Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition Antoine de Saint Exupery

In Context

At 46 mm it is a large watch — well above this catalogue’s 40 mm median, and enough to dominate a narrow wrist. At 16 mm it is very tall, and sits high off the wrist. The case back is open, so the movement is visible without taking the watch apart, and the sapphire crystal will resist everything short of deliberate abuse. 60 m covers rain and hand-washing comfortably; it is not a watch to swim in.

The movement winds itself from the motion of your wrist. 168 hours of reserve puts it well past a weekend — several days off the wrist and it is still going. At 28,800 vph the seconds hand advances 8 times a second.

IW5038-01 is one of 2 executions of the IW5038 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a stainless steel case. It was a limited edition. Beyond the time it carries a perpetual calendar.

Introduced in 2015, the 52610 is the latest version of IWC's 7-day power reserve perpetual calendar movement. Its movement notably sports twin barrels and a solid gold rotor. Contrary to the 52615 it has a single moonphase.

10 other watches in the library run the IWC 52610.

IWC

Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Single Moon Platinum / Black

IW503311 · 44.2 mm

IWC

Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition 'A Tribute to the 1st IWC Pilot's Watch'

IW5038-02 · 46 mm

IWC

Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Single Moon Red Gold / Silver

IW5033-02 · 44.2 mm

IWC

Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Single Moon Red Gold / Dubail

IW5033-08 · 44.2 mm