INTRODUCING: IWC's Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 Black Aces
IWC Schaffhausen has a proud history of supplying the world’s elite military forces with reliable tool watches, stretching as far back as World War II. In fact, as early as 1940, pilots donned the 55mm B-Uhr in the cockpit - the original Big Pilot. Pilots in the British Royal Air Force commanded their Spitfire fighter planes while wearing early iterations of the IWC Mark XI Navigator’s watch. Today, over 75 years later, the brand proudly displays their heritage by not only rejuvenating their classic models, but lending their industry-leading horological innovations to Military Forces around the world. From the iconic IWC Pilot Watch lineage comes the latest iteration of their commitment to the United States Navy - the Pilot’s Watch 41 Black Aces.
THE BASICS:
BRAND: IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN
Model: Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 Black Aces (ref. IW326905 )
Case Material: Zirconium Oxide Ceramic
Case Size: 41mm
Water Resistance: 6 Bar
Movement: Calibre 32100
Movement Specs: IWC-manufactured, 72-hour power reserve, anti-magnetic inner casing
Strap Options: Black textile strap with a sand-blasted stainless steel pin buckle
IWC is no stranger to supplying the United States Navy with tools. Just look at their robust line of offerings for the world famous Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor school - better known as ‘Top Gun’. Each piece sports lightweight ceramic casing, aggressively legible dials, and practical-use complications to aid operators in the field. Other US Navy groups have been outfitted by IWC - The Blue Angels, Top Hatters, and Royal Maces, to name a few. Now, it’s the Black Aces’ turn to share in the spoils from the High Rhine. US Navy Strike Fighter Squadron 41, known better as the “Black Aces” are a fighter squadron based in Lemoore, CA, dating all the way back to 1953 and the USS Independence. Today, they rip around in supersonic F/A-18F Super Hornets, and, luckily, wear equally capable watches to match.
Hands down, the most fascinating and useful feature on this piece is the brand new fully luminous white ‘Lumicast’ dial. Through an intricate manufacturing process, IWC has produced an all new high-grade LumiNova alloy dial, capable of storing and producing lume for up to 23 hours in their test environment. Wearers need only expose the watch to light, any light, and the watch’s dial will be able to charge its lume.
Ceramic has long been a logical choice for pilots in cramped cockpits, given its lightweight and virtually scratchproof qualities. IWC pioneered the use of ceramic in watch cases back in the 1980’s, and that practice is alive and well today. Encased in a sleek matte black Zirconium Oxide Ceramic, this new Pilot watch features an in-house Calibre 32100 movement from IWC, boasting a 72 hour power reserve and an anti-magnetic inner casing. No pilot should fear that their watch can’t stand up to the length of their flight, nor the proximity to their cockpit instruments. A bright white dial and sharp black arabic numerals make this watch incredibly easy to read at a glance, while the ‘Black Aces’ logo adorned at six o’clock pays homage to the eponymous pilot squadron.
IWC has taken their Pilot’s Watch line to new heights, no pun intended. The advent of the fully luminous ‘Lumicast’ dial showcases IWC’s commitment to innovation and, hopefully, a peek into their future. I cannot imagine this is the last time we’ll see a Lumicast dial from IWC Schaffhausen.
So how much is the IWC Pilot’s Watch 41 Black Aces?
Price for this watch will come in at $6,800 USD and will be available exclusively online Read more about the watch on the brands website here.