Flight has always been one of the main arteries into the watch hobby. As collectors, we fantasize about strapping a reliable timepiece to our wrist and taking to the sky on a grand adventure – the watch, our noble companion keeping us on track. One way that IWC recognizes this and honors that tradition is with with their Le Petit Prince collection. Named after author and aeronautical pioneer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s famous novel, this line of watches features a signature midnight blue dial. Fresh for SIHH 2019 IWC has announced the next chapter in the Le Petit Prince lineup with the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince” (ref. IW590303).

This watch will feature a constant force tourbillon in the IWC Manufacture Calibre 94805, which we saw used in a Portugieser here. This is the brand’s solution to an age-old problem; as the mainspring of a watch unwinds the force applied to the escapement diminishes causing a difference in amplitude and ultimately accuracy. This patented constant-force tourbillon solves that problem by separating the escapement from the dial train and meters the tension applied to the balance spring. The result is an even dispersion of force to the escape wheel canceling out the effect of gravity and providing remarkable precision, the brand claims. The tourbillon itself is visible at 9 o’clock on the dial ticking away at 2.5Hz. The hand-wound movement boasts a 96hr (or 4 day) power reserve indicated on the dial between 4 and 5 o’clock, and a perpetual moon phase display at 1 o’clock with the Petite Prince character perched on his planet instead of a moon.

In addition to the notable movement features, this new Le Petit Prince is also IWC’s first watch to come in a “hard gold” case. Hard gold is a new 18kt red gold alloy that has been formulated to be 5-10 times more wear-resistant – somewhat reminiscent of Hublot’s “Magic Gold” which we reviewed and tested here. It is normal for brands to introduce something like a special new material in a halo piece such as this, but we can surely expect it to be used in more affordable watches soon – relatively affordable, that is, as it is still 18kt gold we are talking about. As with other Big Pilots, this version is 46.2mm wide and 13.5mm thick, and the case back features a sapphire display to view the decorated bridges and get some glimpses of the gear train (the real star of the show is the tourbillon right there on the dial).

The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince” is being released in an edition of 10 pieces, so in all likelihood, I’ll never see one of these in the metal. That doesn’t stop me from being able to appreciate IWC’s technological achievement. The tourbillon has been around for a little more than two centuries at this point, but the partnership between the constant force mechanism and the 96hr power reserve is remarkable in its own right. As for the “hard gold” case, we will have to see how it performs, but if it works as it’s supposed to in terms of wear resistance that will be a worthwhile addition. The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince” will be available in an edition of 10 for 235,000 CHF each, and more details are sure to come out in January at SIHH. For now, see additional information at iwc.com