70 years ago, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry took off from a military base in Corsica on a Lockheed P-38 Lightning for a reconnaissance flight over France, which never returned. The inquiry to know the reasons of his disappearance only stopped in 1998 when a fisherman found Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's bracelet in his nets. The watch manufacture in Schaffhausen celebrated the last flight of the famous pilot and writer through three limited special editions featuring ceramic silicon nitride cases: the Pilot's Watch Chronograph Edition "The Last Flight" is available in titanium, red gold or platinum.
A tradition of commitment to social causes
Sotheby's Geneva will auction one of the platinum models, in November. IWC will donate the entire proceeds to the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation, which champions the great Frenchman's humanitarian philosophy and is involved in projects aimed at improving literacy among children and young people across the world. On this occasion, the money is destined for the Hospital Pequeno Principe in Curitiba. Brazil's largest children's hospital is a respected centre specializing in highly complex heart operations, organ and bone transplants. The funds that will be collected will provide the hospital's recreational area will soon have a library to offer its young patients.
Helping young people to help themselves
"Our sense of social responsibility reflects what happens in our own company", explains Georges Kern. IWC Schaffhausen, well known for its almost 80 years’ experience in the manufacture of Pilot’s Watches, decided to pursue a partnership with Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s descendants due to their many shared values. They both share a passion for flying, technology and engineering, and have a pronounced sense of social responsibility.
A watch to commemorate the final flight
Usually, special editions dedicated to the legendary pilot are in tobacco colour. For new models of the Pilot’s Watches in “The Last Flight” Chronograph Edition, the brand has adapted a brown ceramic case made from silicon nitride, a brown dial with a calfskin strap in the same colour. The rugged case, made of high-performance ceramic silicon nitride, has several outstanding properties such as enormousheat resistance, unusual hardness, corrosion resistance and very low wear and tear. The sapphire glass has an antireflective
coating on both sides and is secured against drops in air pressure, while the case is water-resistant to 6 bar. Developed and manufactured by IWC entirely in Schaffhausen, the 89361 calibre is a technical masterpiece. Stop times up to 12 hours are clearly displayed on an analogue hour and minute counter on a subdial. The back of the watch is engraved with a special image which commemorates the 70th anniversary of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s last flight. The timepiece itself is packaged in a leather case embossed with the same motif as the exquisite engraving on the case back, and is accompanied by a rotor-shaped letter opener in stainless steel.
