IWC Pilots’s Watch Mark XVII Edition “Le Petit Prince”

I am a big fan of IWC's Mark series of Pilot's Watches. The minimalist design, military heritage and value for money proposition these watches represent are appeal to me. A bit more than US$4,000 gets you watch with an interesting heritage and the prestigious IWC branding. And yes, 4K for a luxury watch these days is a very good deal.  IWC's latest Pilots Watch Mark edition, the IWC Pilot's Watch Mark XVII Edition "Le Petit Prince" will probably cost you a fair bit more than that. I do not know retail price, but being built on a stainless steel case, there is a fair chance that it won't cost you both your arm and leg. Just one. After all, the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition “Le Petit Prince” in stainless steel is limited to a production run of 1,000 watches.

IWC Schaffhausen celebrates the 70th birthday of the “The Little Prince”, the highly acclaimed novella with the launch of two limited special editions: the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince” and the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition “Le Petit Prince”. Both these, watches pay tribute to one of the best-selling books in literary history, written by legendary writer, pilot and adventurer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. 

IWC has has maintained a cordial partnership with Saint-Exupéry’s heirs and their charitable organization, the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation, and release watches in honor of this legendary pilot. Celebrating his highly acclaimed book is a very nice touch.

Unlike the stark matter black with white and red highlights of the military inspired Mark XVII, the "Little Prince Edition" has a lighter feel to it with a blue dial. At the short end of the second hand is a small star, which indicates that this watch represents something special. The little star is likely to get a query from a curious onlooker as to what it represents. At the back, you have an engraving that shows the little prince with his fluttering scarf standing on a tiny asteroid. 

Part of the proceeds from sales of the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition “Le Petit Prince” will go to the Foundation to support its worldwide commitment against illiteracy. This is in keeping with the thinking of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who once wrote: “Your task is not to foresee the future, but to enable it.”

So you have a watch with a long history of use with the Royal Air Force which commemorates a legendary pilot and takes as back to our youth and this little illustrated novella we were once asked to read. This is something worthy of any collection. At the same time, you will help a little bit, in making Antoine de Saint-Exupéry aspiration come a bit closer to fruition.

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.

IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month Ref. 3761

Pallweber. Pallweber was the name given to watches that displayed the hours and minutes using numerals, while the seconds were shown in analogue form with a hand. IWC has been producing Pallweber watches since 1884. 

This year IWC is releasing a reinterpretation of this classic design. Instead of displaying hour and minutes using numerals, IWC has created a perpetual calendar watch which will display the  date and month in a pair of apertures located at just above the 3 and 9 o'clock positions. It is not original, and I have seen similar designs in the past. But a every perpetual calendar watch is always interesting.

Perpetual Calendars. Different people have varied opinions on what is the ultimate complication. For me, it has always been the perpetual calendar. How somebody conceived of putting together a mechanical device which designed to complete one full cycle in 12 hours, and another in 24, to be able to have triggers on 28th, 30th or 31st day of the month, and once every four years, to move the trigger from the 28th to the 29th of a month is beyond me. A perpetual calendar is truly a mechanical computer. It would be a true privilege to one day own a timepiece like this.

This watch actually also houses a second complication. It also Flyback chronograph into the perpetual calendar movement.

IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month Ref. 3761. The watch has a 44 mm rose gold case and is presented in a brown leather strap. It is not a limited edition, but given that it is bound to be a very expensive watch, I can imagine not many will be produced.

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.

IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days Ref. 5101

The IWC Portofino Hand-Wound Eight Days Ref. 5101 is the flagship of the Portofino family. The centerpiece of the watch is a newly developed IWC-manufactured 59210-calibre movement which will run precisely and reliably for a full eight days before it automatically stops. The Movement incorporates a power reserve display, which is made viewable from the dial.

As expected for a watch with a long power reserve, it is fairly large with a 45 mm diameter case. It is available in Rose Gold or Stainless steel with a matching black or brown leather strap. Two dial color are available for the Rose Gold version, which is either slate or silver. The stainless steel version comes with either a silver, blue or black dial. 

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.

Portuguese Automatic Edition "TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2013", Ref. IW500126

The IWC Portuguese Automatic Edition “TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2013" Ref. IW500126, was auctioned off for a cool US$60,000. It is a one of one edition, so the only way to get one of this is to buy it off the winning bidder.

