THE JOURNAL
In the high-stakes world of early military aviation, having a watch that was both accurate and reliable could be the difference between a smooth flight and, well, a slightly less fun time spent in the cockpit. Back when pilots had no GPS or fuel gauges, they relied on their watches to not only navigate, but also to estimate how much gas was left in the tank.
These aviation watches were described as “survival tools”, with rotating bezels to track take-off times, antimagnetic escapements for accuracy and engineering that meant they could endure cockpit conditions that could swing from arctic to oven-like.
While IWC Schaffhausen’s Big Pilot’s line was only launched in 2002, making it a relative newcomer in the storied lineage of watchmaking, its foundations were built back in 1936 with the introduction of the 38mm Special Pilot’s Watch, which was swiftly followed by a massive 55mm iteration that, while looking slightly ridiculous compared to today’s size standards, laid the groundwork for one of the most distinctive designs in horology.
With its oversized crown – designed to be operated while wearing thick gloves – and large dial, which drew inspiration from a plane’s interior flying instruments, the result was a clean, easily legible watch that could deliver under intense pressure. Design details that you can still find in today’s Big Pilot’s.
Part of the beauty of the Big Pilot’s is how – with its large, but relatively minimal dial and case – it can be reinterpreted in countless ways. Gold, bronze and stainless steel or, as with the Top Gun collection (that’s the film and the flight school) all-black ceramic. While some manufacturers chase the ornate and intricate, IWC’s flagship flight watch takes pride in its level of clarity.
IWC is also known as a collector’s brand, making the sort of watches that will elicit a raised eyebrow in the right circles. Lewis Hamilton and Tom Brady are both ambassadors and apparently Keith Richards’ daily driver is an automatic Portugieser.
However, the most dedicated fan of all is likely the musician and watch obsessive John Mayer, who has described his approach to collecting as a “syndrome” and even has his own personal version of the Big Pilot’s. In fact, such was his affinity for the Big Pilot’s that for a time it became his nickname when on tour.
“It’s a watch I identify with, that people identify with me,” Mayer told The New York Times in 2015. “Now, all it does is tell the time and the date, that’s it. But, man, how it does it.”