IWC Pilot's Chronograph 'Spitfire'

Overall Condition: Excellent condition overall. Case and bracelet show only light signs of wear. Dial and handset show no signs of visible blemishes.

There is perhaps no more versatile complication than the chronograph.

From race cars to rocket ships, boats to battlefields, you are likely to find a chronograph being employed to measure a plethora of tasks and times. From the Greek khrónos (“time”) and gráphō (“to write”), a chronograph is a watch that has the ability to record time, generally via the addition of small sub-counters that register minutes and hours.

And what better use for a chronograph than within the confines of a pilot’s watch? IWC makes some of the finest pilot’s watches in the world, with a history stretching back to the early decades of the 20th century.

This particular watch, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire, comes with a brilliant automatic winding movement, day-date and chronograph displays, and bold legibility for which the collection is famous. It features a 42mm stainless steel case with a sapphire crystal, pump pushers, a signed screw-down crown, and luminous crisp white dial with printed white 'Arabic' indices and a matching sword handset. It comes paired to a multi-link bracelet. The white dial on this example is so sharp and distinctive, separating this piece from others in the family.

Well sized, knockout looks, and featuring a robust and reliable movement, this 'Spitfire' is one of our favorite takes on the Pilot's line in recent years.

When you hear the term ‘pilot’s watch,’ there’s a healthy chance that what comes to mind is a timepiece from the International Watch Company.