{"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":"Montre d'Aviateur Chronographe","description":"<p><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<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><strong>Cockpit instrumentation for your wrist<\/strong>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div><strong> <\/strong><\/div>\n<div><strong>Pilot\u2019s Watch Double Chronograph and Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph<\/strong>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div><strong> <\/strong><\/div>\n<div>Of IWC Schaffhausen\u2019s modern Pilot\u2019s Watches, the Pilot\u2019s Watch Double Chrono- graph and the Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph have proved their longstanding credentials. Since 1992 and 1994, respectively, they have delighted mechanical watch enthusiasts with their ability to record time with precision and display intermediate times. In 2012, the year of the Pilot\u2019s Watches, the two classics come with colourful highlights in a contemporary cockpit-style design.\u00a0<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>When you first look inside the cockpit of a 1930s Ju 52, you are initially confused by the wealth of instrumentation. Your eyes, however, rapidly orient themselves: all the displays are gener- ously sized and clearly arranged. The brilliant white hands and indices on the matte-black background are coated with luminescent mater- ial and offer optimum legibility by day or night. The designers have made the important indica- tors signal red.\u00a0<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>You could just as easily be describing the dial of the <strong>Pilot\u2019s Watch Double Chronograph <\/strong>(Ref. 377801). And it would be no coincidence, because the cockpit of the legendary aircraft was the inspiration behind the development of the first IWC Pilot\u2019s Watches. Their functional design has defined the genre to this day. The total of seven hands, together with the date and day display, have been so skilfully integrated into the slightly modified dial that the instrument look is emphasized without creating confusion. This is due, in part, to the increase of the case diameter from 42 to 46 millimetres. Overall, the three signal red elements make the dial appear even more attractive. In the subdial at \u201c9 o\u2019clock\u201d is a small permanent seconds which confirms that the movement is functioning correctly. New additions include the red tip of the chronograph seconds hand and the red triangle used to read off the vertical triple date display, which is distinctly reminiscent of the altimeter found in an aircraft cockpit.\u00a0<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>A particularly conspicuous feature on the double chronograph is the third pushbutton at \u201c10 o\u2019clock\u201d. This can be used to stop the split-seconds hand at any time and to synchronize it again with the chronograph seconds hand, making it ideal for timing laps or intermediate times. With its soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields and a sapphire glass secured against sudden drops in pressure, the double chronograph has all the features needed in a watch designed for flying. The Pilot\u2019s Watch Double Chronograph is available with a black alligator leather strap and folding clasp.\u00a0<\/div>\n<div><strong> <\/strong><\/div>\n<div><strong>The \u201cDNA\u201d of the Pilot\u2019s Watches <\/strong>The <strong>Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph <\/strong>(Ref. 377701, 377704) from the 2012 collection comes with all the qualities you would expect in a high-performance Pilot\u2019s Watch: precision, function- ality and reliability. Compared with its predecessor, the stainless-steel case, water-resistant to 6 bar, has grown by a modest 1 millimetre. The dial design, too, has been slightly modified: the date window at \u201c3 o\u2019clock\u201d now leans on\u00a0the altimeter found in cockpits and takes the form of a triple date display. A small signal red triangle in the same style indicates the date and day of the week. More boldly than in the earlier model, the two modifications underscore the chronograph\u2019s instrument-inspired look, which, thanks to the clearly structured chapter ring on the matte-black dial, the propeller-like hands and the arrowhead index at \u201c12 o\u2019clock\u201d, leave no doubt as to its Pilot\u2019s Watch DNA. The hands are completely coated with luminescent material and guarantee excellent legibility even when visibility is poor. Thanks to the robust 79320- calibre chronograph movement, it is possible to record single and aggregate times of up to 12 hours. With its soft-iron inner case, it is optimally shielded against the influence of external magnetic fields. The Pilot\u2019s Watch Chronograph is available with the new precision-adjustment stainless-steel bracelet, whose length can be adjusted simply and exactly. The chronograph is also available with a black alligator leather strap and a classical pin buckle.