Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. IWC Celebrates 140 Years of Mercedes-Benz With A Special Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar Proset
Using the smaller BP platform and the brand's clever ProSet movement, this is a celebration of two innovative manufacturers coming together.
Two companies, at the forefront of mechanical innovation, coming together to mark 140 years of history – that’s what IWC’s latest watch is all about. The brand has a long-standing partnership with Mercedes-Benz, exemplified through not only the Mercedes-Benz AMG PETRONAS Formula 1 Team special editions, but also through the various road-car-themed watches. The new Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz celebrates the 140th anniversary of the legendary car manufacturer through a black-and-gold theme. And just to emphasise the whole ‘innovation’ stipulation, it features IWC’s very clever ProSet easy-to-adjust perpetual calendar movement. Let’s go over the details.
It starts with the Big Pilot’s new 42.9mm wide platform, executed in stainless steel. While it sizes down the legendary Big Pilot to more wearable proportions, perhaps, it retains all the hallmarks of the original. That means it has a large opening for the dial, a narrow, polished bezel, a diamond-shaped crown and a sapphire crystal on both sides. With water-resistance rated at 100 meters, it’s also tough enough to take an occasional dip in the pool, not something you’d want to do with most other QP watches.
The dial for this limited edition is finished in gloss black, with applied solid gold markers and gold-plated hands in that typical Big Pilot style. The markers partially give way to the recessed subdials for the calendar indications, which include the date, the day of the week, the month, the year in four digits, and a double moon phase display up top. All markers and hands are also filled with Super-LumiNova to aid with night-time legibility.
Yet where this one really shines is in its movement. The Calibre 82655 ushered in the next step in perpetual calendar watchmaking, with bidirectional adjustability through the crown. The system relies on a stacked program wheel to centralise all the QP indications. The whole assembly takes up about 20 parts, with a special leap year wheel with retractable fingers to account for the irregular length of February. We explained all there is to know about it in detail here, so I highly recommend checking that one out if you want to know more.
The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet 140 Years Mercedes-Benz comes on a black rubber strap with a folding clasp and integrated EasX-Change system to swap it out for something else. Limited to 140 pieces, it retails for EUR 40,900 incl. VAT.
For more information, please visit IWC.com.
