IWC Pilots getting smaller

[Si]

Will those who criticise the position of the date explain how it's position relative to the edge of the dial can be varied by the manufacturer without recourse to a different movement?

Given current IWC prices, hoping for a movement, case and dial that work together in cohesion surely is not an unreasonable expectation - even if it did involve a movement reengineered for the purpose.

The XVIII just looks wrong to my eye. It throws the whole dial off. The first thing I thought when I saw it was “tiddly movement nicked from some other watch”. This in a watch that will be what, £5-6k perhaps?

Edited to add: Having seen the (ghastly) Mk XVIII Top Gun Miramar, making the date wheel black helps a bit - but not a lot.

[Wooster]

Just sayin'...

[jonny]

Interesting to hear that IWC have made their Mark XVIII pilot watch 1mm smaller than the old one and lost the triple date - no pictures yet though. They've also introduced a 36mm model:



No point calling it a trend as there are plenty of larger models in the range, but it's nice to see some more choice in the sizes instead of just making them bigger year after year. Now they've just got to do the same with their Ingenieur. Go on IWC how about 38mm, or at least trim the giant crown guards a bit?

Any ideas on price?

[Belligero]

I stand corrected, I wasn`t aware that Oris had done something like this. It does require a fair bit of re-engineering for minimal benefit, several dial-side components would need to be altered. Basically it ain`t gonna happen, but I think IWC have compounded the issue greatly by choosing white as the background colour.

Paul

I believe that Oris' simpler method of stacking a larger date disc on top of the existing one doesn't require any other alterations, but I haven't seen this particular one in detail.

Nonetheless, for a smaller company using the same movement to have a solution to the awkward-looking-date-placement-on-big-dial problem available — and at a much lower price — raises the question of why IWC lacks similar attention to detail. :)

[Davis]

I like IWC watches, I have a couple of Aquatimers and would happily have an Ingenieur as well if I had the spare cash. I've had a previous incarnation of the pilot chrono & feel able to comment as IWC has taken a fair amount of my hard earned over the years. I see absolutely nothing in this watch that would make me consider it for a second, it looks a really plain piece.

[Qatar-wol]

I think this is one of my favourite threads in recent weeks - informative, funny, and civilized!

I think I'm with the majority here - the small movement in a large case is a bugbear of mine (see Zenith pilot watches, some of the NOMOS range). I wasn't aware that Oris had got around this problem so nicely.

[Toshk]

That 36mm is perfect!

[tmilligan]

Agree that the xviii looks badly balanced. Feels like they couldn't really be bothered.

The 36mm version does look rather smart, but I think I'll be sticking with my xvi for now...