IW500127

IW500127

You can still get the Portuguese Automatic Edition "TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2013", Ref. IW500126 which is identical to the Ref. IW50027 except that you do not have the rose gold colored our markers and that IW500126 comes with a stainless steel case, instead of platinum.

This one is produced in a substantially larger number than the IW500127, all of one hundred (100) pieces. That is not a lot, but it is 100x more.

IWC Portuguese Tourbillon Hand Wound Ref. IW546301

IWC normally launches its watches at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie held in January of each year. IWC does release limited edition watches through the year. This year, IWC has announced to additional members to its Portuguese line-up outside of its regular release cycle: the Portuguese Chronograph Class and Portuguese Tourbillon Hand Wound.

IWC Portuguese Tourbillon Hand Wound. The design of Portuguese Tourbillon Hand-Wound revolves around a Tourbillon movement, with the balance, pallets and escape wheel  visible in a round window at 9 o’clock position. The tourbillon rotates around its own axis once every 60 seconds.

The watch comes in a 43 mm case, in either 18-carat while gold or rose gold. The white gold version comes with a slate-colored dial and silver-plated dial is supplied for the model in 18-carat red gold model. The case has a transparent sapphire-glass back which allows you to view the intricate movement. The Portuguese Tourbillon Hand-Wound comes with a dark brown Santoni alligator leather strap.

Inside the watch is IWC-manufactured 98900-calibre movement. The movement is hand wound and beats 28,800 time per hour resulting in a near fluid movement for up to 54 hours when fully wound.  

Tourbillon.  The Tourbillon was designed to counteract adverse effects the the pull of gravity on the balance wheel, that would adversely affect the watch’s rate and accuracy. The Tourbillon puts the balance, pallets and escape wheel in a tiny cage that would then rotate around its own axis once every minute. This is designed to distribute the additional wear and tear caused by gravity evenly.

I don't have the pricing for this watch, but this type of watch normally hits the six figure range in US dollars. IWC does have very reasonable pricing for its complication watches, so I think we can expect it a fair bit below US$100,000.

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.

IWC Portuguese Chronograph Classic Ref. IW390402

IWC Portuguese Chronograph Classic. IWC has added two new watches to its classically and maritime inspired Portuguese line-up. One of the new models is the IWC Portuguese Chronograph Classic.

The new watch has a 42 mm case which available in either red gold or stainless steel. Both versions come with a choice of either a slate dial or a silver dial. The dial of the watch is rather clean, with a a single counter used to display elapsed minutes and hours chronograph at the 12 o'clock position. Two hands are utilized, one to display minutes and the other hours, which are designed to record elapsed times of up to 12-hours. Running seconds are displayed in a sub-dial at the 6 o'clock position. The date is displayed in a window at the 3 o'clock position.

The watch is presented with a choice of either a brown or black alligator skin bracelet.

IWC Calibre 89361. But the heart of this watch is the in-house built, Calibre 89361 self-winding  movement. From the early 1980’s until 2006, IWC  would modify  ETA and Valjoux movements four use in their watches. More and more each year, manufacturers of premium watches are moving to in-house movements, and the Calibre 89361 is part of a series of IWC in-house movements which will probably see all IWC watches carrying a built by IWC movement at some point in the near future.

The calibre 89361 is a impressive enough design. It runs at the expected 28,800 vibrations per hour which results in the near fluid motion of the second hand. It features a flyback function. This allows to stop, reset and start the chronograph with a single button press. The Calibre 89361 movement also has a long 68 hour power reserve.   

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.

IWC Portuguese Automatic Edition “TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2013”, Ref. IW500127

Tribeca Film Festival.  The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff. The Tribeca Film Festival was founded to celebrate New York City as a major filmmaking center and to contribute to the long-term recovery of lower Manhattan. The recovery of lower Manhattan became a key part of the objectives of this Film Festival due to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the subsequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan. 

IWC Portuguese Automatic Edition “TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2013”.  IWC became the official Festival Time Partner of the Tribeca Film Festival in December 2012. In celebration of this partnership is has created a watch... and I mean literally one timepiece which will be offered for auction on April 10th, 2013. All the proceeds of the auction supporting the Tribeca Film Institute. The auction will be conducted live at Antiquorum on Madison Avenue in New York, with real-time bidding on the internet at www.antiquorum.com and via telephone.

It bears repeating, this watch is limited to a production run of one piece. 

The watch itself houses IWC renowned Pellaton winding system which provides a 7-day power reserve.

