The gold and stainless-steel cases are meticulously machined by hand; the result is a vibrant interplay of shiny, silky matte and structured surfaces. The sun-pattern finish gives the slate-coloured dial a metallic sheen that optically references its namesake. The Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month in its red gold case combines tasteful design with the art of watchmaking at its finest. It is the first IWC Pilot’s Watch to show the date and month digitally in the form of four large numerals; in visual terms, it goes perfectly with the instrument appearance and revives the tradition of the Pallweber system, now dating back well over 100 years. The Spitfire Chronographwith its IWC-manufactured 89365 calibre is available in red gold and stainless steel. With its vertically arranged numerals, the date window is an unmistakable sign that the engineers had the shape of an altimeter in mind when they designed it.The metal bracelet supplied with Reference 387804, is fitted with a newly developed fine-adjustment mechanism. Simply pressing the IWC button in the folding clasp lengthens the bracelet; to shorten it, the bracelet is pushed together until it is the correct length. Both the pin buckle and folding clasp are slightly bolder, in order to match the larger case diameter.
Classic Pilot’s Watches – slightly modified
The Pilot’s Watches made by IWC in the 1930s and 1940s established a legend that lives on in the classic Pilot’s Watches family. The most conspicuous change compared to their predecessors – with the exception of the Big Pilot’s Watch– is the vertical triple date display at “3 o’clock”, whose form underscores the cockpit-style design more emphatically. In 2012, the Big Pilot’s Watchwill appear with its familiar looks as well as the highly efficient IWC-manufactured 51111- calibre movement. Compared with its predeces- sor, the Mark XVI, the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII is 2 millimetres larger at 41 millimetres. With its new red design features, the dial of the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronographis even more attractive, and thanks to a larger case diameter – now 46 millimetres – it is also significantly more legible. The stainless-steel case of the Pilot’s Watch Chronographhas increased by a mod- erate 1 millimetre to 43 millimetres. The new Pilot’s Watch Worldtimerhas a 24-hour ring that enables the wearer to look at all 24 time zones, including the Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). The city ring shows the names of 23 places around the globe, each of which represents a time zone. The dial shows local time, which can be adjusted forwards or backwards in one-hour steps – also when crossing the International Date Line. “It is with pride and confidence that IWC looks forward to 2012, our year of the Pilot’s Watch. We have six exciting new models, including two Perpetual Calendar models, with some of the most complex watchmaking features imaginable, the new Miramar design line and the new-look Spitfire collection,” sums up Georges Kern.
Pilot’s Watches for 76 years
The Schaffhausen-based watch manufacturer IWC has been making rugged and reliable timepieces for pilots and their passengers since the mid-1930s. Right from the start, IWC Pilot’s Watches were designed to offer optimum legibility by day and night and established the look of an instrument: a look that has since determined the appearance of this special breed of watches, to this day. The IWC Special Pilot’s Watch, launched in 1936, stood out with a distinctive black dial that was set off by striking luminescent hands and large luminescent numerals. Outstanding technical features of the IWC Special Pilot’s Watch included a shock-protected balance wheel bearing and a non-magnetic escapement. With its 55-millimetre diameter, the Big Pilot’s Watch 52 T. S. C. of 1940 is the biggest wristwatch IWC Schaffhausen has ever manufactured. As a deck watch it featured, among other things, a central hacking seconds to enable pilots and navigators to synchronize their watches with down-to-the-second precision. An extra-long leather strap also meant that it could be fastened around a flight suit. The clearly arranged dial was a perfect example of reductionism: a style cue and a paragon for all classic Pilot’s Watches. The Mark 11, with its hand-wound 89 calibre, manufactured from 1948 onwards for the Royal Air Force, established itself as the best-known IWC Pilot’s Watch of them all. Its movement was enclosed in a soft-iron inner case to shield the mechanism from magnetic fields. The Mark 11 was used success-fully by the Royal Air Force for over 30 years.
2012: the year of the high-flyers
The new Pilot’s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen
IWC Schaffhausen gets off to a powerful start in 2012: the year of the Pilot’s Watch. With five new models, the TOP GUN collection establishes itself as an independent formation within the IWC Pilot’s Watch family. The year’s high-flyer is the TOP GUN Miramar: a tribute to the place in California where the myth of the elite pilots was born. And two Pilot’s Watches featuring many of fine watchmaking’s greatest achievements prepare for take off: the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN and the Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month.
“For the new TOP GUN Pilot’s Watches we drew on our long tradition of manufacturing unusual deck watches. In the1940s, Pilot’s Watches made in Schaffhausen were widely used as so-called B watches for flight navigation,” explains Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. “Back then, only wristwatches with the highest possible precision were good enough for navigators: the pilot and his crew would synchronize their watches to the navigator’s.” Since the main priority for navigation is optimum legibility of the seconds and minutes, these two were often the only indicators shown on the outer ring; the hours would be relatively small and appeared on a central ring. This particular detail inspired IWC’s designers to display the hour circle and the chapter ring separately on the dials of the Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar and the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar.“The process of retracing the historic roots of our Pilot’s Watches gave us the idea of using the Miramar tocreateour first linewith a military-style design,” adds Christian Knoop, Creative Director at IWC. “This allows us to combine various styles in an imaginative way – even with luxury elements, if we wish. That’s one of the reasons the new Miramar line is such a perfect fit for IWC: premium-class watches with out- standing mechanics and a rugged, almost hardedged feel.” The dark, metallic sheen of the grey ceramic case and the matte anthracite of the dial all waken associations with precision instruments used in aviation. The use of specific camouflage colours such as beige for the hands and chapter ring, together with green for the strap, underscore the desired look. The textile strap leans visibly on the tough webbing belts. It is complemented by two high-tech materials, typical for TOP GUN, that were introduced to watchmaking by IWC as early as the 1980s: zirconium oxide for the case, along with titanium for the controls and the watch back. Both the Miramar models – like the entire TOP GUN collection, incidentally – are equipped with IWC-manufactured calibres. Like the other Big Pilot’s Watch,theBig Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar is equipped with the largest automatic movement made by IWC, with a power reserve of 168 hours. This also explains the 48-millimetre case diameter. The calibre 89365 found in the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramaris one of the most advanced and robust chronograph movements ever produced. It has a flyback function as well as an analogue display for stopped minutes and seconds. Commenting on the family’s positioning in the international watch market, Karoline Huber, Director Marketing & Communications at IWC, explains: “Flying enthusiasts all over the world think of Miramar in California as the birth place of the Top Gun legend. With our new TOP GUN Miramar design line, we are addressing watch lovers who consciously embrace IWC’s long-standing tradition of manufacturing Pilot’s Watches but who also wish to benefit from the technological advances of the 21st century and the inimitable quality typical of IWC.”
