IWC Pilots Watch Spitfire Watches

Without a doubt the IWC Big Pilot watch is one of the best ultimate sport watches for men on the market today. As a matter of fact, it goes beyond the title of “sports-watch” because it is actually a watch for Pilots. A true Pilots’ Watch – Big, visible, with smooth sweeping movement hand that seems to float in the air. The International Watch Company originally developed the first Pilot watch back in the 1930s but introduced to the general public a few years later. The world’s aviation history tells us that Pilots faced the same problem when it came to measuring the time. They used to rely on over-sized pocket watches to measure time – which was not only difficult but highly inconvenient. IWC designed a watch that would fit on the pilot’s wrist but over his flight suit. The watch was obviously of considerable dimensions with a huge case and highly contrasting but easy to read numerals and luminous hands. The watch also had a rather large wrist leather band.Today, the IWC Big Pilot Automatic watch is a smaller version of the original watch introduced in 1936. Nevertheless, the IWC Big Pilot watch is still a rather massive watch compared with the average wristwatch. This watch is definitively suited for men. The IWC Big Pilot Watch measures 46.2 mm and is available in steel or platinum. Since 2002, the Big Pilot’s Watch has been one of IWC’s most successful flagships. Its in house (IWC made) manufactured 51111 calibre is one of the largest automatic movements (with reason) available anywhere in the world and contains all the features that have proved their worth in the long history of IWC mechanical watches. The 51111 calibre automatic movement generates a power reserve of 8.5 days.Every year IWC produces this magnificent watch limited to only 500 pieces. IWC kept the overall essence of the watch true to the original IWC Pilot’s watch but added a few contemporary touches that fuses tradition with functionality. The IWC Big Pilot Replica Watch “Die Grosse Fliegeruhr” with Automatic Movement and genuine leather strap is available at watch-inc.com with the smallest detail copied. IWC only offers the stainless steel version with a black dial and brown strap leather band as available at watch-inc.com

A. Lange & Söhne Grand Lange 1 LuminousThe new A. Lange & Söhne Grand Lange 1 Luminous model goes in the same direction as the gorgeous Zeitwerk Luminous (Ref. 140.035) “digital” hand-wound wrist watch.Like the rest of the Grand Lange 1 line, the Luminous version is powered by the in-house Caliber L901.2 hand-wound movement decorated and assembled by hand. Being 30.4 millimeters in diameter and mere 5.9 mm in height, the movement allows for a pretty slim body, which, in this particular case, is only 11 mm thick. With a diameter of 41.9 mm, the 18-carat white gold job indeed looks very slim on just about any wrist.The manual-wind movement with its plates and bridges made of untreated “German silver” (which is not silver at all, but is a 60% copper alloy with 20% nickel and 20% zinc) and the balance cock engraved by hand, sports Lange’s trademark twin mainspring barrel that stores enough power for the watch to run for as long as 72 hours. Well, not particularly impressive compared to the latest manufacture calibers from IWC that offer up to 168 hours of continuous operation with guaranteed accuracy, but still much better than an average Swiss Made in-house hand-wound movement can offer.It is not clear how many copies of the watch Lange plans to sell, however it seems that it is going to be a strictly niche product. While the “normal” Grand Lange 1 is a living classic of watchmaking that looks great on just about any wrist with just about any suit (if it costs more than $5000, that is), the Luminous version of the timekeeper leaves an impression of a timepiece developed for a small group of fans who need “something different” without any particular reason.SuperLuminova is a good choice when you need something versatile or, just the opposite, something highly specialized, like a diving watch or a pilot’s instrument. But a dressy watch that is designed to be worn on very special occasions where there is always light doesn’t really need any amount of lume on its hands and indexes, especially when the lume utterly destroys their gorgeous shapes. Well, like I said, a niche product.