Flying High for 75 Years: Meet the Facelifted IWC Mark XX


Celebrating the 75th anniversary of its Mark series, IWC Schaffhausen launches a new execution of the Pilot’s Watch Mark XX with a silver-plated dial. The high-contrast black numerals and indices and the triangular index at 12 o’clock have been slightly reworked so they stand out even more. Luminous coating on these elements ensure great readability in all lighting conditions. There is also a discreet date window integrated at 3 o’clock

The latest addition to the pilot’s watch family that was last updated in 2022 with blue, green, and black dials, the Mark XX comes in a 40-mm stainless steel case that has been re-engineered and given a revised side profile and improved lug geometry. The polished bezel is also very slim and subtle so that the dial can fully unfold its visibility. As is typical for the collection, the case is water resistant to 100 meters and equipped with a front glass, which is specially secured to remain in place even in the event of a sudden pressure drop when airborne. With all these features, the Mark XX stays true to its DNA as a tried-and-tested pilot’s watch that exudes a subtly instrumental-style elegance.

The Mark XX is powered by the self-winding IWC-manufactured 32111 movement. This work house caliber features an antimagnetic silicon escapement and a double pawl winding system, building up a five-day power reserve. It ticks behind a closed case back.

The Mark XX is a truthful successor to the legendary Mark 11 that IWC developed for the British Royal Air Force in 1948. Its 89 caliber was housed in a soft-iron inner case to protect it from magnetic fields. Another essential requirement was perfect legibility. Therefore, the watch featured a high-contrast dial with luminescence, which made it easy to read the time whenever visibility was limited. This functional design in the style of an easy-to-read cockpit instrument has remained a signature trait of IWC Pilot’s Watches ever since. During the following decades, it was continuously upgraded and refined. Even as interference-free radio beacons made astronomical navigation obsolete, the Mark 11 been a critical “backup instrument” for pilots in various Commonwealth countries well into the 1980s.

The Pilot’ s Watch Mark XX is marked at $5,250 for the execution on a black leather strap. Attached to a 5-link metal bracelet, it retails for $6,150.

To learn more, visit IWC, here.

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