Classic TOP GUN collection: black and white with red highlights
The TOP GUN edition has held a permanent place in IWC Pilot’s Watches collection since 2007. The elaborately equipped Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUNcomes with a host of advanced features, including a perpetual calendar with its four-digit year display, moon phase display and seven-day power reserve. The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUNunites the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology. The tiny aircraft silhouette on the seconds hand creates an eye-catching signal-red highlight on the black-and-white dial. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN, which comes with a flyback function and protection against magnetic fields, is also equipped with an IWC-manufactured movement.
Rising fast: the Spitfire combines fabulous contours with first-class mechanics
In 2003, IWC Schaffhausen launched a Pilot’s Watch line that took not only its name from the Spitfire but also reflected the elegance and out- standing technology of the legendary single-propeller aircraft. Now, the designers and technicians have subjected the Spitfire watches to a thorough general overhaul. With a streamlined design and new features, they remain firmly on course for success. All the latest models are fitted with IWC-manufactured calibres. The gold and stainless-steel cases are meticulously machined by hand; the result is a vibrant interplay of shiny, silky matte and structured surfaces. The sun-pattern finish gives the slate-coloured dial a metallic sheen that optically references its namesake. The Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month in its red gold case combines tasteful design with the art of watchmaking at its finest. It is the first IWC Pilot’s Watch to show the date and month digitally in the form of four large numerals; in visual terms, it goes perfectly with the instrument appearance and revives the tradition of the Pallweber system, now dating back well over 100 years. The Spitfire Chronographwith its IWC-manufactured 89365 calibre is available in red gold and stainless steel. With its vertically arranged numerals, the date window is an unmistakable sign that the engineers had the shape of an altimeter in mind when they designed it.The metal bracelet supplied with Reference 387804, is fitted with a newly developed fine-adjustment mechanism. Simply pressing the IWC button in the folding clasp lengthens the bracelet; to shorten it, the bracelet is pushed together until it is the correct length. Both the pin buckle and folding clasp are slightly bolder, in order to match the larger case diameter.
Classic Pilot’s Watches – slightly modified
The Pilot’s Watches made by IWC in the 1930s and 1940s established a legend that lives on in the classic Pilot’s Watches family. The most conspicuous change compared to their predecessors – with the exception of the Big Pilot’s Watch– is the vertical triple date display at “3 o’clock”, whose form underscores the cockpit-style design more emphatically. In 2012, the Big Pilot’s Watchwill appear with its familiar looks as well as the highly efficient IWC-manufactured 51111- calibre movement. Compared with its predeces- sor, the Mark XVI, the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII is 2 millimetres larger at 41 millimetres. With its new red design features, the dial of the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronographis even more attractive, and thanks to a larger case diameter – now 46 millimetres – it is also significantly more legible. The stainless-steel case of the Pilot’s Watch Chronographhas increased by a mod- erate 1 millimetre to 43 millimetres. The new Pilot’s Watch Worldtimerhas a 24-hour ring that enables the wearer to look at all 24 time zones, including the Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). The city ring shows the names of 23 places around the globe, each of which represents a time zone. The dial shows local time, which can be adjusted forwards or backwards in one-hour steps – also when crossing the International Date Line. “It is with pride and confidence that IWC looks forward to 2012, our year of the Pilot’s Watch. We have six exciting new models, including two Perpetual Calendar models, with some of the most complex watchmaking features imaginable, the new Miramar design line and the new-look Spitfire collection,” sums up Georges Kern.
Pilot’s Watches for 76 years
The Schaffhausen-based watch manufacturer IWC has been making rugged and reliable timepieces for pilots and their passengers since the mid-1930s. Right from the start, IWC Pilot’s Watches were designed to offer optimum legibility by day and night and established the look of an instrument: a look that has since determined the appearance of this special breed of watches, to this day. The IWC Special Pilot’s Watch, launched in 1936, stood out with a distinctive black dial that was set off by striking luminescent hands and large luminescent numerals. Outstanding technical features of the IWC Special Pilot’s Watch included a shock-protected balance wheel bearing and a non-magnetic escapement. With its 55-millimetre diameter, the Big Pilot’s Watch 52 T. S. C. of 1940 is the biggest wristwatch IWC Schaffhausen has ever manufactured. As a deck watch it featured, among other things, a central hacking seconds to enable pilots and navigators to synchronize their watches with down-to-the-second precision. An extra-long leather strap also meant that it could be fastened around a flight suit. The clearly arranged dial was a perfect example of reductionism: a style cue and a paragon for all classic Pilot’s Watches. The Mark 11, with its hand-wound 89 calibre, manufactured from 1948 onwards for the Royal Air Force, established itself as the best-known IWC Pilot’s Watch of them all. Its movement was enclosed in a soft-iron inner case to shield the mechanism from magnetic fields. The Mark 11 was used success-fully by the Royal Air Force for over 30 years.
A tribute to the supermen of the skies
Two new Pilot’s Watches: TOP GUN Miramar and TOP GUN
Heading up the professional Pilot’s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen is the new 2012 TOP GUN collection. And in the vanguard is the new Miramar line: a tribute to the birthplace of the Top Gun legend in California.
The pilots who pass out from the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School in Fallon, Nevada, are part of the world’s flying elite. Their insignia: Top Gun. Top Gun is also the name of an IWC watch collection offering the very best in mechanical watchmaking today. And in 2012, five new models will be taking off. Three of them feature the classical TOP GUN design,recognizable from the instrument look of the dial and the attractive mix of materials consisting of ceramic for the case, titanium for the push-buttons and crown, as well as the soft strap material. They are joined by two timepieces in the new TOP GUN Miramar line. The design of the case and dial was inspired by old observer’s watches. The most conspicuous visual features are the shimmering metallic grey of the ceramic case and the rugged green textile strap.
The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN (Ref.501901) combines the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology from the 21st century. Fully wound, the IWC-manufactured 51111-calibre movement consisting of 311 components will keep the movement running for 7 days. And if it is not already clear, the Top Gun insignia on the case back says it all: the Big Pilot’s Watch has entered the age of supersonic flight. The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar (Ref. 501902) incorporates precisely the same technical features but comes in three colours: matte grey, beige and green: in design terms a first for IWC.
