IW329303 4 ME AT 60

I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but it was yours truly’s 60th last week. I spent it in Germany with Sue and Alex and one of the highlights of the trip was buying a watch to celebrate that big birthday.

For years I’d said, “When I grow up, I want to buy an IWC Big Pilot.” IWC (International Watch Company) is based in Schaffhausen in Switzerland and I have fond memories of the place as I once worked with Sinar—a large format camera company—who were based near there.

IWC first made its B-Uhr pilot’s watch for the Luftwaffe and was one of five suppliers to the German air force. The design requirements included an oversized crown—usable while wearing gloves—and a highly legible dial. Even its strap was extra-long, designed to be worn over a pilot’s jacket. But this isn’t a history of the Big Pilot. For that, you should read this article on Monochrome Watches.

We’d stopped in Schaffhausen on our way back from France this summer and visited the IWC boutique and museum connected to their factory. This was my first opportunity in a long time to try on the Big Pilot I wanted when I grew up.

IWC introduced a modern version (IW5002) of the wartime Die Grosse Fliegeruhr in 2002, retaining the signature elements of the original design. It had a matte black dial and highly legible Arabic numerals. It also included an impressively long power reserve, so—along with a date window at the six o’clock position—IWC added a power reserve indicator at three o’clock. That meant there was no room for a 2, 3, or 4.

A few years later, IWC redesigned the dial (IW500401), and it’s stayed the same ever since. So the model I tried on kept the power reserve indicator but brought back the 2 and 4 numerals, with the indicator cutting across them. That’s a detail I honestly hadn’t noticed until I tried the watch on in the boutique. And when I saw it, I knew it was a detail I couldn’t live with.

Fortunately, my dream wasn’t entirely shattered: in 2021, IWC released a smaller, more wearable 43mm version. The 46mm Big Pilot is a big watch, but as someone with big wrists, I didn’t mind that. I was concerned the 43mm might look too small on my wrist. Luckily, it didn’t. But most importantly, its design removes the date window and the power reserve indicator, restoring the full 2, 3, and 4 numerals. As I already own a black U-Boat watch, I opted for a Big Pilot 43 with a blue dial and strap and bought an extra brown strap to turn my watch into a mini Petit Prince design.

And unlike the closed case of the 46mm Big Pilot, the 43mm model has an open case back to show off the movement.

To say that I love my new watch is an understatement. Yes, it’s an expensive item, but I’ll enjoy wearing it every day. That, and I’m only going to turn 60 once. It’s funny because I don’t consider myself a “watch guy,” and I didn’t wear a watch at all for 30 years. My social media feeds are full of videos about Rolex and other luxury brands, but I’m not interested in owning one of them. I bought my IWC because I like the simplicity of its design and because I’m nostalgic for Schaffhausen. This isn’t going to be part of a collection, although (please don’t tell my wife) I’d also love to own this.

Mum’s the word.