The collection is inspired by the Spitfire, first designed by Reginald J. Mitchell. The iconic aircraft is regarded as one of the most significant developments in the history of aviation, thanks to its distinctive shape marrying function with design.

The design of the new watches is inspired by the brand’s Mark 11 navigation watch. All of the timepieces in the Spitfire collection come equipped with manufacture IWC calibres, guaranteeing precise and reliable timekeeping for all novelties.

A highlight of the collection is the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Spitfire Edition “The Longest Flight”, limited to 250 pieces.

The timepiece pairs the patented Timezoner mechanism with a manufacture automatic calibre – a first for the brand. The 46mm timepiece is driven by the calibre 82760, which boasts 60 hours of power reserve, and features a Pellaton automatic winding system made with wear-resistant ceramic components.

Another highlight is the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire, a 41mm novelty driven by the calibre 69380 with 46 hours of power reserve. This movement is based off the 69000 calibre family, which was first launched in 2016. The timepiece pairs an olive-green dial with a bronze case, giving it a vintage feel. The bronze material of the case means the watch will develop its own unique patina as time passes.

While IWC has been making Top Gun watches since 2007, this is the first time they incorporate ceratanium. Before this, the watches were made with other tough materials including ceramic and titanium.

Ceratanium, a trademark of IWC, is a new material that combines the benefits of ceramic and titanium. It is “as lightweight and unbreakable as titanium, and at the same time as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic”, according to the brand.

The new material is used in the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium. Jet-black in colour, the double chronograph features an integrated split-seconds hand mechanism. The timepiece runs on the self-winding calibre 79230 and offers 44 hours of power reserve.

Also available are special-edition novelties of its Le Petit Prince line, including the Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince”. This is the first Pilot’s Watch from the brand to feature a constant-force tourbillon, and is limited to just 10 watches.

This is also the first time that IWC uses hard gold, which is described as a new version of red gold. The material, used for the watch’s case crown, is a modified version of red gold, making it five to 10 times harder, durable and more wear-resistant.

The timepiece also boasts a perpetual moon phase display, which only needs to be adjusted every 577.5 years.

The timepiece is driven by the manufacture calibre 94895 and comes with 96 hours of power reserve.

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