IWC Pilot's Watch Timezoner Chronograph

      Swiss watch brand IWC launched a new global timepiece in 2016: with the debut of the Pilot's Watch Timezoner Chronograph, the second time zone can for the first time be adjusted solely via the bezel —— the hour hand, 24-hour time display, and date rotate automatically with it. To date, no watch manufacturer has ever crafted such a simple, practical, and elegant world time watch.

       IWC engineers have integrated multiple technologies into the Pilot's Watch Timezoner Chronograph and further developed them. As a result, the city ring assumes the world time display function: the names of 24 cities are displayed on the polished black rotating bezel —— from London to New York, Tokyo to Dubai, with each city name representing an international time zone. Each country with daylight saving time features a small “S” symbol on the rotating bezel. The word “UTC” beneath “London” displays the current Coordinated Universal Time.

       The rotating bezel spring concept was first applied to the Ocean 2000 watch designed by designer Ferdinand Alexander Porsche in the 20th century 80s, functioning to allow the bezel to move only when pressed and preventing accidental rotation. To set a new time zone, the wearer simply uses their thumb and index finger to press down on the city ring (bezel), rotate the desired time zone to the “12 o'clock ” marker, and release it again. Importantly, pressure must be applied to opposite sides; only in this way can the brake be completely disengaged and the rotating bezel operated in both directions. Upon release, the spring ensures that the bezel returns to its original position. This mechanism effectively avoids accidental misadjustment of time zones. The click-stops of the rotating bezel ensure that the bezel stops accurately at the desired position or at the “S” representing daylight saving time.

Inner and outer rotating bezel enables time zone switching

       A system akin to an inner and outer rotating bezel —— as used in the IWC Aquatimer watch collection — —  solved the challenge for IWC engineers of how to connect the bezel to the internal gear train of the watch. When the city ring is turned, the white hour hand moves forward or backward in hourly increments, displaying the time of the desired time zone. Simultaneously, the black-red 24-hour hand located in the 24-hour inner circle indicates day and night. If the international date line is crossed, the date likewise moves forward or backward by one day depending on the bezel rotation action. Because the hour wheel featuring the 24-hour hand is linked to the date change, all displays can be adjusted simultaneously. In other words: through a single rotational movement of the city ring, the wearer can adjust three displays at once. World time has long been considered by watch connoisseurs to be one of the most practical complications for pilot's watches, and its adjustment has now become remarkably simple.

       The Pilot's Watch Timezoner Chronograph simultaneously accommodates daylight saving time displays. People often forget that global daylight saving time does not transition simultaneously. Some countries do not observe daylight saving time. Some southern hemisphere countries turn their clocks back by an hour, whilst northern hemisphere countries turn theirs forward by an hour. If you check the current time in Rio de Janeiro on a traditional timezone watch, it is often wrong. Therefore, the rotating bezel of this watch features a small “S” mark on all cities that observe daylight saving time, such as London or New York. IWC has patented this display function.

JUNKERS JU 52 Engraving

       The Pilot's Watch Timezoner Chronograph continues the classic pilot's watch colour theme with its black city ring and dial, paired with a Santoni calfskin strap, whilst the white displays create a striking contrast for clear legibility. Thanks to the new IWC manufacture 89760 movement, this timepiece features an innovative display function that quickly and intuitively records timing periods between 1 minutes and 12 hours. The accumulator at the “12 o'clock ” position allows hours and minutes chronograph records to be read as easily as reading the time on the dial. Chronograph records under 60 seconds are displayed centrally by the chronograph hand. With the integrated flyback function, the running chronograph hand can be reset to zero and immediately start a new timing sequence. In this stainless 6-bar water-resistant case, the case back features a Junkers  Ju  52 engraving, commemorating the aircraft that brought the world closely together in the 30s. The “Tante  Ju ” was the most widely used civil airliner globally at the time, operating across continents, so it is hardly surprising that the —— Pilot's Watch Timezoner Chronograph pays tribute to it with an engraving.

Technical Features

Mechanical chronograph movement  – 24 Hour time display  –  Date display  –  Hour, minute and second chronograph functions  – 12 o'clock position time displayshows accumulated hours and minutes  –  Flyback function  –  Small hacking seconds  –  Sapphire crystal securely fitted against displacement by drops in air pressureloosening  –  Special engraved case back

Movement

Movement 89760
Frequency 28800 vibrations per hour / 4 Hz 
Jewels  39 
Power Reserve  68 hours 
Winding  Automatic 

watch

Material Ref. IW395001: Stainless steel case, black dial, black Santoni calfskin strap, stainless steel deployant clasp
Glass  Arched sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating on both sides 
Water Resistance 6 bar
Diameter  45 mm 
Thickness 16.5 mm


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