IWC Schaffhausen has announced the release of two new Pilot’s Watches honouring Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s celebrated novella The Little Prince.
The models are the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Le Petit Prince (Ref. IW504901) and the Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince (Ref. IW329501), each showcasing a high complication in tribute to the enduring legacy of the French author and aviator.
The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Le Petit Prince marks the brand’s first use of blue ceramic in a ‘Le Petit Prince’ edition. Limited to 100 pieces, the timepiece features a 46.5 mm blue ceramic case, matched with a blue dial and rubber strap. It includes an 18-carat 5N gold crown and case back ring. Gold-plated hands and appliques with Super-LumiNova ensure readability. The watch combines a perpetual calendar with a flying minute tourbillon at 12 o’clock, both driven by the IWC-manufactured 51950 calibre. The perpetual calendar, developed by IWC’s Kurt Klaus in the 1980s, displays date, day, month, year and moon phase, and is accurate for 577.5 years. A four-digit year display and single-crown adjustment underline its technical sophistication.
The tourbillon, consisting of 82 parts and weighing just 0.635 grams, compensates for gravity’s effects on accuracy. Its rotor, visible through the sapphire glass back, is crafted in solid gold and depicts the Little Prince on asteroid B612, consistent with the watch’s thematic dedication.
The second release, the Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince, is limited to 150 pieces and features a 43 mm platinum case and a sunray-finished deep blue dial. Rhodium-plated hands and numerals filled with Super-LumiNova enhance visibility. Powered by the IWC-manufactured 82905 calibre, the watch integrates a flying minute tourbillon at 6 o’clock, also weighing 0.635 grams. Diamond Shell® technology improves energy efficiency and supports an 80-hour power reserve. The rotor, again shaped as the Little Prince, reflects IWC’s attention to storytelling detail.
IWC has partnered with the Antoine de Saint Exupéry Youth Foundation since 2006. The organisation supports educational, cultural and social initiatives for young people, aligned with the values expressed in Saint-Exupéry’s work.
