IWC Schaffhausen, the renowned Swiss luxury watchmaker, has launched the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month at Watches and Wonders Geneva, bringing together sophisticated mechanics and a bold, all-black aesthetic.
And for those at the show, the IWC booth provides an exclusive look into the brand’s technical approach to fine watchmaking, as well as its upcoming sponsorship of the F1 movie, the summer blockbuster celebrating performance and engineering, the same principles that define the latest Pilot’s and Ingenieur collections presented in Geneva.
Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph
As for the new model, encased in Ceratanium, an innovative material developed by IWC, the watch combines the lightweight durability of titanium with the scratch resistance of ceramic. The case, pushers, crown, and bracelet are all crafted from this high-tech alloy, which undergoes a heat treatment process to achieve its sleek, matte-black finish; plus, the polished black ceramic bezel, featuring a tachymeter scale, adds contrast, and functionality for measuring average speed over a set distance.
The black dial, with a modern hammered texture, offers a refined yet industrial look, and the subdials at 3 and 9 o’clock incorporate a circular technical pattern, while the black indices and hands, treated with Super-LumiNova ensure readability in all conditions.
Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph
The watch’s perpetual calendar presents the date and month in a digital format via large, gold-coloured discs, drawing inspiration from IWC’s 19th-century Pallweber pocket watches. This intricate system automatically adjusts for different month lengths and includes a leap year indicator at 6 o’clock, which accounts for the extra day in February every four years.
Central to the model, the watch houses the IWC-manufactured 89802 calibre, a meticulously engineered movement comprising 474 components, and in addition to powering the perpetual calendar, it drives the chronograph function. There’s also a double-pawl winding system that builds up a 68-hour power reserve for precision timekeeping, and when it comes to movement, it’s visible through a tinted sapphire glass case back that features blackened bridges and a skeletonised rotor.
Following the introduction of the Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph 41 in 2023, IWC has now elevated the collection with its first Performance Chronograph to incorporate a perpetual calendar. This latest model blends innovative watchmaking with a monochrome design, reinforcing IWC’s position at the forefront of contemporary horology.
by Felicity Carter
See more on iwc.com.