In a tradition spanning back to 2006, IWC has announced its annual release of a special-edition timepiece to support the charitable efforts of Laureus Sport for Good in its stated mission of “using sport to transform the lives of children and young people and end violence, discrimination, and disadvantage.” This year’s model, the Pilot’s Watch Automatic Edition “Laureus Sport for Good,” also has the distinction of being the first in the series to pair the hallmark Laureus Blue dial with a case made of tough, scratch-resistant ceramic.
The 41-mm case’s rich blue color is achieved through a complex manufacturing process in which powdered zirconium oxide is mixed with other metallic oxides, with the mixture then being shaped and sintered in a furnace. As with all colored ceramics — like the sand-colored variety used in IWC’s Top Gun Mojave Desert Edition of 2019 — the process is extremely difficult and requires the highest level of quality and purity in the materials used. The ultra-legible cockpit-style dial, in the signature Laureus blue of the collection, features black-outlined sword hands and large Arabic numerals, all treated with Super-LumiNova; a central red-tipped seconds hand that skips along the white outer minute track; a date window at 3 o’clock, and the historical triangle and dots for orientation at 12 o’clock.
The caseback, made of titanium, also follows in the traditions established by previous Laureus Sport for Good timepieces, hosting an engraving of the winning artwork from the annual drawing contest that the watchmaker organizes in cooperation with the charitable foundation. This year’s winning entry came from 12-year-old Melissa Mejia Castilla from Colombia and is titled “Vivir en Armonia” (Living in Peace). Behind the caseback, and protected against magnetic fields within a soft iron inner case, is IWC’s manufacture Caliber 32111, an automatic movement with a hacking seconds function whose improved barrel construction holds a lengthy power reserve of five days. A screw-down crown ensures the case’s water resistance of 100 meters.
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Edition “Laureus Sport for Good,” the fifteenth special edition in the series, is available now through IWC boutiques, authorized retail partners, and online at IWC.com. Limited to 750 pieces, it is priced at $6,250.
Nice watch, I usually like the IWC lineup, particularly their long-standing models. This one is a cross between field watch and pilot watch, at least to my eye. Love the legibility, and the color, not sure of the titanium case.