The watch displays small seconds at “9 o’clock” and its power reserve display on the opposite side of the dial at “3 o’clock”. Both in bordeaux-colored sub-dials inspired by the red carpet. There is a date display in a window at the "6 o'clock". The hands, numerals, and hour markers are made of rose gold and set against the slate-colored dial. The 18-carat gold medallion bears the logo of the Tribeca Film Festival and the milled lettering “Unique Piece”. 

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.

IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Edition IW390213

IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Edition. IWC has released a new limited edition watch, the Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Edition “Laureus Sport for Good Foundation”. The new offering is limited to a 1,000 piece production run. It is based on the IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Automatic, a successful IWC design of the 1960s and 1970s.

The watch comes with the trusty IWC-manufactured 89361 calibre. With its screw-in crown and crown protection and is water-resistant to 6 bar. The chronograph’s combined hour and minute counter allows up to 12 hours of aggregate timing. The Chronograph function incorporates a flyback which will allow the timer to return to zero and restart with a single button press.

Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. But the functionality of this watch is not as important as what it represents. This watch, is the seventh limited edition watch commemorating IWC partnership with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. Part of the proceeds resulting from the sale of the watch go to help needy children all over the world through the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation brings together groups of people who share a belief in the power of sport to change the world for the better. The The Laureus Sport for Good Foundation sells hope, by instilling self confidence in youths around the world, using sports as a vehicle. The Laureus World Sports Academy is a unique association of 46 of the greatest living sporting legends from sports as diverse as football, tennis, athletics, skateboarding and motor racing. 

The dial of the watch is finished in Laureus blue, but the most symbolic aspect of this watch, is the engraving on the back of the timepiece, which is based on a drawing by 12-year-old Hakkini Hasanga Sandumal De Silva.

Hakkini is a boy from Sri Lanka had entered the global children’s drawing competition held annually by IWC Schaffhausen at the Laureus Foundation’s projects. The drawing represents Hakkini’s interpretation of the theme “Time to move”. In keeping with the Olympic spirit, his illustration displays a sprinter, with other competitors in the background, surrounded by cheering fans. The Olympic flame, ever a symbol of peace and hope, blazes up over the scene. 

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.

IWC Ingeneiur Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month

Complication Watch. The IWC Ingeneiur Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month is a complication watch the impresses in the most ostentatious and subtle of ways.

The complicated dial hints at the complicated movement inside. The date is displayed in the sub-dial on the right with the month being displayed by the sub-dial on the left. In a Windows at sub-dial the bottom you will see either 1, 2, 3 or L displayed. "L" signifies that the year is a leap year during which time this watch will skip recognize the existence of the 29th of February, which keeps the calendar display correct.  

In addition to the perpetual calendar complication, this watch also features a chronograph function, with hours and minutes measure by two hands in the sub-dial at the 12-o'clock. The chronograph also incorporates the flyback function which allows you to stop, reset and restart the stopwatch with a single button press.

Titanium aluminide. Despite all the complications, the most unique feature of this watch is less apparent. The case of the watch is made from Titanium aluminide. Aluminum is combined with Titanium which results in case which is lighter and more robust Titanium. The inspiration for the use of this material on this watch came from Formula One and motor sports.

The case is 46 mm wide and 17 mm tall, making it a fairly large watch. The self-winding calibre 89802 movement inside has a long 68 hour power reserve. The intricate movement of this watch can be viewed  through a clear case back. 

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.

IWC Ingenieur Constant-Force Tourbillon Ref. 5900

Constant-Force Tourbillon. It would seem no display of a new IWC line these days is without some unique mechanical marvel, like the IWC Portuguese Sidérale Scafusia Ref. 5041 announced in 2011, and IWC Pilots Watch Worldtimer Ref. 3262, in 2012.  For SIHH 2013, we have a Tourbillon, a common enough, though expensive Mechanism with a twist. 

A tourbillon mounts the escapement in a rotating cage to distribute the wear and tear, which is augmented by gravity, evenly. This was particularly important for clocks which had a definite up and down orientation. With wrist watches, the users arm movement does some of the job of distributing wear and tear. IWC new take on the tourbillon integrates a patented constant force mechanism. I would love how to describe how the whole thing works, but really it is a fair bit beyond my level of comprehension. Hopefully, a reader will chime in. Let's go to the part I can understand.

