IWC Drops A Black Dial In The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41

Few watches are so easily identifiable as the IWC Pilot’s Watch. Even from across a room, you can spot the iconic shape and design of any IWC Pilot’s Watch, regardless of whether it’s a time-only, chronograph or even perpetual calendar watch. With such a long and storied history and its ongoing popularity, it’s only natural that IWC diversifies its Pilot’s Watch collections. Two years ago, IWC introduced a more compact 41mm version of its emblematic Pilot’s Watch Chronograph with green and blue dials. But one thing was missing really, and that’s been corrected today with the new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 with a matte black dial.

With the introduction of the new 41mm-sized Pilot’s Watch Chronograph in 2021 came some minor updates to the case’s architecture. The reduction in size also meant a slight decrease in height (now 14.6mm) and an upgrade in water-resistance (from 60m to 100m). Overall, it’s still instantly recognisable as a Pilot’s Watch by IWC and built to last. The brushed case is finished with a polished bezel and a sapphire crystal on both the front and back.

The latest iteration of the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 was initially released with green and blue dials, but a stealthy matte black dial was missing from the collection until today. The black dial is a natural fit for any pilot’s watch, especially one with such status and history. The design of the dial remains unchanged, with a three-register layout and contrasting white numerals and markings throughout. You can read the day and date on the right-hand side of the dial. The rhodium-plated hands have a generous amount of Super-LumiNova, as you expect from IWC, while the small seconds hand is filled with red lacquer.

The engine inside this new release has not been changed from previous iterations. You still get the in-house produced IWC calibre 69385, which is an automatic movement with a pawl winding system. Running at a rate of 28,800vph, it has an autonomy of 46 hours. For more details on this movement, check out our hands-on video review with the green dial version from a while ago.

As with many other new releases, this new duo comes with IWC’s simple-to-use interchangeability system, meaning you can easily swap out the leather strap for a stainless steel bracelet. The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 IW38111 comes on a black Flieger-style calfskin leather strap and retails for EUR 8,300, while the reference IW388113 is fitted to a five-link stainless steel bracelet, upping the price to EUR 9,300.

For more information, please visit IWC.com.