The ideal choice for complex airborne manoeuvres is the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN (Ref.388001) with protection against magnetic fields and a glass secured against drops in pressure. And with the IWC-manufactured 89365-calibre movement, it is equally impressive on the inside. With the same specifications, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar (Ref.388002) features the new design and is equally “airworthy”.
No less impressive is the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN (Ref.502902), with a wealth of complex technological features that include a perpetual calendar with four-digit year display, moon phase display and 7-day power reserve. Working away inside the black ceramic case is one of IWC’s largest and most efficient automatic winding systems.
Asking the ultimate of man and machine
The Edition TOP GUN has held a permanent place in IWC’s Pilot’s Watch family since 2007. It takes its name from a special training course offered by the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, the “Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor”, better known by the legendary accolade “Top Gun”. Pilots who successfully complete this course are part of a tiny elite comprising the best trained, fastest reacting and most courageous of their breed. The technology used is state of the art. Within the space of a A tribute to the supermen of the skies Two new Pilot’s Watches: TOP GUN Miramar and TOP GUN few seconds, the jets reach their take-off speed of just under 300 km/h. During training flights above the endless deserts of Nevada, they hurtle through the air at up to twice the speed of sound.
As exacting as the demands placed on the young pilots, they are no less stringent than those placed on the equipment. The quality standards required of a watch designed for flying are formidable, and IWC Schaffhausen swears by two materials that it was the first to use in watchmaking worldwide: high-tech ceramic for the case and titanium for the crown and controls. The zirconium oxide case is sintered at 2,000 degrees Celsius and machined with diamond tools. It is also nonmagnetic, acid-resistant, light and, like titanium, very skin-friendly. IWC introduced titanium to watch case-making while working with Porsche Design. Both companies were forerunners in the machining of this high-tech material, which is corrosion-resistant and tougher than steel but weighs only about half as much.
During dogfights – air-to-air combat calling for spectacular manoeuvres that any pilot must master – both man and material are subject to enormous g-forces. The cockpit occupant briefly undergoes the equivalent of up to nine times the acceleration of gravity. He is pushed back forcefully into his seat: his body contorts and even his watch presses deeply into his wrist.
During regular centrifuge sessions, the pilots have to tolerate 9 g for 15 seconds, which seems like an eternity, without losing consciousness, as their own weight increases to around 600 kilograms. In a similar test with a centrifugal accelerator, IWC Pilot’s Watches have withstood forces of up to 30 g for minutes at a time. So what possible use could that be' Generally speaking, none at all. But when the ejector seat is used, it generates forces of up to 20 g and the Pilot’s Watch designers in Schaffhausen think like the Top Gun instructors in Fallon:it’s better to be safe than sorry.Team spirit and tradition
The new TOP GUN Miramar design line
Inspired by the spirit of the first Top Gun flight school in Miramar, California, two models in the TOP GUN collection race into 2012: the Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar and the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Mira- mar. At the same time, both timepieces ref- erence IWC’s longstanding tradition in the manufacture of deck watches.
The United States Navy Fighter Weapons School – the official title of the Top Gun flight training programme – was based in Miramar, California, from 1969 to 1996. In the eyes of air- craft enthusiasts all over the world, the small town about 30 kilometres north of San Diego, is the origin of the Top Gun legend.And because Top Gun pilots spend so much time in the air, it’s vital that they also keep their feet on the ground. Shared values like cama- raderie, team spirit and a sense of tradition are reinforced at barbecues and veteran reunions. But the feeling of belonging common to the elite pilots is best shown by their famous hand-made G1 flight jackets. Authentic signs of wear and tear indicating countless missions, increase the jacket’s sentimental value, while sewn-on patches closely document the pilot’s career : the aircraft types he has flown, clubs and societies, aircraft carriers and successfully completed training courses. Of these, the Top Gun insignia commands the highest respect. Pieces of military clothing such as the flight jacket are considered to be timeless classics and have long had an influence on civilian fashion. The military design and the extensive experience of IWC in the manufacture of so-called deck watches were a source of inspiration to IWC Schaffhausen in its creation of the TOP GUN Miramar line. The desired visual effect is reached by the metallic sheen of the grey ceramic case, the beige of the hands and chapter ring and the green of the textile strap.The historic legacy of the deck watchesThe chapter ring contains another surprising new feature for IWC’s Pilot’s Watches: the outer numerals indicate the minutes while the hours are shown in a signal red inner circle. The unusual division into an external chapter ring and an inner hour circle is a reference to the deck watches of the 1930s and 1940s, and con- sequently the historic legacy of IWC’s Pilot’s Watches. In order to determine the astronomical position on long-haul flights, it was vital that the minutes and seconds on deck watches could be read off with maximum precision. The enormous importance of precise time for pilots can be seen from the lengths they went to in order to obtain it : prior to take-off, the navigator would set his observer’s watch by a surface 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. Once aboard, the navigator passed on the exact time to the captain, who usually wore a chronograph.With its new TOP GUN Miramar line, IWC Schaffhausen addresses watch lovers who consciously celebrate the historical legacy behind the Pilot’s Watches, but do not wish to forgo the technological advances of the 21st century.Tradition reinterpreted
Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN and Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar
More than 70 years after its maiden flight and 10 years after a greatly publicized relaunch, the Big Pilot’s Watch finally enters the jet age in 2012 thanks to the TOP GUN line. The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar reminds us of those magnificent men in their legendary flying suits.