IWC Ingenieur Constant-Force Tourbillon Ref. 5900. In keeping with the modern theme of the 2013 IWC releases, this watch comes in a case constructed from a traditional precious material, platinum, and uses it conjunction with a modern material, ceramic. The case is all of 46 mm in diameter and the watch is presented on a black alligator leather strap. 

The dial of the watch gives a clear view of the Constant-Force Tourbillon. On the opposite side a double moon display depicts moon so realistically that even craters can be recognized. A countdown scale shows the number of days remaining until the next full moon. A power reserve display between “4” and “5 o’clock” indicates the energy remaining in the mainspring. The entire movement can be viewed through a clear case back. 

Undoubtably, this watch will be rather expensive. While there is no indication of how many will be made, it will be a very limited production watch.

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.

IWC Ingenieur Dual Time Titanium Ref. 3264

One of the more interesting releases from IWC at SIHH 2013 this year is the Ingenieur Dual Time Titanium. It is my favorite watch among the 2013 IWC releases. I do wonder of IWC has taken the correct track in marketing this device, and there is one flaw shared among dual time watches which could have been corrected, which would have made this watch truly amazing.

Formula One? Melbourne, Abu Dhabi, Monza, São Paulo, Kuala Lumpur: 20 times a year, the international Formula One cavalcade moves from one racing circuit to the next, at locations all over the planet. 

While a dual time watch can be useful for a person who follows the formula one races around the world, it seems like a bit of a stretch marking this as a "Formula One" aficionados watch. I would think that a racing fan would pick a Chronograph watch or at least one with a racing inspire design. 

Jet setting executives are more likely to pick something with a more formal leather strap, or even a dual time watch with a steel bracelet. The Ingenieur Dual Time Titanium should probably have been marketed as an explorers watch. 

Ingenieur Dual Time Titanium Ref. 3264. The Ingenieur Dual Time Titanium follows the classic dual time watch design. It has a dial with two hour hands. One rotates every 12 hours, which is more useful for keeping track of time in your current time zone. A second hour hand rotates once every 24 hours, and thus displays not only the time in a different time zone, but whether it is day or night as well. 

The first (12-hour) is adjusted in one hour steps relative to the position of the 24 hour hand. This is a nice feature unless you live in a time zone where local time is not offset is not in full hours like Afghanistan (UTC +3:30), the Chatam Islands (UTC +5:45), the Cocos Islands (UTC +6:30), India (UTC +5:30), Iran (UTC +3:30),  Lord Howe Island (UTC +10:30), Myanmar (UTC +6:30),  Nepal (UTC +5:45), Shri Lanka (UTC +5:30), Venezuela (UTC -4:30). A better solution would have been to have the 12-hour hand adjustable in steps of 15-minutes, or 30-minutes, the latter leaving only those in the Chatam Islands and Nepal unsatisfied.

In addition to time, the grey dial displays the date in a small window at the 3 o'clock position. The case of the watch is 45 mm larger, but being built on titanium, it should feel relatively light on the wrist. The watch is supplied with a black rubber strap.

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.

IWC Ingenieur Double Chronograph Titanium Ref. 3865

Double Chronograph. If anything from IWC at SIHH 2013 could have been considered an inevitability it is the IWC Ingenieur Double Chronograph Titanium. With IWC's partnership with Mercedes-Benz in Formula one, IWC has to come up with an ultimate racing fans watch. 

The double chronograph, or "rattaprante", is the ultimate in mechanical chronograph watch technology. The double chronograph features two main seconds hands. When the chronograph is started, the two hands move together, and together with information in sub-dials will allow to measure, hours minutes and seconds. A third chronograph button on the watch allows you to stop one second hand, while the other continues to move. Pressing the third button again links both hands. This useful for measuring intermediate times, like lap times or how fast a care negotiates a certain portion of the track.  

In truth I am a bit disappointed because, to truly make this the ultimate chronograph, the flyback function should also have been incorporated. Still, maybe best not to include it. It would add to the cost of what will inevitably be a very expensive watch already. The flyback function is of more practical useful at the regatta than at at Hockenheimring anyway.

IWC Ingenieur Double Chronograph Titanium.  As its name indicates, the IWC Ingenieur Double Chronograph Titanium has a titanium case and is presented with a rubber strap. The watch is 45 mm in diameter. The dial is beautiful in its complexity. At the 3 o'clock you have two windows, one for the days and the other for the date. At the 6 o'clock you have a sub-dial which is used in conjunction with chronograph function to measure hours. At the 9 o'clock you have a sub-dial that displays running seconds. At the 12 o'clock you have a sub-dial which is used in conjunction with chronograph function to measure minutes.

