Jewellery & Watch News
Arriving with no press release or big announcement, a new duo of IWC Pilot’s Mark XX watches has landed delivering some subtle yet significant changes to the iconic aviation design. These include a brand new movement, a reduced case size and a few touch ups to the legible dial.
The IWC Mark watch series is arguably one of the brand’s most legendary designs. Whether it be the original Mark IX from 1936 or the (before today) most recent Mark XVIII from six years ago unveiled as both an Antoine De Saint Exupéry Edition and Laureus Good for Sport Edition, these watches are icons of aviation and uphold the Swiss watch manufacturer’s reputation of creating durable, legible and beautiful pilot’s watches. As such, the IWC Mark series is incredibly popular with collectors, so it was a huge surprise when the brand seemingly snuck in two brand new IWC Pilot’s Mark XX watches with little to no announcement!
For many, the new IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX will be one of the luxury watch brand’s biggest launches of 2022. At first glance, the overall architecture and layout looks familiar to previous IWC Mark watches but up close, we’re welcomed to some hospitable changes. Starting with the case, both IWC Pilot’s Mark XX watches are engineered from stainless steel and measures to the regular diameter of 40mm. The height, nevertheless, has been trimmed down slightly to 10.8mm (compared to the 11mm of the previous Mark XVIII) and together with the subtle redesign of the case’s profile, it feels significantly more compact on the wrist. The lug-to-lug distance is also reduced from 51mm to 49.2mm and we’re impressed by an improved water resistant rating from 60 metres to 100 metres.
For the display, we’re treated to two of the most classic colours for a pilot’s watch: black or blue. The black IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX comes under reference IW328201 and is finished with a matte centre while the blue edition found under IW328203 is sunray-brushed. Both are extremely legible offering large white printed Arabic numerals and newly designed hour and minute markings on the outer track. This change is super subtle with the hour indices now slightly longer than the minute indices. The dials also present sword-shaped hands for the hours and minutes set with Superluminova, a slender seconds hand in white and a date window at 3 o’clock. Pairing with its dial colour, each IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX is fitted with a black or blue calfskin leather strap closed by a stainless steel pin buckle.
The last big update for the IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX is the movement. For the first time, IWC elects its automatic winding Calibre 32111, a movement engineered by ValFleurier. Its biggest draw is its extended power reserve of 120 hours meaning you can take your IWC Pilot’s Mark XX watch off for a total of five days before it will need to be rewound. The Swiss made movement also delivers 21 jewels and a frequency of 28,800vph.
If you’d like to learn more about the new IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XX and shop the collection for yourself, head over to the C W Sellors website here. Alternatively, get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at sales@cwsellors.com
Specifications:
- Case Diameter: 40mm
- Case Height: 10.8mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: Fixed
- Glass: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
- Crown: Screw in
- Case Back: Closed
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: IWC Calibre 32111 automatic winding
- Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
- Power Reserve: 120 hours
- Jewels: 21
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: Black or blue with Superluminova hands and numerals
- Strap: Black or blue calfskin leather
- Buckle: Pin, stainless steel
- Limited: No
- RRP: £4,850
