In a Swiss workshop on a bank of the Rhine, IWC watchmakers have been piecing together reliable, easy-to-read pilot watches since the Allies first flew out to face Hitler. To this day, IWC’s Big Pilot watches are tricked out with superpowers that allow them to withstand a sudden drop in cockpit pressure or an icy plunge to 60 meters. And the titanium case back can take serious blows—a fall at airport security or a sudden closing of subway doors. The updated Top Gun model looks more handsome than ever with a dead-simple face, a black ceramic case, and an embossed calfskin strap. Meanwhile, inside, 311 parts silently spin and whir with to-the-millisecond Swiss precision.
AFAR MAGAZINE JULY/ AUG Precious Cargo
Photo by Jeffery Cross
