Big Pilot Constant-Force Tourbillon Le Petit Prince / Platinum

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 13.5 mm it is a tall case, and it will catch on a cuff. The case back is closed, so the movement stays out of sight, 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 is hand-wound, so winding it becomes part of the day rather than something the watch does for you. 96 hours of reserve puts it well past a weekend — several days off the wrist and it is still going. At 18,000 vph the seconds hand advances 5 times a second, the slower and more audible rate of an older design.

IW5903-02 is one of 2 executions of the IW5903 base reference. Underneath they are the same watch; what separates this one is a blue sunburst dial and a platinum case. It was a limited edition. Introduced in 2019. Beyond the time it carries a tourbillon.

IWC manufactured 94805 calibre (94000-calibre family) is a hand-wound movement with a tourbillon escapement. A patented constant force mechanism is integrated into the tourbillon, ensuring a stable amplitude of the balance - visible through 1 second jumps of the tourbillon. After having run for 48 hours, the constant force mechanism is decoupled and the tourbillon will move in regular 1/5th of a second intervals. It furthermore features a day/night indication, double moonphase display and a 96 hour power reserve.

3 other watches in the library run the IWC 94805.

IWC

Portugieser Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “150 Years” Platinum / White

IW5902-02 · 46 mm

IWC

Big Pilot Constant-Force Tourbillon Le Petit Prince / Red Gold

IW5903-03 · 46 mm

IWC

Portugieser Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “150 Years” Platinum / Blue

IW5902-03 · 46 mm