Spitfires in abundance.

I went on to Google Earth and then Biggin Hill, located the airport and found it was a bit busy, the main runway 03 is littered with the Red Arrows taking off in SSW direction and at the end of the runway is a taxiway going at right angles on which or near which are parked a Flying Fortress and one of the two flying Lancasters and to the right is I believe a Hurricane then a Me109 (it may be the trainer variant Me108) and then 6 Spitfires, all of these are flyers rather than taxi or static certified. Does take a bit of close examination but it's there to see. Biggin Hill no longer does the air displays like it used to which used to be three day affairs twice a year. For all air enthusiasts you are unlikely to have a chance to peer down on such a collection all within a stone throws of one another. How fortuoutous to have taken the air shot on that day, even if it was planned, normal rules would have made the air zone off limits to joy riders or passing through aircraft. How many IWCs is not shown!

Just realised there are only eight Red Arrows on the runway as one pilot had died in a crash earlier in 2011, they decided not to replace him for the remainder of the season. The ninth Red Arrow plane near the Spitfires and I have located two more is a spare and the commentators. So that's 8 Spitfires all at one air field and all certified airworthy to air display level. May be IWC may want to sponsor one or two!

It's OT, I know, but there wasn't an Airfair in 2011, so this must be the previous year. Sometimes one Arrow goes U/S so only 8 fly and I have a recollection I was there that day. The two others you see are Folland Gnats, the Arrows previous aircraft who now fly as a private team.
The Arrows pilots wear Br****g Emergency; perhaps some of the other pilots are IWC fans, let's hope so.
Quite astonishing to see this satellite photo, good spot Greg.

And to keep some IWC content, a Spitfire variant honouring a great aviator:

'spitfire':

and a 'cousin':

Ross, an amazing Spitfire 'variant' and pictures, what's the history, I haven't seen that model before?

Dave, it's a St. Exupery chrono (it's really a ref 3717 variant, rather than a Spitfire variant, I suppose, but they are all close cousins!), the first of the St. Exupery limited editions produced in 2007 I think. There has also been a UTC, Big Pilot, BP perpetual and a power reserve St. Exupery special editions.

Antoine de St. Exupery was a French author and pilot who pioneered long distance air mail flights in the 20s and 30s. He joined the airforce (Free French Airforce I think, not RAF) during the war and was shot down off the south coast of France in 1944). His P-38 Lightning was found only within the last couple of years.

Ross, thanks for the info and a great history behind the watch.

Ross - a splendid St Exupery in your Collection.