Silly question but why do IWC name a range of watches after the Spitfire?
I mean is it the watch design or is there any historic/other association with this WWII aircraft?
I understand that IWC did supply the Air Ministry with watches after the war, could this be it?
If I remember well, the name Spitfire was still available. It is a nice name, the name IWC had in mind originally was a disaster, I forgot about it. The name was not chosen because of IWC's involvement in the second world war.
Kind regards,
Paul
From IWC's web site....
The first Spitfire prototype took off on its maiden flight on 5th March 1936. The Air Ministry was in raptures: the new plane was “a true aeronautical thoroughbred”. At the same time, about 800 kilometres away as the crow flies, in the Swiss town of Schaffhausen, a group of designers and watchmakers were finishing a completely different type of prototype: the IWC Special Pilot’s Watch. That same year, the first IWC Pilot’s Watch was unveiled to the public.
The aircraft and timepiece not only have their years of creation in common but the two original models also brought revolutionary new mechanics and functional design to their respective fields. The Spitfire, a technological and aerodynamic masterpiece, was to become a true legend. Over 20,000 units and 24 different versions of the Spitfire were produced in its illustrious career – a figure that has remained unequalled in Great Britain to this day. With its first Pilot’s Watch in the mid 1930s, IWC Schaffhausen was reacting to the demands placed on timekeeping in the air. The movement was adjusted for temperature extremes and, in view of the strong magnetic fields in the cockpit, the escapement was nonmagnetic. The black dial, with its high-contrast, luminescent displays, has left a lasting impression on the cockpit-style design, still popular today for classical pilot’s watches.
Outstanding!
Thank you.
I have just ordered a Mark XII and cannot wait until it is delivered :)
Hope your Mark XII arrives soon.
If I understand correctly IWC used the Spitfire name first for the Limited edition of 1000 for the UK market and the Mark XV.
The story linking IWC Schaffhausen to the Spitfire aeroplane is a romantic prose gesture.