The IWC Pilot Mark XXIII - Reissue of the Mark XI

The original IWC Mark XI and Mark XII were the icons of the brand having been the standard issue for pilots during WWII. The early Pilot Mark XI was having a manual winding movement - the Calibre 89. The Mark XI was a time only piece - no date window but the Mark XII came with a date and with an automatic movement. This year, IWC release the Mark XVIII as the tribute to the Mark XI.

By the time I got my hand on a Pilot watch, which was my very first mechanical timepiece, the Mark XII was already sold out (let alone the Mark XI) and the Mark XV was then the only IWC Pilot watch then.

Compare both the Mark XV and Mark XVIII - the Mark XV is 38mm while the Mark XVIII is 40mm. The hands are similar, but the date window is where the difference is apparent. Not only is the date wheel black in colour (as opposed to the white background in the Mark XV), but the positioning of the date window is slightly inside. I find the Mark XV more balanced in terms of aesthetics.

With the size of the timepiece at 40mm, something has got to give... so the position of the date window is inside because the Sellita SW300 movement is not big enough for a 40mm case.

But that aside, the Mark XVIII gives out that vintage feel - much thanks to the yellow markers at 3,6 and 9 and the triangle at 12 which are all quoted with a luminescent material.

Looking at the Mark XVIII tribute piece, I would have thought that this is a tribute to the Mark XII no? After all, the Mark XII had an automatic calibre while the Mark XI is manual winding.

The Mark XII has a date window and so does the Mark XVIII... so what am I missing here?

For me, the hands on this version is right for me... I much prefer these hands which were last seen on the Mark XV.

The difference between this and the Mark XV is the white seconds hand on the Mark XV and the steel hands on the Mark XVIII.

The Mark XVIII luminous markers are well made.

Both at the 12 and at the 6, the markers are painted with the same yellowish luminous material. But notice the numerals too - they are thicker on the Mark XVIII than the Mark XV.

And the crown on the Mark XVIII has the "Probus Scafusia" insignia as opposed to the fish logo on the Mark XV.

And this version comes with a green textile strap which is Made in Italy.

Another look at the Mark XVIII

And...

Now for the Mark XV

I actually like this better.

I get it, the Mark XI is definitely more iconic than the Mark XII being the "first" of its kind. For the Mark XVIII, I would have loved a manual winding calibre as opposed to the automatic Calibre 35111. And one more thing, the date window should go. But that is just me.

Another Icon in Sketch

The Portuguese by IWC was what started my horological intrigue. Pure, simple and yet alluring.

Even in a sketch, the simplicity is so beautiful. The proportions perfect.

And the movement side is equally breathtaking...

But what the sketch can't show is the patina. That is something else altogether.

Having been released in 1993 to commemorate the 125th Anniversary this has been a much sought after timepiece for me. In 2014, IWC relaunched a special limited edition of the Portuguese Jubilee for the watch publisher Revolution.

The Little Prince & The IWC Pilot's Chronograph

Last year, my friend from Thailand came to town and one of the things he had wanted was a watch. He originally wanted either a Panerai or Rolex but after I brought him to the IWC Boutique, his mind was made up immediately when he saw the Pilot's Watch Chronograph, Edition Le Petit Prince.

This is a special edition piece with their signature cockpit dial in a sunburst midnight blue colour. Sits perfectly on my tiny wrist. And the reflection from the sunlight gives the dial a much lighter blue hue.

The raised applied markers are well finished and adds a touch of class to the timepiece.

Another look at the midnight blue dial - a very clean and legible layout. This is the reference 3777 with a case diameter of 43mm.

The accompanying brown calfskin strap with beige stitching perfectly matches the timepiece.

And the case back reveals that the timepiece is water resistant to 6 bars. Engraving of the Little Prince makes this a special edition.

As I have said before, my friend was so taken by this timepiece that he did not hesitate to purchase it on the spot. He tells me that even his wife likes it too and they share the piece together.

Pictures taken by iPhone 6.

Perpetually Yours - The IWC Portuguese Perpetual

This is one of the most recognisable perpetual calendars on the market.

It was love at first sight for me... but alas, has been out of my reach.

The dial is well balances and not too crowded but for someone like me who is long sighted, even the clean layout is a challenge for me. And this variant comes with the North/South moonphase.

This timepiece belongs to a friend of mine. Simply a beauty in every respect. The Portuguese range is an icon for IWC and although they have several iterations of this timepiece, I like the rose gold black dial the most.

The case back features an automatic movement with the Pellaton winding system proprietary to IWC. The movement provides a seven days power reserve so well known in the Portuguese stable.