<\/div>","description_short":"","quantity":0,"minimal_quantity":"1","available_now":"","available_later":"","price":5583.333333,"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":"IW377704","supplier_reference":"","location":"","width":"0.000000","height":"0.000000","depth":"0.000000","weight":"0.000000","ean13":"","upc":"","link_rewrite":"montre-daviateur-chronographe","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 Montre d'Aviateur Chronographe | Montres d'Aviateur IW377704 Steel - Steel Bracelet","quantity_discount":"0","customizable":"0","new":false,"uploadable_files":"0","text_fields":"0","active":"1","redirect_type":"404","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":"2016-01-05 12:53:23","tags":false,"base_price":"5583.333333","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":3332,"id_shop_list":null,"force_id":false,"customization_required":false}
{"Compl\u00e9ment":"Steel - Steel Bracelet","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":"43","Epaisseur":"15","Types":"Self-winding","Styles":"Sporty","Calibre_autre":"79320","Affichage":"Luminescent hands","Complication":"Days Indicator, 30-Minute Counter, Stop second mechanism, Chronograph, 12-Hour Counter, Small Seconds","Mati\u00e8re du bo\u00eetier":"Steel","Particularit\u00e9 du boitier":"Anti-magnetic, Screwed-down crown","Etanch\u00e9it\u00e9":"60 meters","Forme":"Round","Couleur du cadran":"Black","Index":"Triangles, Baton-type, Luminescent","Verre":"Domed, Sapphire, Antireflective coating","Mati\u00e8re du bracelet":"Steel","Plus de caract\u00e9ristiques":"Movement<div>Jewels : 25<\/div><div>Frequency : 4 Hz<\/div><div>28.800 A\/h<\/div><div>Power reserve : 44 hours<\/div><div><br \/><\/div><div>Stainless-steel case<\/div><div>Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><div><br \/><\/div><div>Glass secured against displacement by drop in air pressure\u00a0<\/div><div>Sapphire. convex. antireflective coating on both sides\u00a0\u00a0<\/div><div><br \/><\/div><div>Stainless-steel bracelet with fine-adjustment clasp<\/div>"}
IW377704
Brand : | IWC |
Collection : | Pilot's Watches |
Model : | Montre d'Aviateur Chronographe |
Reference : | IW377704 |
Complement : | Steel - Steel Bracelet |
Year : | 2012 |
Is not commercialised any more |
Brand : | IWC |
Collection : | Pilot's Watches |
Model : | Montre d'Aviateur Chronographe |
Reference : | IW377704 |
Complement : | Steel - Steel Bracelet |
Year : | 2012 |
Is not commercialised any more | |
List Price : | 6 700 € |
Diameter : | 43 mm |
Thickness : | 15 mm |
Styles : | Sporty |
Types : | Self-winding |
Calibre : | 79320 |
Complication : | Days Indicator 30-Minute Counter Stop second mechanism Chronograph 12-Hour Counter Small Seconds |
Case material : | Steel |
Case peculiarity : | Anti-magnetic Screwed-down crown |
Shape : | Round |
Water-resistance : | 60 meters |
Dial color : | Black |
Display : | Luminescent hands |
Indexes : | Triangles Baton-type Luminescent |
Glass : | Domed Sapphire Antireflective coating |
Strap material : | Steel |
+ More characteristics : | Movement Jewels : 25 Frequency : 4 Hz 28.800 A/h Power reserve : 44 hours Stainless-steel case Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields Glass secured against displacement by drop in air pressure Sapphire. convex. antireflective coating on both sides Stainless-steel bracelet with fine-adjustment clasp |
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.
Brand : | IWC |
Collection : | Pilot's Watches |
Model : | Montre d'Aviateur Chronographe |
Reference : | IW377704 |
Complement : | Steel - Steel Bracelet |
Year : | 2012 |
Is not commercialised any more | |
List Price : | 6 700 € |
Diameter : | 43 mm |
Thickness : | 15 mm |
Styles : | Sporty |
Types : | Self-winding |
Calibre : | 79320 |
Complication : | Days Indicator 30-Minute Counter Stop second mechanism Chronograph 12-Hour Counter Small Seconds |
Case material : | Steel |
Case peculiarity : | Anti-magnetic Screwed-down crown |
Shape : | Round |
Water-resistance : | 60 meters |
Dial color : | Black |
Display : | Luminescent hands |
Indexes : | Triangles Baton-type Luminescent |
Glass : | Domed Sapphire Antireflective coating |
Strap material : | Steel |
More characteristics : | Movement Jewels : 25 Frequency : 4 Hz 28.800 A/h Power reserve : 44 hours Stainless-steel case Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields Glass secured against displacement by drop in air pressure Sapphire. convex. antireflective coating on both sides Stainless-steel bracelet with fine-adjustment clasp |