I loved the Big Pilot LPP when Nad posted the pictures of what I think was the first one in the world. I loved it when I bought what was claimed by the Boutique to be the first one to enter the US. And I love it still. I think the strap is a great match for the watch and looks terrific.
Nevertheless, I have long wondered what the watch would look like on a bracelet. I generally prefer sporty watches on bracelets, dressy watches on straps. I felt the beautiful blue dial would contrast perfectly with an appropriate steel bracelet. But how would I ever know for sure?
I contacted Tracy (“Kokoro”) who apparently some time ago modified some end links on a bracelet to fit one of his Big Pilots. Tracy was very helpful but I didn’t want to risk an expensive bracelet and didn’t have what would be needed to attempt a modification.
I have seen quite a few aftermarket mesh bracelets, but I doubted whether the fine mesh would be a good match for the massiveness of the BP, especially given the bold font used on the LPP version. Finally I found what seemed to be worth a shot, at least to test the look. This “Breitling Style” bracelet has solid links that I feel are better matched than mesh to a pilot watch . I wish all links were brushed rather than a combination of brushed and polished, but that can be easily remedied.
We IWC fans are accustomed to fitted end pieces on bracelets. That’s not possible for an aftermarket bracelet, and this has straight ends. But that is how our straps come, and Breitling successfully employs this design on pilot watches, so maybe….
Hey! Look who we can see in the reflection!
The bracelet has a push button double deployant design, which I generally find more comfortable than the foldover single deployant styles.
Well, what do you think of the look?
OK, let me “fess up”. This is an inexpensive aftermarket bracelet. Really inexpensive. It cost a whole USD $70 !!! While the label on the package says “Richard Eichmuller” and gives a street address in Munich, the website from which I bought it was honest in saying it was made in China. Gee, for $70, who would have guessed?
It is quite hefty and I think the design and mass are well suited to the watch, though as I said, I wish all the links were brushed rather than some polished. It remains to be seen how durable the deployant clasp is and how well it remains closed. Clearly the biggest cost cutting and weakest point is the pin system with which the links are fastened together and through whose removal the bracelet is sized. They’re really bad. But it is not my point to review the bracelet. Who would wear a $70 bracelet on a $16,000 watch? I was at least willing to invest $70 to test the look, and this thing may surprise me yet.
Based on this trial, I sure wish IWC would offer a bracelet for the Big Pilot. So what do you guys think of it?