The 18K rose gold case is rather well made and the crown is signed.

A final look at the iconic Portuguese Perpetual.

There are several variants out there but this rose gold black dial is one of my favourites. Then there is the white gold blue dial version which is also very handsome. Whatever the case is, I will settle for any variant of the IWC Portuguese Perpetual.

IWC Le Petit Prince - And The Story Continues

And the story continues with the folks from Schaffhausen developing a rather special Doppelchronograph for the Le Petit Prince series of Pilot Watches.

Back in 2013, IWC celebrated the 70th anniversary of the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry with a special series of Pilot's watch and we were lucky enough to have been invited to the event for the release of the Edition Le Petit Prince.

The first series of the Pilot's watch was quickly sold out and I can fully understand why. Both the Pilot's watch Mark XVII and Big Pilot Edition Le Petit Prince are both very handsome timepieces. A friend saw it and had wanted one but was disappointed it was fully sold in a matter of weeks. So when they launched the new Doppelchronograph in September 2015, it was a must have...

Truth be told, this is not mine as much as I wanted it. But got my hands on one I did. The 44mm case looks and wears smaller than the actual size. The entire package is awesome - I had said "Nice" but was immediately corrected by Matthieu Dupont. "Nice is an understatement!" And you know what? He is absolutely right!

For a Doppelchronograph (double split chronograph), the layout of the dial is uncluttered and very legible. And for this edition, they also included a "Day" indication in the form of stars. The ring at the centre of the watch circles around the 7 star windows and only one star lights up in gold everyday. However, the jump from one star to another happens in a random fashion and not in any particular order. A new "complication" I must say.

The stars jump in a random fashion but the owner can set each star to represent the seven days of the week and make adjustment via the crown in position 2. Clockwise adjusts the jumping stars and anti-clockwise the date. The blue sunburst dial adds to the attractiveness of the timepiece.

On the case back, features the Little Prince and the names of the seven characters that he encounters while traveling the planets.

Clearly engraved on the case back shows the watch being limited to 1,000 pieces - all indicated as One out of 1,000. The automatic movement provides around 44 hours of power reserve and water resistant to 6 bars.

I particularly like the midnight blue sunburst dial in a cockpit design. The applied markers and numerals also add a nice touch to the whole package.

The watch is complemented with a matt brown calfskin strap with decorative stitching.

"One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eyes." says the Little Prince. But I disagree... The Doppelchronograph Edition Le Petit Prince is certainly visibly stunning and warms the heart for sure.

To view the watch, go down to the IWC Boutique.

IWC Big Pilot - What's Transitional?

The IWC Big Pilot was one of the first few BIG timepieces to come onto the market. The original reference 5002 is well known to have the old movement beating at 18,000 beats per minute. Then IWC released the newer 5004 with a whole new dial but similar movement beating at 3 hertz instead. But there was a period in between the old and new - the transitional period.

The original 5002 BP housed the calibre 5000 which beats at the slower 18,000 beats per minute while the updated 5004 has the movement beating at 21,600 beats per minute. The difference between the 5002 and 5004 are obvious - the dial being the telling tale. The 5002 has a more classical (true to origins) look while the 5004 has a more modern touch.

Then there is the in-between - what many have come to call the Transitional. Old dial with new movement. How about the “best” of both worlds? For those who like the more classical look of the old dial but the newer beat, one has to hunt for the BP Transitional.

How does one tell the difference between the “normal” 5002 and the 5002 Transitional? Well, from the exterior there is only one tell tale sign - the crown. Of course you could put it on a machine to get the rate of the movement. But it is rather difficult to do that while on the outside.

The first generation BP has a crown with the fish logo on it. The BP Transitional has the Probus Scafusia crown while retaining the old dial.

I find the dial of the 5002 more endearing than the 5004 so if I were to choose, then 5002 it will be for me.

The dial of the 5002 gets the roots from the original pilot watches that IWC is famed for. And that is what I actually like it for. The dial is rather clean and well made. The BP comes with the calibre 5000 with 7 days power reserve and the Pellaton winding mechanism.

The only “anomaly” is the date window at 6 o’clock. I believe the original Pilots’ watch does not come with the date.

And of course they did not come with 7 days power reserve too.

The case back is solid proudly announcing the Big Pilot heritage.

Timepieces comes with a brown leather strap and folding clasp.

But at 46mm, the watch is rather big for my puny wrist. So as much as I like the BP this is probably not the one for me.

But I do have the Mark XV which incidentally was my first mechanical timepiece and is probably as close to a Pilot’s watch for me as it would get.