Designed by IWC for professional pilots back in 1940, the Big Pilot’s Watch came with an ori- ginal pocket watch movement and large central seconds. Together with the IWC Special Pilot’s Watch and the Mark 11, it established the cockpit-style design that has remained to this day. The black dial of the certified observer’s and deck watch came with a white chapter ring and arrowhead index at “12 o’clock”, striking luminescent hands and big luminescent numerals. Its legibility was exemplary.In 2002, the Schaffhausen-based manufacturer IWC revived its own Big Pilot’s Watch heritage. The enormous timepiece created quite a stir, and unmistakably drew on its historic forebear with the 52 T. S. C. pocket watch calibre. Its clas- sical design and the efficient movement with a 7-day power reserve and Pellaton automatic winding combine the tradition and innovation typical of IWC in the production of professional pilot’s watches.Haute Horlogerie and high-tech materials
In 2012, yet another Big Pilot’s Watch will be taking its place among the other IWC giants : the Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN (Ref. 501901) in its ceramic case. It offers a more contemporary take on functionality with new materials and design elements. The clearly arranged dial with the striking black-and-white contrast remains, as do the power reserve and date displays. The most conspicuous addition to the popular cockpit look of the design is the small, signal red aircraft silhouette that serves as a counterpoise on the seconds hand and has established itself as one of the distinctive features of the TOP GUN line. Also typical of the TOP GUN are the high-tech materials : first, zirconium oxide, the tough, hard-wearing and scratch-resistant ceramic used for the case, which is water-resistant to 6 bar. Then there’s the extremely rugged titanium used for the crown. And finally the black soft strap used to secure the 48-millimetre case securely and comfortably to the wearer’s wrist.The 51111 calibre is one of the largest auto- matic movements manufactured by IWC and, with its patented pawl-winding system, builds up a 7-day power reserve in virtually no time. But the power reserve mechanism is smart and allows it to run for only 168 hours before stop- ping the movement. This way, it is certain that the watch will keep perfect time for 7 days when it is fully wound. On the front, the sapphire glass has antireflective coating on both sides and is secured against sudden drops in pressure. And on the reverse side of the watch, the Top Gun insignia explains why : this watch has earned “airworthy” status.Tribute to a legend
With identical specifications, the Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar (Ref. 501902) is a tribute to the original Marine Corps Top Gun flight school in Miramar, California. It was from here that the reputation of the ultra-cool elite pilots in their even cooler flight gear spread all over the world. The new Miramar line picks up on elements of the military design. The shimmering metallic ceramic case and the anthracite-coloured dial lean on the typical colour and material repertoire as do the hands and chapter ring in beige and the green textile strap. The separate depiction of the minutes in the outer ring and the hours on a smaller inner ring is reminiscent of the deck watches of the 1930s and 1940s. Back then, the aircraft’s position and flight time were determined with the aid of octants and deck watches.
The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar is one of the very best of its kind. A claim underscored by the elaborate Top Gun engraving on the ti- tanium case back.
- 2012: the year of the high-flyers
The new Pilot’s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen
IWC Schaffhausen gets off to a powerful start in 2012: the year of the Pilot’s Watch. With five new models, the TOP GUN collection establishes itself as an independent formation within the IWC Pilot’s Watch family. The year’s high-flyer is the TOP GUN Miramar: a tribute to the place in California where the myth of the elite pilots was born. And two Pilot’s Watches featuring many of fine watchmaking’s greatest achievements prepare for take off: the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN and the Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month.
“For the new TOP GUN Pilot’s Watches we drew on our long tradition of manufacturing unusual deck watches. In the1940s, Pilot’s Watches made in Schaffhausen were widely used as so-called B watches for flight navigation,” explains Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. “Back then, only wristwatches with the highest possible precision were good enough for navigators: the pilot and his crew would synchronize their watches to the navigator’s.” Since the main priority for navigation is optimum legibility of the seconds and minutes, these two were often the only indicators shown on the outer ring; the hours would be relatively small and appeared on a central ring. This particular detail inspired IWC’s designers to display the hour circle and the chapter ring separately on the dials of the Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar and the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar.“The process of retracing the historic roots of our Pilot’s Watches gave us the idea of using the Miramar tocreateour first linewith a military-style design,” adds Christian Knoop, Creative Director at IWC. “This allows us to combine various styles in an imaginative way – even with luxury elements, if we wish. That’s one of the reasons the new Miramar line is such a perfect fit for IWC: premium-class watches with out- standing mechanics and a rugged, almost hardedged feel.” The dark, metallic sheen of the grey ceramic case and the matte anthracite of the dial all waken associations with precision instruments used in aviation. The use of specific camouflage colours such as beige for the hands and chapter ring, together with green for the strap, underscore the desired look. The textile strap leans visibly on the tough webbing belts. It is complemented by two high-tech materials, typical for TOP GUN, that were introduced to watchmaking by IWC as early as the 1980s: zirconium oxide for the case, along with titanium for the controls and the watch back. Both the Miramar models – like the entire TOP GUN collection, incidentally – are equipped with IWC-manufactured calibres. Like the other Big Pilot’s Watch,theBig Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar is equipped with the largest automatic movement made by IWC, with a power reserve of 168 hours. This also explains the 48-millimetre case diameter. The calibre 89365 found in the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramaris one of the most advanced and robust chronograph movements ever produced. It has a flyback function as well as an analogue display for stopped minutes and seconds. Commenting on the family’s positioning in the international watch market, Karoline Huber, Director Marketing & Communications at IWC, explains: “Flying enthusiasts all over the world think of Miramar in California as the birth place of the Top Gun legend. With our new TOP GUN Miramar design line, we are addressing watch lovers who consciously embrace IWC’s long-standing tradition of manufacturing Pilot’s Watches but who also wish to benefit from the technological advances of the 21st century and the inimitable quality typical of IWC.”
Classic TOP GUN collection: black and white with red highlights
The TOP GUN edition has held a permanent place in IWC Pilot’s Watches collection since 2007. The elaborately equipped Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUNcomes with a host of advanced features, including a perpetual calendar with its four-digit year display, moon phase display and seven-day power reserve. The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUNunites the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology. The tiny aircraft silhouette on the seconds hand creates an eye-catching signal-red highlight on the black-and-white dial. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN, which comes with a flyback function and protection against magnetic fields, is also equipped with an IWC-manufactured movement.
Rising fast: the Spitfire combines fabulous contours with first-class mechanics
In 2003, IWC Schaffhausen launched a Pilot’s Watch line that took not only its name from the Spitfire but also reflected the elegance and out- standing technology of the legendary single-propeller aircraft. Now, the designers and technicians have subjected the Spitfire watches to a thorough general overhaul. With a streamlined design and new features, they remain firmly on course for success. All the latest models are fitted with IWC-manufactured calibres. The gold and stainless-steel cases are meticulously machined by hand; the result is a vibrant interplay of shiny, silky matte and structured surfaces. The sun-pattern finish gives the slate-coloured dial a metallic sheen that optically references its namesake. The Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month in its red gold case combines tasteful design with the art of watchmaking at its finest. It is the first IWC Pilot’s Watch to show the date and month digitally in the form of four large numerals; in visual terms, it goes perfectly with the instrument appearance and revives the tradition of the Pallweber system, now dating back well over 100 years. The Spitfire Chronographwith its IWC-manufactured 89365 calibre is available in red gold and stainless steel. With its vertically arranged numerals, the date window is an unmistakable sign that the engineers had the shape of an altimeter in mind when they designed it.The metal bracelet supplied with Reference 387804, is fitted with a newly developed fine-adjustment mechanism. Simply pressing the IWC button in the folding clasp lengthens the bracelet; to shorten it, the bracelet is pushed together until it is the correct length. Both the pin buckle and folding clasp are slightly bolder, in order to match the larger case diameter.