The watch comes in two variants. One with a silver dial and one with a black dial. The model with a black dial, with blue highlights is particularly stunning.

If these pair don't get your engines, nothing will. 

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.

IWC Ingenieur Automatic Carbon Performance Ref. 3224

Carbon Fiber. We already took a look at IWC's Ingenieur Automatic AMG Black Series Ceramic which takes its inspiration from the ceramic disk brakes used in Mercedes-Benz AMG sports cars. IWC has released a at SIHH 2013 a similar watch for Formula One fans, the IWC Ingenieur Automatic Carbon Performance. Instead of a ceramic case this one has a high-tech carbon fiber case. Rather the the combination of steel and aluminum you find in street cars, Formula One cars use carbon fibre, carbon fiber is the result of combining carbon (or what some of you might more familiarly identify as graphite) with a plastic resin. The result is a stiff material with high tensile strength, low weight and easily molded into various shapes. This material actually is already making it way in the higher end sports cars and even being used for aftermarket parts to customize more humble cars. The purpose for using carbon fiber in cars is to reduce weight, and thus increase the power to weight ratio.

IWC Ingenieur Automatic Carbon Performance. The IWC Ingenieur Automatic Carbon Performance is a basic time and date watch which comes in a large 46 mm carbon fiber case. Ceramic is used for the screw heads, crown and crown guards and titanium for the case back. All-in-all this watch combines most of the high tech material used is watchmaking.

The dial is also made from carbon fiber. A small date display is found at the 3 o'clock position. The movement is a Calibre 80110 movement has a shock absorption system built in. The movement can be viewed through a sapphire crystal case back.

Two version of the watch are available, which differ in the color of the minute markers on the dial and the thread use to stick the strap. You have a choice of yellow or red.

If you fancy one of these watches, well I would try to reserve one now. Only 100, yup just one of each version is being made. That is a very, very limited edition release.

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.

IWC Ingenieur Chronograph Silberpfeil Ref. 3785

Silver Arrows. In 1934 the Mercedes-Benz team arrived for a Grand Prix race at the the Nürburgring. The Mercedes-Benz W25 race car weighed in at 751 kilograms. This was one kilogram more than the allowed limit set that year by the international governing body of motor sport, which set maximum a weight limit of 750 kilograms for Grand Prix racing cars.  Racing manager Alfred Neubauer and his driver Manfred von Brauchitsch, came up with the idea of scraping all the paint from the bodywork of the cars, than adorned in white, exposing the shining silver aluminum bodies of the Mercedes-Benz beneath. This was enough to get the W25 within the 750 kilogram limit. Brauchitsch won the race, an the W25 earned the nickname Silver Arrow (or Silberpfeil). Some dispute this account. Whether that is history which has now become a legend, or legend which has become part of history, I don't know. It is a nice story. Sometimes that is enough. 

IWC Ingenieur Chronograph Silberpfeil.  IWC has released the Ingenieur Chronograph Silberpfeil in commemoration of the legendary Silver Arrow W25. This watch comes in two versions, one with a with a silver dial and another in brown.  The Ingenieur Chronograph Silberpfeil is a limited release with only 1,000 to be produced of each variant.

The dial of the watch has two sub-dials. One at the 12 o'clock is used in conjunction with the watches chronograph function and displays elapsed hours and minutes, with the large center seconds had displaying elapsed seconds.  A second sub-dial at the 6 o'clock displays running seconds and the date.

The case has a large 45 mm diameter and features a the new modern design we have seen on several IWC Chronographs of late. Needless to say, it is over only in brushed stainless. Any kind of coating on the steel case would be inappropriate.  

Flyback. The self-winding mechanical movement Caliber 89361 movement in this watch has one more trick up its sleeve. It has a flyback mechanism. This allows the two stop watch buttons to perform three functions. The first button is used to start and stop the stop watch. The second button resets the stop watch to zero after it is stopped. However, if you press the second button while the stopwatch is running, it will reset the stopwatch to zero and restart it instantaneously. That is what is called Flyback. 

The movement also has a long 68 hour power reserve, which gives it a good amount of stored energy which can come in handy when using the stopwatch to measure events which last several hours.

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.