You may have noticed that in some of the hands-on photos in the past I wear the watch I’m testing on my right arm. Much to the disdain of the Masthead, I’m one of the odd ones in the watch world, in that I write with my right hand and also wear my watch on the right too. Apart from habit, I also like that the crown does not dig into the back of my hand when I use it. Some might interject here and suggest the way my watch is fitted is”wrong”. I couldn’t care less. The new IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Right Hander edition (also called a ‘lefty’) is designed for people like me who wear their watch on the right rather than the left.
But, who is this one actually for? Technically, the watch is for anyone who can afford the high retail price of €14,900. Aside from that, it depends on the size of your wrist and the side you wear it. For instance, my wrist measures just under seven inches in circumference which can support the heft of the 46.2mm x 15.6mm steel case, but I think that the oversized pilot’s crown that these watches have will dig in and become uncomfortable. In the same way, the regular Big Pilot will do the same for Lefties. Therefore, I’d recommend this to someone with a larger wrist that wears the watch on the left.
Inside the case sits the calibre IWC 52010, which is an in-house made machine. The movement has a large diameter of 38.2mm thanks in part to two barrels which are kept wound by a Pellaton winding system that allows the watch to run for seven days (168 hours) before needing to be rewound. To make life simpler, IWC rotated the movement through 180 degrees, meaning the power reserve and running seconds are the opposite way around compared to the standard Big Pilot. You’ll also find this movement in a few of the more simplistic Portugieser models, too.
If I were to go back and revisit my recent Top 5 article where I looked at the most legible watches, I’d probably need to include this one. The grey dial has loads of white lume on the markers and hands, meaning this large watch will stand out in the dark. To secure the watch when fighter pilots wear it (or indeed those who like to dress like them) the watch comes with a thick leather strap with rivets drilled into it to authenticate the look. It also has a stainless steel pin buckle.
Visit IWC here.