2012: the year of the high-flyers
The new Pilot’s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen
IWC Schaffhausen gets off to a powerful start in 2012: the year of the Pilot’s Watch. With five new models, the TOP GUN collection establishes itself as an independent formation within the IWC Pilot’s Watch family. The year’s high-flyer is the TOP GUN Miramar: a tribute to the place in California where the myth of the elite pilots was born. And two Pilot’s Watches featuring many of fine watchmaking’s greatest achievements prepare for take off: the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN and the Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month.
“For the new TOP GUN Pilot’s Watches we drew on our long tradition of manufacturing unusual deck watches. In the1940s, Pilot’s Watches made in Schaffhausen were widely used as so-called B watches for flight navigation,” explains Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. “Back then, only wristwatches with the highest possible precision were good enough for navigators: the pilot and his crew would synchronize their watches to the navigator’s.” Since the main priority for navigation is optimum legibility of the seconds and minutes, these two were often the only indicators shown on the outer ring; the hours would be relatively small and appeared on a central ring. This particular detail inspired IWC’s designers to display the hour circle and the chapter ring separately on the dials of the Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar and the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar.“The process of retracing the historic roots of our Pilot’s Watches gave us the idea of using the Miramar tocreateour first linewith a military-style design,” adds Christian Knoop, Creative Director at IWC. “This allows us to combine various styles in an imaginative way – even with luxury elements, if we wish. That’s one of the reasons the new Miramar line is such a perfect fit for IWC: premium-class watches with out- standing mechanics and a rugged, almost hardedged feel.” The dark, metallic sheen of the grey ceramic case and the matte anthracite of the dial all waken associations with precision instruments used in aviation. The use of specific camouflage colours such as beige for the hands and chapter ring, together with green for the strap, underscore the desired look. The textile strap leans visibly on the tough webbing belts. It is complemented by two high-tech materials, typical for TOP GUN, that were introduced to watchmaking by IWC as early as the 1980s: zirconium oxide for the case, along with titanium for the controls and the watch back. Both the Miramar models – like the entire TOP GUN collection, incidentally – are equipped with IWC-manufactured calibres. Like the other Big Pilot’s Watch,theBig Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar is equipped with the largest automatic movement made by IWC, with a power reserve of 168 hours. This also explains the 48-millimetre case diameter. The calibre 89365 found in the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramaris one of the most advanced and robust chronograph movements ever produced. It has a flyback function as well as an analogue display for stopped minutes and seconds. Commenting on the family’s positioning in the international watch market, Karoline Huber, Director Marketing & Communications at IWC, explains: “Flying enthusiasts all over the world think of Miramar in California as the birth place of the Top Gun legend. With our new TOP GUN Miramar design line, we are addressing watch lovers who consciously embrace IWC’s long-standing tradition of manufacturing Pilot’s Watches but who also wish to benefit from the technological advances of the 21st century and the inimitable quality typical of IWC.”
Classic TOP GUN collection: black and white with red highlights
The TOP GUN edition has held a permanent place in IWC Pilot’s Watches collection since 2007. The elaborately equipped Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUNcomes with a host of advanced features, including a perpetual calendar with its four-digit year display, moon phase display and seven-day power reserve. The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUNunites the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology. The tiny aircraft silhouette on the seconds hand creates an eye-catching signal-red highlight on the black-and-white dial. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN, which comes with a flyback function and protection against magnetic fields, is also equipped with an IWC-manufactured movement.
Rising fast: the Spitfire combines fabulous contours with first-class mechanics
In 2003, IWC Schaffhausen launched a Pilot’s Watch line that took not only its name from the Spitfire but also reflected the elegance and out- standing technology of the legendary single-propeller aircraft. Now, the designers and technicians have subjected the Spitfire watches to a thorough general overhaul. With a streamlined design and new features, they remain firmly on course for success. All the latest models are fitted with IWC-manufactured calibres. The gold and stainless-steel cases are meticulously machined by hand; the result is a vibrant interplay of shiny, silky matte and structured surfaces. The sun-pattern finish gives the slate-coloured dial a metallic sheen that optically references its namesake. The Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month in its red gold case combines tasteful design with the art of watchmaking at its finest. It is the first IWC Pilot’s Watch to show the date and month digitally in the form of four large numerals; in visual terms, it goes perfectly with the instrument appearance and revives the tradition of the Pallweber system, now dating back well over 100 years. The Spitfire Chronographwith its IWC-manufactured 89365 calibre is available in red gold and stainless steel. With its vertically arranged numerals, the date window is an unmistakable sign that the engineers had the shape of an altimeter in mind when they designed it.The metal bracelet supplied with Reference 387804, is fitted with a newly developed fine-adjustment mechanism. Simply pressing the IWC button in the folding clasp lengthens the bracelet; to shorten it, the bracelet is pushed together until it is the correct length. Both the pin buckle and folding clasp are slightly bolder, in order to match the larger case diameter.
Classic Pilot’s Watches – slightly modified
The Pilot’s Watches made by IWC in the 1930s and 1940s established a legend that lives on in the classic Pilot’s Watches family. The most conspicuous change compared to their predecessors – with the exception of the Big Pilot’s Watch– is the vertical triple date display at “3 o’clock”, whose form underscores the cockpit-style design more emphatically. In 2012, the Big Pilot’s Watchwill appear with its familiar looks as well as the highly efficient IWC-manufactured 51111- calibre movement. Compared with its predeces- sor, the Mark XVI, the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII is 2 millimetres larger at 41 millimetres. With its new red design features, the dial of the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronographis even more attractive, and thanks to a larger case diameter – now 46 millimetres – it is also significantly more legible. The stainless-steel case of the Pilot’s Watch Chronographhas increased by a mod- erate 1 millimetre to 43 millimetres. The new Pilot’s Watch Worldtimerhas a 24-hour ring that enables the wearer to look at all 24 time zones, including the Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). The city ring shows the names of 23 places around the globe, each of which represents a time zone. The dial shows local time, which can be adjusted forwards or backwards in one-hour steps – also when crossing the International Date Line. “It is with pride and confidence that IWC looks forward to 2012, our year of the Pilot’s Watch. We have six exciting new models, including two Perpetual Calendar models, with some of the most complex watchmaking features imaginable, the new Miramar design line and the new-look Spitfire collection,” sums up Georges Kern.
