IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Edition Antoine De Saint Exupéry Hands-On

iwc-pilots-watch

The IWC is not lacking in loving partnerships and associations, the Prince and the Blue Small model are some of the more recognizable special editions. However, in cooperation with the French writer Anthony St. Exupery Youth Foundation, the IWC Tobacco Brown-Dialed IWC pilot’s dual-chronograph Edition “Antoine de Saint Steward” is the author of “The Little Prince”. The watch came out as an IWC pilot but a soft turning point was also the only rattrapante, the double-chronograph, in the pilot’s table row, giving it a lot of watchnerd points.It’s fortunate that this watch also abandoned last year’s discarded triple date Window, select the day / date indicator.

iwc-pilots-watch

The IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Edition “Antoine De Saint Exupéry” borrows from IWC’s refreshed foundational pilot chronograph design. The traditional sub-dial layout used here is similar to that of the standard Pilot’s Watch chronograph pieces, though with hands and numerals done in the more formal font used for these limited edition pieces. This watch is slightly bigger as well, at 44mm wide. On the case back you’ll see the Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft that Saint-Exupéry flew on his last mission in 1944. Also, forgive us for the lack of a photo of the case back but the image above should give a good idea of it.

iwc-pilots-watch

The Caliber 79420 beating within is built upon the ETA/Valjoux 7750. With the added regulator with a triovis micro-adjustment, custom winding rotor, and (obviously) the proprietary IWC rattrapante chronograph system packed in with high levels of unique finishing, it’s exactly what you’d expect from IWC. Personally, modified movements never bothered me, and it doesn’t take much to realize that a split-second chronograph conversion such as this isn’t exactly a simple “plug in and play” undertaking. Additionally, it gives you everything you’d expect out of a precision instrument like 44 hours of power reserve, a running seconds display, and sub-dials that serve as 30-minute and 12-hour chronograph indicators.

iwc-pilots-watch

By the way, for anyone who doesn’t know exactly how a split seconds chronograph works, the watch features two chronograph hands as opposed to one. Both hands start simultaneously when the chronograph is activated, but the pusher at 10 o’clock stops just the second chronograph hand. Pushing this again moves the second chronograph hand to immediately synch up with the first one. Functionally, the split seconds chronograph allows you to measure two events.

iwc-pilots-watch

The big, bold numerals, broadsword-styled hands, and generous application of Super-LumiNova are just some of the elements that make for the kind of quick reference legibility you’d want out of a contemporary pilot’s watch. The seconds hands for the chronograph feature are sleek and unobtrusive when not in use. A nice touch to note is the fact that one of the rattrapante seconds hands is finished with a red tip to help the user differentiate the hands while using the split-second functions. The only feature I might have left out is the day/date indicator, but I’m a bit obsessive when it comes to no-date dials, I must admit, and fully realize that this is a feature many consumers demand.

iwc-pilots-watch

I was glad to find that the case diameter for this watch was a calming 44mm, the same as its Le Petit Prince model sibling (which still is saddled with the triple date window). While I comfortably hover between 38mm – 42mm for most of my daily watches, I feel that 44mm wide cases can generally offer a pleasant experience for most individuals. Another stunning feature is the way the double-AR-coated sapphire crystal appears almost invisible over the pilot chronograph’s high-contrast slate dial. This is a trait IWC is known for and something that’s playfully accentuated by that blueish hue resulting from the AR coating that we know all too well.

iwc-pilots-watch

If you want to talk about the most gorgeous watch, you will find a small model in the IWC, Prince to the French writer Anthony Saint Exupery’s watch is very subtle. Inside the sub-dial at 6 o’clock, you will find a letter a. It is also a recurring theme in other writers’ Anthony St. Exupery’s watch-whaling campaign. Unobtrusive, elegant, usually in the invisible place, unless you really pay attention to it. In addition to the above features, the IWC also includes a soft iron cage cover, which helps to provide impact resistance and anti-magnetic shielding. There is also a belt option, which is the brown calf Santoni belt, looks very nice.
Overall, from a design point of view, the IWC piloting the double-chronograph version of “Antoine de Saint-Stewart” was successful, in my opinion. The excitement or revolution in any way, but it is a collector’s block and IWC’s prestige items, of course, taking note of the details. Just for some background, another 2016 version such as the Sinn 910 Anniversary Limited Edition Split Stopwatch offers some very steep IWC competitive value, but not for this table concerned buyers. This model is limited to 1000 pieces, is a beautiful Santoni belt, the price is 11,900 US dollars.