Making a masculine pilot's watch more sentimental is something they know how to do very well at IWC.
At the heart of this transformation is a story penned by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry — the author of one of the world's most touching works of literature. He also happened to be an aviator, and first took to the skies at the age of twelve, which wasn't as easy back in 1912 as it is nowadays.
The Reference IW3265-06 was the model that paved the way, created based on the Mark XVII in 2013. It laid the groundwork for the series dedicated to the Little Prince. The watch has kept the historic aviator traits on the dial side, while the protagonist of Saint-Exupéry's allegorical fairytale enters the arena on the caseback side.
The illustration of the Prince was initially depicted on a solid caseback, but the designers later went a step further by integrating the character into the watch.
IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince
IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince
The illustration of the Prince was initially depicted on a solid caseback, but the designers later went a step further by integrating the character into the watch. The new Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince shows the character standing on an asteroid-shaped rotor, which accumulates enough energy to keep the watch running for 80 hours.
The automatic caliber IWC 82905 uses a Pellaton system for efficient winding. The Pilot's Watch has long been more than just a purely practical tool. The Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince is equipped with a tourbillon — a complication which would hardly be much use in the cockpit.
The Ref. IW329502 series is limited to 300 pieces in a 43-mm case made of the 18-carat Armor Gold alloy. This alloy was also used for the first watch in the series dedicated to the Little Prince. In 2019, it was used to create the case for the Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince” (Ref. 590303).
Armor Gold is 75% pure gold, which is closer to rose gold in terms of its tone, but stands out for its improved performance specs, including greater hardness and wear-resistance.