Pilot’s Watches for 76 years
The Schaffhausen-based watch manufacturer IWC has been making rugged and reliable timepieces for pilots and their passengers since the mid-1930s. Right from the start, IWC Pilot’s Watches were designed to offer optimum legibility by day and night and established the look of an instrument: a look that has since determined the appearance of this special breed of watches, to this day. The IWC Special Pilot’s Watch, launched in 1936, stood out with a distinctive black dial that was set off by striking luminescent hands and large luminescent numerals. Outstanding technical features of the IWC Special Pilot’s Watch included a shock-protected balance wheel bearing and a non-magnetic escapement. With its 55-millimetre diameter, the Big Pilot’s Watch 52 T. S. C. of 1940 is the biggest wristwatch IWC Schaffhausen has ever manufactured. As a deck watch it featured, among other things, a central hacking seconds to enable pilots and navigators to synchronize their watches with down-to-the-second precision. An extra-long leather strap also meant that it could be fastened around a flight suit. The clearly arranged dial was a perfect example of reductionism: a style cue and a paragon for all classic Pilot’s Watches. The Mark 11, with its hand-wound 89 calibre, manufactured from 1948 onwards for the Royal Air Force, established itself as the best-known IWC Pilot’s Watch of them all. Its movement was enclosed in a soft-iron inner case to shield the mechanism from magnetic fields. The Mark 11 was used success-fully by the Royal Air Force for over 30 years.
2012: the year of the high-flyers
The new Pilot’s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen
IWC Schaffhausen gets off to a powerful start in 2012: the year of the Pilot’s Watch. With five new models, the TOP GUN collection establishes itself as an independent formation within the IWC Pilot’s Watch family. The year’s high-flyer is the TOP GUN Miramar: a tribute to the place in California where the myth of the elite pilots was born. And two Pilot’s Watches featuring many of fine watchmaking’s greatest achievements prepare for take off: the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN and the Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month.
“For the new TOP GUN Pilot’s Watches we drew on our long tradition of manufacturing unusual deck watches. In the1940s, Pilot’s Watches made in Schaffhausen were widely used as so-called B watches for flight navigation,” explains Georges Kern, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. “Back then, only wristwatches with the highest possible precision were good enough for navigators: the pilot and his crew would synchronize their watches to the navigator’s.” Since the main priority for navigation is optimum legibility of the seconds and minutes, these two were often the only indicators shown on the outer ring; the hours would be relatively small and appeared on a central ring. This particular detail inspired IWC’s designers to display the hour circle and the chapter ring separately on the dials of the Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar and the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar.“The process of retracing the historic roots of our Pilot’s Watches gave us the idea of using the Miramar tocreateour first linewith a military-style design,” adds Christian Knoop, Creative Director at IWC. “This allows us to combine various styles in an imaginative way – even with luxury elements, if we wish. That’s one of the reasons the new Miramar line is such a perfect fit for IWC: premium-class watches with out- standing mechanics and a rugged, almost hardedged feel.” The dark, metallic sheen of the grey ceramic case and the matte anthracite of the dial all waken associations with precision instruments used in aviation. The use of specific camouflage colours such as beige for the hands and chapter ring, together with green for the strap, underscore the desired look. The textile strap leans visibly on the tough webbing belts. It is complemented by two high-tech materials, typical for TOP GUN, that were introduced to watchmaking by IWC as early as the 1980s: zirconium oxide for the case, along with titanium for the controls and the watch back. Both the Miramar models – like the entire TOP GUN collection, incidentally – are equipped with IWC-manufactured calibres. Like the other Big Pilot’s Watch,theBig Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar is equipped with the largest automatic movement made by IWC, with a power reserve of 168 hours. This also explains the 48-millimetre case diameter. The calibre 89365 found in the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramaris one of the most advanced and robust chronograph movements ever produced. It has a flyback function as well as an analogue display for stopped minutes and seconds. Commenting on the family’s positioning in the international watch market, Karoline Huber, Director Marketing & Communications at IWC, explains: “Flying enthusiasts all over the world think of Miramar in California as the birth place of the Top Gun legend. With our new TOP GUN Miramar design line, we are addressing watch lovers who consciously embrace IWC’s long-standing tradition of manufacturing Pilot’s Watches but who also wish to benefit from the technological advances of the 21st century and the inimitable quality typical of IWC.”
Classic TOP GUN collection: black and white with red highlights
The TOP GUN edition has held a permanent place in IWC Pilot’s Watches collection since 2007. The elaborately equipped Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUNcomes with a host of advanced features, including a perpetual calendar with its four-digit year display, moon phase display and seven-day power reserve. The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUNunites the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology. The tiny aircraft silhouette on the seconds hand creates an eye-catching signal-red highlight on the black-and-white dial. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN, which comes with a flyback function and protection against magnetic fields, is also equipped with an IWC-manufactured movement.
Rising fast: the Spitfire combines fabulous contours with first-class mechanics
In 2003, IWC Schaffhausen launched a Pilot’s Watch line that took not only its name from the Spitfire but also reflected the elegance and out- standing technology of the legendary single-propeller aircraft. Now, the designers and technicians have subjected the Spitfire watches to a thorough general overhaul. With a streamlined design and new features, they remain firmly on course for success. All the latest models are fitted with IWC-manufactured calibres. The gold and stainless-steel cases are meticulously machined by hand; the result is a vibrant interplay of shiny, silky matte and structured surfaces. The sun-pattern finish gives the slate-coloured dial a metallic sheen that optically references its namesake. The Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month in its red gold case combines tasteful design with the art of watchmaking at its finest. It is the first IWC Pilot’s Watch to show the date and month digitally in the form of four large numerals; in visual terms, it goes perfectly with the instrument appearance and revives the tradition of the Pallweber system, now dating back well over 100 years. The Spitfire Chronographwith its IWC-manufactured 89365 calibre is available in red gold and stainless steel. With its vertically arranged numerals, the date window is an unmistakable sign that the engineers had the shape of an altimeter in mind when they designed it.The metal bracelet supplied with Reference 387804, is fitted with a newly developed fine-adjustment mechanism. Simply pressing the IWC button in the folding clasp lengthens the bracelet; to shorten it, the bracelet is pushed together until it is the correct length. Both the pin buckle and folding clasp are slightly bolder, in order to match the larger case diameter.
