IWC Big Pilot

Reach out to Tmaso at Thewatchbox.com for purchase and pricing details. One more little piece of mind: this watch is designed so if you're in an aircr...

There are many feathers in its cap and this watch is remarkable inside and out.

Alrighty, and you're going to go with this bad boy. Careful my baby. Yeah

1. IWC Pilot 36, sunburst blue dial (IW324008) - 36mm: My newest acquisition! Back in July or August, my partner and I spent a few hours at a few local watch ADs for some watch "window shopping". I'd had a huge brand crush on IWC since March, so I was super excited to try on some of their models.

Took the day to swing by a few AD’s today to check out some watches. Tried on a IWC Big Pilot for the first time. Aside from being clearly too large for my 6.75 inch wrists, I genuinely liked the watch. Having never experienced an IWC, it did seem like a quality piece.

Can't believe this is not mentioned yet - I'd say this is more of an alternative to an IWC Pilot Chronograph, especially the older, smaller ones like the IWC 3706. They share the same base caliber (ETA 7750) and dial layout.

Honestly, I’d sell the Tudor Chrono and get something a bit more formal. Mix it up. Maybe a JLC or one of the Breitling Heritage Premier B09s. Or, hell, you’ve got a Land, Sea and Space collection. Maybe get an IWC Pilot.

The quality is SUPERB and it feels about the same as the quality in my IWC Big Pilot 5002. If I try to compare these two watches to Rolexes that I own - these IWC's are on a different level. Without a doubt. The Santoni strap (which is the original black alligator strap) is VERY high quality and propably the most high quality strap I have ever seen.

John is a master storyteller and wordsmith, and he was nothing short of that in the video. Among the pieces he showcased included an IWC Big Pilot, contemporary 116710 BLNR, Rolex mil-sub. What I found to be most profound about this video was (1) he didn’t once talk about value or investment and (2) he was so passionate about each piece, and had personal stories to share for most.

Lastly, what I like most about IWC is that they aren’t trying to gimmick you. Like any watch brand today there is redundancy in their collection and they will offer special editions, but no matter what particular model you choose you’re getting comparable watches and an example that can stand on its own as an example of the larger line. If you own one Big Pilot, that’s probably all you’ll need. If they release a newer model a few years down the line, your model will still stand the test of time and represent the brand well.