In the hallowed halls of haute horlogerie, the perpetual calendar commands profound reverence, as its execution demands attention to detail to ensure unwavering precision and accuracy. For IWC Schaffhausen, this journey began four decades ago, when the Schaffhausen-based brand launched the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph (Ref. IW3750), helmed by watchmaker Kurt Klaus. Here, the crown controlled all adjustments, doing away with the need for external pushers, though with one major drawback: the risk of oversetting the watch. Now, 40 years later, the Swiss luxury watchmaker has resolved this issue with the new Perpetual Calendar ProSet module, introduced in three new timepieces at this year’s edition of Watches and Wonders.
“The Perpetual Calendar ProSet is a testament to the comprehensive expertise that our watchmakers and engineers have accumulated in mechanical calendar complications. Protected by several patent applications, this innovation redefines how a perpetual calendar is set and operated. Its fully synchronised design is entirely based on gears and makes adjusting the calendar as easy and intuitive as setting the time,” says Chris Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen, in an official statement.
Another notable detail is the recalculated reduction gear connected to the moon-phase display, positioned at 12 o’clock on the dial. This allows for a deviation of just one day after 1,040 years, a hallmark of precision engineering. This innovation is offered across three renditions of the Big Pilot’s Watch in 18-karat 5N gold, white ceramic, and stainless steel—all powered by the IWC Schaffhausen manufacture Calibre 82665.
The brand has also pared down the sizes of these watches. A typical perpetual calendar is often presented in a generous 46.5mm case. IWC Schaffhausen, however, has opted for 42mm for the steel and gold models, and 43mm for the ceramic version, a marked shift from the case sizes of yesteryears. For a pilot’s watch, these proportions work well, especially for new-age collectors and in a Swiss watch industry that has lately been inching towards smaller, mid-size dials.
The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet Le Petit Prince (Ref. IW339601) is a vision in white, crafted from zirconium oxide ceramic and featuring a deep-blue dial with a gradient finish. Ceramic lends the watch enhanced durability, as it is highly scratch-resistant. The numerals and indices are printed in white on the dial, while the hands are rhodium-plated and filled with Super-LumiNova. Measuring 43mm, it is presented on a white rubber strap featuring the patented EasXChange system, complementing the overall design language.
Then there is the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet Le Petit Prince (Ref. IW329601), which comes in a 42mm stainlesssteel case, fitted with a five-link steel bracelet. This is the sportiest offering of the trio, making it a versatile everyday timepiece that can transition from the boardroom to a night out. It also features a deep-blue dial with rhodiumplated appliques for the indices and numerals, as well as the hands, which are filled with lume. It is also available with a blue rubber strap, which can be easily exchanged without the need for tools. Both versions are fitted with solid stainless-steel crowns and caseback rings featuring an engraving of Edition Le Petit Prince.
The brand has routinely created timepieces that pay tribute to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s most famous novel, Le Petit Prince, which follows the adventures of a young protagonist travelling through the universe, exploring themes of love, loss, and friendship. Here, the rotor of the automatic winding system features a goldplated medallion depicting the Little Prince on his asteroid.
The third model, the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet (Ref. IW329602), comes in a 42mm case crafted from 18-karat 5N gold. It features an olive-green dial, along with applied gold indices and numerals, and hands filled with Super-LumiNova. It is presented on a matching olive-green leather strap fitted with a gold pin buckle, making it particularly suited to those who prefer a classic aesthetic.
The ProSet module allows the watches to be adjusted both forwards and backwards, thanks to an entirely new architecture based on gear wheels and protected by five patents. Many of its components feature highly complex geometries and are manufactured using the LIGA process, a high-precision microstructuring technology that combines lithography and electroplating The calendar displays the date, day, month, and moon-phase functions across four separate sub-dials, along with IWC Schaffhausen’s signature fourdigit year display in a rectangular window nestled between seven and eight o’clock. This is integrated into Calibre 82665, which features IWC Schaffhausen’s Pellaton winding system, now enhanced with ceramic components to reduce wear and tear. This supplies the watch with a power reserve of at least 60 hours once fully wound.