Introduction: The IWC Big Pilot
A pilot’s watch has long been considered a cornerstone of any well-rounded watch collection. And when you talk about Flieger-style pilot’s replica watches online uk, it doesn’t get any bigger than the International Watch Company’s Big Pilot’s. No other Flieger watch has the mindshare of the Big Pilot’s, and with good reason. It’s a bold, immaculately crafted prestige piece that’s objectively gorgeous and no other competitor has such a wide range of models to choose from. So how did the perfect fake IWC Big Pilot reach Icon status? Let’s climb into the cockpit for a journey back in time, to the dawn of aviation.
Early History
Flieger-style pilot’s copy watches have always been necessarily big, because of their origins as pocket watches adapted for wear on the wrist via welded wire lugs for attaching a strap. One of the big advantages of having a large pocket watch with an oversized crown is that it’s easier to wind with gloves on, perfect for the unheated cockpits of early aircraft. Additionally, the large cases could be worn outside the sleeve of a flight jacket for better visibility.
Swiss made fake IWC created their first pilot-specific wristwatch in 1936 with the introduction of the Special Pilot’s Watch, and followed that with the massive 55mm H/52 T.S.C. built for the Luftwaffe in 1940. It was a handwinder, with a hacking Calibre 431 movement that allowed the wearer to synchronise the watch, vitally important for military operations. With its oversized crown and cockpit instrument look, it’s this watch that is the predecessor to the cheap copy IWC Big Pilots we know today.
Rise To Fame
2002 was a big year for AAA quality replica IWC. The first modern iteration of the Big Pilot watch was released to great reception. Not as big as the dessert-plate sized original, but still way huge, the new version (Ref. 5002) was a massive 46.2mm in diameter, with a case height of 15.2mm, and instantly became a statement piece for many collectors.
While retaining the presence of the original, it differed in a few key ways. It had a new movement, the automatic Calibre 5011, and featured a seven-day power reserve indicator on the military-inspired dial at 3, and a date window at 6, upping the utility for modern tastes. The 1:1 fake IWC UK 5002 kept the oversized crown of the original, however, a signature of the Big Pilot’s design language that remains to this day. Not technically an “onion’ crown, as some call it, the conical crown resembles a huge gemstone, faceted all over for tremendous grip and ease of use.
The sword-shaped hands also carried over from the original, making the IWC Big Pilot replica for men the last word in legibility. The new version wore a historically correct leather strap, with contrast stitching and two rivets at each lug end, further cementing the vintage vibe. If you had the wrist acreage to pull it off, the modern luxury fake IWC Big Pilot’s was impossible to ignore, and found many new fans in the years since its release.
Since its reintroduction, the Big Pilot range has been interpreted in many different flavours, with case materials ranging from steel, titanium, precious metals, and Swiss movement replica IWC’s proprietary ceramic in a variety of colours. A horde of different dial variants and complications were also introduced, including many limited special editions, allowing super clone IWC Big Pilot fans to be truly spoiled for choice. There really is something for everyone.
