Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “The Last Flight” IW388006

On 31 July 1944, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry took off on what was scheduled to be his last reconnaissance flight in a Lockheed P-38 Lightning, heading for Grenoble. He never returned. In the year 2000, parts of a Lightning were discovered on the bed of the Mediterranean, later recovered and in 2004 conclusively identified as Saint-Exupéry’s reconnaissance plane. Now, 70 years after Saint-Exupéry’s last flight, IWC honours the celebrated author and humanist with three limited-edition versions of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “The Last Flight”. The watch, which is equipped with the IWC-manufactured 89361 calibre, is largely tobacco brown in colour, a feature as typical of the “Saint Ex” special editions as the calfskin strap with cream-coloured quilted stitching. The case, made of extremely light and rugged silicon nitride, is a world-first from IWC. The push-buttons, crown and case back are made of titanium, 18-carat red gold or platinum. The engraving on the reverse side shows a likeness of Saint-Exupéry in his flying suit together with the inscription “The Last Flight – 1944 / 2014”.