Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Racing Green IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43
The watch that some have trouble calling a BP, now in cool racing green.
For almost 20 years, the name Big Pilot at IWC meant one thing: a 46mm, oversized, almost provocative watch inspired by 1940s B-Uhr, powered by a massive automatic movement with a 7-day power reserve and a dial so large that you could use the watch as a nightstand clock… And it also meant a display with a power reserve indicator and date. But things changed in 2021 with the launch of the Big Pilot 43 watch. It was smaller, sleeker, less complex mechanically and more mainstream. This not-so-big Big Pilot is now available with a striking racing green dial, and we take a closer look at it now in our latest video review.
If the real Big Pilot, the oversized 46mm watch, is still IWC’s flagship pilot watch, the recent introduction of the BP 43 somewhat redistributed the cards. This slightly more compact, more straightforward and focused version is fast becoming the cornerstone of the collection, with many variations around the concept. This launch raised a few questions, mainly about the “Big Pilot” name. Is the BP 43 really a Big Pilot, or is it more of a beefed-up Mark series? One thing is for sure, the classic 46mm model has become the watch for hardcore fans, and this 43mm watch is made for a wider audience, which doesn’t make it a bad watch at all. But this is the kind of discussion the watch community loves to bring to the table.
Today, we’re looking at the very latest edition of this large watch, with its dark “racing green” dial. Check out our video at the beginning of this article to discover more about the new Green BP 43. And if you want to delve deeper into the Big Pilot debate, don’t miss Frank’s op-ed article.
More details at IWC.com and in our introductory article here.
1 response
I was a bit disappointed when this model was introduced. I really wanted a Big Pilot 43 with the dial layout and movement from the Big Pilot 46. I enjoy the date and the power reserve indicator from the 46mm model. Seems like it would fit since they put that a very similar movement in the 42.3 Portugieser Automatic. Oh well, maybe they’ll eventually add a model with a date function.