Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Markus Bühler

Thanks to an aircraft turbine mounted on its small second, the Big Pilot’s Watch Edition “Markus Bühler” from 2008 has become one of the most sought-after special editions from IWC’s history. The Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Markus Bühler, which is limited to 51 pieces worldwide, is an exclusive new interpretation of this collector’s favourite. This time, the characteristic aircraft engine has been integrated into a flying minute tourbillon at 6 o’clock.

In a tourbillon, the balance and escapement are housed in a small cage that rotates around its axis once per minute. The higher its mass and inertia, the more energy it takes to keep the mechanism in motion. To reduce weight, the turbine was machined from a lightweight titanium alloy in a milling process that took several hours. After machining, each of the twelve minuscule blades was polished by hand and finished to an incredibly high level of detail and aesthetic perfection. To avoid adding additional weight to the mechanism, the turbine is used as the upper part of the tourbillon cage, replacing the regulator. As a result, the eye-catcher on the dial also has a technical function: the hairspring attaches to the underside of one of its blades, and the watchmaker can adjust the zero crossing of the balance by turning the turbine. The state-of-the-art tourbillon with its turbine consists of 56 parts and weighs only 0.663 grams. The pallet lever and the escape wheel were treated with Diamond Shell® technology, a special coating that reduces friction and improves the energy flow in the movement, contributing to a high power reserve of 80 hours.

The 43-millimetre case and the crown are crafted from platinum. The case has been elaborately finished by hand with polished surfaces around the bezel and the horns. Thanks to this finishing, the whitish shimmer of the platinum is accentuated beautifully, giving the timepiece a refined, sophisticated appearance. The black lacquered, glossy dial has been imprinted with white numerals and features applied indices filled with Super-LumiNova®. A black Cordovan leather strap with Markus Bühler’s signature printed on the inner side complements the design. Powering this Big Pilot’s Watch 43 is the IWC-manufactured 82905 calibre, featuring a Pellaton winding system with ceramic components. The plates, bridges and the rotor, visible through the sapphire case back, were blackened with a PVD coating, then laser-engraved and finally rhodium-plated in the engraved areas.