April 26th, 2008 — IWC
The IWC Aquatimer Automatic is a new addition International Watch Co.’s Vintage Collection. It is offered in two versions, one in platinum (ref. IW323105, 500 pieces on black crocodile strap) and one in stainless steel (ref. IW323101 on rubber strap).
April 26th, 2008 — IWC
The new IWC Portofino Hand-Wound is a stunning new addition to the IWC Vintage Collection. It is offered in both platinum (ref. IW544805, limited to 500 pieces) and stainless steel (ref. IW544801) versions, and comes on a black crocodile leather strap.
February 17th, 2008 — IWC
The IWC Big Pilot is an icon in the IWC lineup. It’s a stunning modern day “big watch” that pays tribute to the b-uhr era. With a 46.2mm case diameter and a 15.8mm case height, it’s a watch that gets attention and certainly isn’t for the faint of heart.The Big Pilot’s inner case is made of soft iron for protection against magnetic fields and the sapphire crystal glass is convex and treated with an antireflective coating. The watch is water resistant to 60 meters.
Perhaps the most telling sign of IWC Schaffhausen’s iconic BP is the over-sized, screw down onion crown. While many might see this as a potential problem when it comes to comfort, the height of the Big Pilot’s case offsets this issue.
On the inside, the 51110 calibre, 44 jewel movement is spectacular. IWC used it’s automatic Pellaton winding system featuring a nice seven day power reserve and it is a faster beating movement than the 5002 at 21,600/h/3 Hz. A center seconds hand is used along with a subtle date window placed at 6 o’clock on the 5004’s cleaned up dial.
While the original 5002 Big Pilot model shipped with a brown buffalo strap, the 5004 comes standard with a black crocodile leather strap with black stitching. In my opinion, this really shows how versatile the BP can be going from a dressier look with the croc and a more casual appearance with the brown buffalo leather.
The 5004 IWC Big Pilot is available in stainless steel (IW500401) and 18 ct. white gold (IW500402) versions. The white gold version sports a dark brown croc strap.