IWC is flying high with this tribute to the classic pilot’s watch

As IWC has become synonymous with the pilot’s watch, it seems only right that it continues to keep its heritage alive with a fresh take on a classic piece. With the new Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition ‘Tribute to Mark XI’, as the name implies, IWC is remembering the model that put it on the map...

The sky’s the limit

While the internals may be that of the cutting-edge Mark XVIII, featuring the calibre 35111 movement with IWC’s innovative anti-magnetic protection soft iron cage and 40mm face, the design of the dial is as old school as it gets. Gone are the usual hallmarks of a modern pilot’s watch, replaced instead with the distinctive features of their forefathers, such as rectangle and single triangle markings and a flat baton hour hand, all topped with a creamy lume akin to that found on aged vintage pieces. Fittingly finished with a green nylon NATO strap, as another reminder of the watch’s military heritage, just 1,948 pieces of the Tribute to Mark XI will be produced in celebration of the birth year of the Mark XI, and they will be available exclusively in London’s legendary Harrods department store for the first three months. So, jump in a black cab, get on a plane, or, if you’re feeling brave, wait till orders extend beyond the hallowed streets of Knightsbridge…

Photos: IWC