With the busy Christmas period well out of the way, it is time for DMR’s team to fly out to Switzerland for the first of 2019’s exciting watch fairs. The first stop in 2019 is IWC’s booth here at SIHH!
At the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) 2019 in Geneva, IWC Schaffhausen presents a new Spitfire line to their Pilot’s watches collection.
Celebrating the unique engineering expertise of the designers of this legendary British fighter aircraft, all watches within the Spitfire line feature IWC-manufactured calibres. This latest launch is inspired by the puristic instrument design of the Mark 11, an iconic navigation watch produced in Schaffhausen for the Royal Air Force from 1948 and worn by many serving pilots and navigators of the time.
This exciting launch for 2019 sees all Spitfire models released with IWC-manufactured calibres. For the first time, IWC integrates a chronograph movement from the 69000 calibre family into a Pilot’s watch. The robustness and reliability of IWC’s movements embody the high level of engineering expertise at the brand’s Schaffhausen workshops.
IWC’s Spitfire line features two different designs. A stainless-steel case with black dial and green textile strap are reminiscent of the cockpit of a Spitfire. Also within the collection, bronze cases with olive green dials and brown calf leather straps give a unique character to the collection, with the bronze developing a special patina over time. Proving their watchmaking expertise, IWC’s Spitfire line contains not only stainless steel and bronze materials, but also ceramic components in the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Spitfire Edition “The Longest Flight” (ref. IW395501).
Our stand out piece from the Spitfire line is the exciting IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire (ref. IW387901). In this piece, IWC integrates a chronograph movement from the 69000 calibre family into its Pilot’s watches for the first time. 2019 also sees a reduction in the case diameter to 41mm. The pawl-winding system, which winds up on both sides, boasts an impressive power reserve of 46 hours.
To mark the release of this striking line of timepieces, IWC will be supporting ‘The Longest Flight’ as British pilots Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones aim to make aviation history by completing the first round-the-world flight in a Spitfire. With a range of 750 kilometres, the Spitfire isn’t typically a long-distance aircraft, adding to the enormity of this challenge! The flight path, which will begin at Goodwood in the south of England, is still being finalised.
For more information about IWC Schaffhausen watches, contact your local DMR showroom today.
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