Classic Pilot’s Watches – slightly modified
The Pilot’s Watches made by IWC in the 1930s and 1940s established a legend that lives on in the classic Pilot’s Watches family. The most conspicuous change compared to their predecessors – with the exception of the Big Pilot’s Watch– is the vertical triple date display at “3 o’clock”, whose form underscores the cockpit-style design more emphatically. In 2012, the Big Pilot’s Watchwill appear with its familiar looks as well as the highly efficient IWC-manufactured 51111- calibre movement. Compared with its predeces- sor, the Mark XVI, the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII is 2 millimetres larger at 41 millimetres. With its new red design features, the dial of the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronographis even more attractive, and thanks to a larger case diameter – now 46 millimetres – it is also significantly more legible. The stainless-steel case of the Pilot’s Watch Chronographhas increased by a mod- erate 1 millimetre to 43 millimetres. The new Pilot’s Watch Worldtimerhas a 24-hour ring that enables the wearer to look at all 24 time zones, including the Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). The city ring shows the names of 23 places around the globe, each of which represents a time zone. The dial shows local time, which can be adjusted forwards or backwards in one-hour steps – also when crossing the International Date Line. “It is with pride and confidence that IWC looks forward to 2012, our year of the Pilot’s Watch. We have six exciting new models, including two Perpetual Calendar models, with some of the most complex watchmaking features imaginable, the new Miramar design line and the new-look Spitfire collection,” sums up Georges Kern.
Pilot’s Watches for 76 years
The Schaffhausen-based watch manufacturer IWC has been making rugged and reliable timepieces for pilots and their passengers since the mid-1930s. Right from the start, IWC Pilot’s Watches were designed to offer optimum legibility by day and night and established the look of an instrument: a look that has since determined the appearance of this special breed of watches, to this day. The IWC Special Pilot’s Watch, launched in 1936, stood out with a distinctive black dial that was set off by striking luminescent hands and large luminescent numerals. Outstanding technical features of the IWC Special Pilot’s Watch included a shock-protected balance wheel bearing and a non-magnetic escapement. With its 55-millimetre diameter, the Big Pilot’s Watch 52 T. S. C. of 1940 is the biggest wristwatch IWC Schaffhausen has ever manufactured. As a deck watch it featured, among other things, a central hacking seconds to enable pilots and navigators to synchronize their watches with down-to-the-second precision. An extra-long leather strap also meant that it could be fastened around a flight suit. The clearly arranged dial was a perfect example of reductionism: a style cue and a paragon for all classic Pilot’s Watches. The Mark 11, with its hand-wound 89 calibre, manufactured from 1948 onwards for the Royal Air Force, established itself as the best-known IWC Pilot’s Watch of them all. Its movement was enclosed in a soft-iron inner case to shield the mechanism from magnetic fields. The Mark 11 was used success-fully by the Royal Air Force for over 30 years.
A tribute to the supermen of the skies
Two new Pilot’s Watches: TOP GUN Miramar and TOP GUN
Heading up the professional Pilot’s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen is the new 2012 TOP GUN collection. And in the vanguard is the new Miramar line: a tribute to the birthplace of the Top Gun legend in California.
The pilots who pass out from the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School in Fallon, Nevada, are part of the world’s flying elite. Their insignia: Top Gun. Top Gun is also the name of an IWC watch collection offering the very best in mechanical watchmaking today. And in 2012, five new models will be taking off. Three of them feature the classical TOP GUN design,recognizable from the instrument look of the dial and the attractive mix of materials consisting of ceramic for the case, titanium for the push-buttons and crown, as well as the soft strap material. They are joined by two timepieces in the new TOP GUN Miramar line. The design of the case and dial was inspired by old observer’s watches. The most conspicuous visual features are the shimmering metallic grey of the ceramic case and the rugged green textile strap.
The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN (Ref.501901) combines the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology from the 21st century. Fully wound, the IWC-manufactured 51111-calibre movement consisting of 311 components will keep the movement running for 7 days. And if it is not already clear, the Top Gun insignia on the case back says it all: the Big Pilot’s Watch has entered the age of supersonic flight. The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar (Ref. 501902) incorporates precisely the same technical features but comes in three colours: matte grey, beige and green: in design terms a first for IWC.
The ideal choice for complex airborne manoeuvres is the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN (Ref.388001) with protection against magnetic fields and a glass secured against drops in pressure. And with the IWC-manufactured 89365-calibre movement, it is equally impressive on the inside. With the same specifications, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar (Ref.388002) features the new design and is equally “airworthy”.
No less impressive is the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN (Ref.502902), with a wealth of complex technological features that include a perpetual calendar with four-digit year display, moon phase display and 7-day power reserve. Working away inside the black ceramic case is one of IWC’s largest and most efficient automatic winding systems.
Asking the ultimate of man and machine
The Edition TOP GUN has held a permanent place in IWC’s Pilot’s Watch family since 2007. It takes its name from a special training course offered by the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, the “Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor”, better known by the legendary accolade “Top Gun”. Pilots who successfully complete this course are part of a tiny elite comprising the best trained, fastest reacting and most courageous of their breed. The technology used is state of the art. Within the space of a A tribute to the supermen of the skies Two new Pilot’s Watches: TOP GUN Miramar and TOP GUN few seconds, the jets reach their take-off speed of just under 300 km/h. During training flights above the endless deserts of Nevada, they hurtle through the air at up to twice the speed of sound.
As exacting as the demands placed on the young pilots, they are no less stringent than those placed on the equipment. The quality standards required of a watch designed for flying are formidable, and IWC Schaffhausen swears by two materials that it was the first to use in watchmaking worldwide: high-tech ceramic for the case and titanium for the crown and controls. The zirconium oxide case is sintered at 2,000 degrees Celsius and machined with diamond tools. It is also nonmagnetic, acid-resistant, light and, like titanium, very skin-friendly. IWC introduced titanium to watch case-making while working with Porsche Design. Both companies were forerunners in the machining of this high-tech material, which is corrosion-resistant and tougher than steel but weighs only about half as much.
During dogfights – air-to-air combat calling for spectacular manoeuvres that any pilot must master – both man and material are subject to enormous g-forces. The cockpit occupant briefly undergoes the equivalent of up to nine times the acceleration of gravity. He is pushed back forcefully into his seat: his body contorts and even his watch presses deeply into his wrist.
During regular centrifuge sessions, the pilots have to tolerate 9 g for 15 seconds, which seems like an eternity, without losing consciousness, as their own weight increases to around 600 kilograms. In a similar test with a centrifugal accelerator, IWC Pilot’s Watches have withstood forces of up to 30 g for minutes at a time. So what possible use could that be' Generally speaking, none at all. But when the ejector seat is used, it generates forces of up to 20 g and the Pilot’s Watch designers in Schaffhausen think like the Top Gun instructors in Fallon:it’s better to be safe than sorry.Team spirit and tradition
The new TOP GUN Miramar design line
Inspired by the spirit of the first Top Gun flight school in Miramar, California, two models in the TOP GUN collection race into 2012: the Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar and the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Mira- mar. At the same time, both timepieces ref- erence IWC’s longstanding tradition in the manufacture of deck watches.
