There’s no doubt that IWCis a prestigious company with technological watchmaking prowess, but it has also gotten some flak in the past for using modified ETA or other third party movements in its entry level (yet still relatively expensive) pilot watches like the iconic Mark XVIII. The choice to use ébauche movements also had some effect on the external design of the watch, like the awkwardly placed date window that didn’t align with anything else on the dial.
We’re delighted to see that the new Spitfire Collection of the IWC pilot watches now all utilize in-house movements. The IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Spitfireis the simplest of the bunch, retaining the famously clean design of the Mark XI yet seriously beefed up internal mechanics with IWC-manufactured 32110 caliber movement and a bidirectional pawl-winding complication that can build up a 72-hour power reserve.
Available in both bronzeand steel, the Spitfire’s 39-millimeter bronze case is water resistant to 6 bars of pressure and features a soft-iron inner case to protect against interference from magnetic fields. Its green dial face is luminescent for easy nighttime viewing and its robust but luxurious strap is composed of brown calfskin.