Up Close with the IWC Big Pilot’s Green IW501015 Watch
Wednesday - 07 June 2023
Green is the order of the day at IWC right now and it’s no surprise since green dials have been an emerging trend for a couple of years now. The green sunburst dials of these recent launches by IWC are perfectly matched with the brand’s distinct pilot’s watch dials and the displays from the Portugieser line. Recently IWC has launched new models with green dials for its Big Pilot’s Watch and its Big Pilot’s Watch 43. Today we’re going to take a closer look at the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch reference IW501015, adorned in silky rich green tones and equipped with the familiar power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock.
A quick guide to the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch collection
Expert finishes, beautifully crafted in-house movements and fine materials are all representative of the popular Big Pilot’s Watch collection by IC Schaffhausen. The models from this range are known for their imposing case sizes, creating a great presence on the wrist. Setting itself aside from the rest of the company’s diverse range of pilot’s watches, the Big Pilot’s Watch is a direct descendant of the "Große Fliegeruhr" (big pilot's watch) from 1940. IWC, during this time, was one of a few brands supplying wristwatches to the German Air Force – chosen, of course, for its skill in developing robust and incredibly precise designs.
The Big Pilot’s Watch used to measure a 55mm diameter originally but has now been downsized to a 46mm diameter. Although smaller, it certainly lives up to its name with a large conical crown at 3 o’clock that was originally designed to facilitate easy handling under thick pilot’s gloves. The Big Pilot’s Watch by IWC has been made available in various materials that include conventional stainless steel, lightweight titanium, gold, bronze and ceramic. There are also automatic versions and manual winding versions to choose from, as well as different designs, including tourbillons, moon phase displays and power reserve indicators, which brings us to the latest IWC Big Pilot’s Watch in green, which we’re going to cover in more detail in this article.
The Big Pilot’s Watch which was introduced in 2002 bears the strongest resemblance to the original 1940s model, with a stainless steel case and a matte black dial. The original first appeared when the former German Imperial Ministry of Aviation set standards for German pilot's watches and required a watch that would tick these boxes. The design has continued throughout the years with a date window located at 6 o’clock and a power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock. The engine responsible for this is the Calibre 52110, which provides an impressive seven-day power reserve.
IWC has also experienced success with the Big Pilot’s Spitfire watch – a dressier model that comprises the Annual Calendar Spitfire, the Big Date Spitfire and the Perpetual Calendar Spitfire, not to mention the Antoine de Saint Exupery editions made in honour of the French pilot and writer. These models from the range are instantly identifiable for their magnificent blue dials and have been released in limited production runs.
The new IWC Big Pilot’s Watch reference IW501015 in green
The new IWC Big Pilot’s Watch in green reference IW501015 has a utilitarian and functional design with an instrumental-inspired aesthetic that looks more than at home in the cockpit. The cultural icon has well and truly earned its position in the luxury watch industry thanks to its large imposing case size of 46.2mm and a robust construction made from brushed and polished stainless steel. Its striking dark green hue is inspired by the British “racing green” colour used to paint racing cars and used back in 1903. The watch also has a conical-shaped crown at 3 o’clock, adorned with the IWC logo that was used in the 1940s pilot watch designs by IWC.
Hard at work inside the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch in green is the in-house Calibre 52110, which performs at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour and provides a useful 7-day power reserve, which can be monitored at the 3 o’clock location on the dial. The automatic movement features a Pellaton winding system and rotates in both directions. The power reserve is built up inside two barrels whilst a soft iron inner case shields the movement from damage caused by magnetic fields.
The top of the Big Pilot’s Watch is sealed with a piece of sapphire crystal glass secured against a sudden pressure drop, whilst a closed caseback seals in the movement as it works seamlessly inside a 60-meter water-resistant case. On the rich racing green dial is a set of bright white Arabic numeral hour markers and leaf-shaped hands that glide effortlessly across the display. The date window sits at 6 o’clock, accompanied by the power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock, whereas the IWC Schaffhausen lettering resides at the top of the dial. To finish its military and slightly vintage-inspired pilot watch look, the new Big Pilot’s Watch in green from IWC is completed on a dark brown calf leather band with contrast white stitching running down the sides. It secures to the underside of the wrist with a stainless steel buckle engraved IWC hallmark.
If you’d like more information on this new green watch from IWC, you can check the watch out on the product page in more detail here or call and speak to a member of our sales team on 01335 453453.