The United States Navy Fighter Weapons School – the official title of the Top Gun flight training programme – was based in Miramar, California, from 1969 to 1996. In the eyes of air- craft enthusiasts all over the world, the small town about 30 kilometres north of San Diego, is the origin of the Top Gun legend.And because Top Gun pilots spend so much time in the air, it’s vital that they also keep their feet on the ground. Shared values like cama- raderie, team spirit and a sense of tradition are reinforced at barbecues and veteran reunions. But the feeling of belonging common to the elite pilots is best shown by their famous hand-made G1 flight jackets. Authentic signs of wear and tear indicating countless missions, increase the jacket’s sentimental value, while sewn-on patches closely document the pilot’s career : the aircraft types he has flown, clubs and societies, aircraft carriers and successfully completed training courses. Of these, the Top Gun insignia commands the highest respect. Pieces of military clothing such as the flight jacket are considered to be timeless classics and have long had an influence on civilian fashion. The military design and the extensive experience of IWC in the manufacture of so-called deck watches were a source of inspiration to IWC Schaffhausen in its creation of the TOP GUN Miramar line. The desired visual effect is reached by the metallic sheen of the grey ceramic case, the beige of the hands and chapter ring and the green of the textile strap.The historic legacy of the deck watchesThe chapter ring contains another surprising new feature for IWC’s Pilot’s Watches: the outer numerals indicate the minutes while the hours are shown in a signal red inner circle. The unusual division into an external chapter ring and an inner hour circle is a reference to the deck watches of the 1930s and 1940s, and con- sequently the historic legacy of IWC’s Pilot’s Watches. In order to determine the astronomical position on long-haul flights, it was vital that the minutes and seconds on deck watches could be read off with maximum precision. The enormous importance of precise time for pilots can be seen from the lengths they went to in order to obtain it : prior to take-off, the navigator would set his observer’s watch by a surface 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. Once aboard, the navigator passed on the exact time to the captain, who usually wore a chronograph.With its new TOP GUN Miramar line, IWC Schaffhausen addresses watch lovers who consciously celebrate the historical legacy behind the Pilot’s Watches, but do not wish to forgo the technological advances of the 21st century.Tradition reinterpreted
Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN and Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar
More than 70 years after its maiden flight and 10 years after a greatly publicized relaunch, the Big Pilot’s Watch finally enters the jet age in 2012 thanks to the TOP GUN line. The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar reminds us of those magnificent men in their legendary flying suits.
Designed by IWC for professional pilots back in 1940, the Big Pilot’s Watch came with an ori- ginal pocket watch movement and large central seconds. Together with the IWC Special Pilot’s Watch and the Mark 11, it established the cockpit-style design that has remained to this day. The black dial of the certified observer’s and deck watch came with a white chapter ring and arrowhead index at “12 o’clock”, striking luminescent hands and big luminescent numerals. Its legibility was exemplary.In 2002, the Schaffhausen-based manufacturer IWC revived its own Big Pilot’s Watch heritage. The enormous timepiece created quite a stir, and unmistakably drew on its historic forebear with the 52 T. S. C. pocket watch calibre. Its clas- sical design and the efficient movement with a 7-day power reserve and Pellaton automatic winding combine the tradition and innovation typical of IWC in the production of professional pilot’s watches.Haute Horlogerie and high-tech materials
In 2012, yet another Big Pilot’s Watch will be taking its place among the other IWC giants : the Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN (Ref. 501901) in its ceramic case. It offers a more contemporary take on functionality with new materials and design elements. The clearly arranged dial with the striking black-and-white contrast remains, as do the power reserve and date displays. The most conspicuous addition to the popular cockpit look of the design is the small, signal red aircraft silhouette that serves as a counterpoise on the seconds hand and has established itself as one of the distinctive features of the TOP GUN line. Also typical of the TOP GUN are the high-tech materials : first, zirconium oxide, the tough, hard-wearing and scratch-resistant ceramic used for the case, which is water-resistant to 6 bar. Then there’s the extremely rugged titanium used for the crown. And finally the black soft strap used to secure the 48-millimetre case securely and comfortably to the wearer’s wrist.The 51111 calibre is one of the largest auto- matic movements manufactured by IWC and, with its patented pawl-winding system, builds up a 7-day power reserve in virtually no time. But the power reserve mechanism is smart and allows it to run for only 168 hours before stop- ping the movement. This way, it is certain that the watch will keep perfect time for 7 days when it is fully wound. On the front, the sapphire glass has antireflective coating on both sides and is secured against sudden drops in pressure. And on the reverse side of the watch, the Top Gun insignia explains why : this watch has earned “airworthy” status.Tribute to a legend
With identical specifications, the Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar (Ref. 501902) is a tribute to the original Marine Corps Top Gun flight school in Miramar, California. It was from here that the reputation of the ultra-cool elite pilots in their even cooler flight gear spread all over the world. The new Miramar line picks up on elements of the military design. The shimmering metallic ceramic case and the anthracite-coloured dial lean on the typical colour and material repertoire as do the hands and chapter ring in beige and the green textile strap. The separate depiction of the minutes in the outer ring and the hours on a smaller inner ring is reminiscent of the deck watches of the 1930s and 1940s. Back then, the aircraft’s position and flight time were determined with the aid of octants and deck watches.
The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar is one of the very best of its kind. A claim underscored by the elaborate Top Gun engraving on the ti- tanium case back.
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Brand : IWC Collection : Pilot's Watches Model : Grande Montre d'Aviateur TOP GUN Miramar Reference : IW501902 Complement : Ceramic - Anthracite Dial - Textile Strap Year : 2012 Is not commercialised any more List Price : 16 100 € Diameter : 48 mm Thickness : 15 mm Styles : Sporty Types : Self-winding Calibre : 51111 Complication : Power Reserve Indicator Case material : Polished ceramic Case peculiarity : Screwed-down caseback Screwed-down crown Caseback stamped with TOP GUN logo Shape : Round Water-resistance : 60 meters Dial color : Charcoal Display : Luminescent hands Indexes : Baton-type Luminescent Arabic numerals Triangles Glass : Domed Sapphire Antireflective coating Strap material : Textile Strap color : Green Strap clasp : Pin buckle More characteristics : Movement 42 jewelsFrequency : 3 Hz (21.600 pvh)Power reserve : 168 hoursPellaton automatic windingGlucydur beryllium alloy balance