A special model dedicated to the 10-year anniversary of the digital retailer.
Bronze fits in organically in the IWC’s range of pilot’s watches: the brand continues to draw inspiration from the 1940s Big Pilot’s Watch, and its retro features are perfectly accentuated by this gracefully aging material.
IWC introduced a bronze case in 2004. Since then, bronze has held strong positions in the Schaffhausen watchmaker’s collections, including its pilot’s watches. In 2017, the company released Big Pilot’s Watch Heritage, a bronze limited edition, and in 2019, bronze was added to some pieces of the Pilots’ Watch Spitfire series - chronograph, perpetual calendar, and UTC.
The Swiss watchmakers chose bronze for a special model dedicated to the 10-year anniversary of the online outlet MR PORTER, one of the drivers of the Richemont Group brands e-sales. The group is a parent company of Yoox Net-a-Porter Group, which develops MR PORTER. IWC first announced the start of sales on the men’s fashion platform in 2016, which means that this year the watchmaker and the digital retailer will also celebrate five years of their collaboration.
110 timepieces of the “10 Years of MR PORTER” Limited Edition Pilot’s Chronograph were released as a special gift for the anniversary. These are chronographs of the aviation series in a 41 mm bronze case. Steel case watches with a green or blue dial, and a black Ceratanium chronograph were previously released in the same 41 mm case.
Golden Arabic numerals stand out against a black dial, with only one numeral highlighted with the Super-Luminova paint, making the connection between MR PORTER and the anniversary more apparent in the dark. Lume coating was also applied to the hands, which are large as you would expect from a pilot’s watch, and some indicators.
Another reminder of the anniversary can be found on the titanium case back. It is solid, and the inner intricacies of the piece remain hidden. Yet the secret is easily revealed - the timepiece is powered by an automatic IWC-manufactured 69380 caliber with a 46 hour power reserve. The vintage style of the watch, featuring bronze and the softly gold tinted numerals, is completed by an unconventional Alcantara strap.