IWC unveils the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition “Le Petit Prince” created as a tribute to the famous novel written by legendary writer and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
In 2013, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novella "The Little Prince" celebrates its 70th anniversary. On this occasion, IWC - partner of the charitable Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation - is releasing the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition “Le Petit Prince” in stainless steel, limited to 1,000 watches.
In both form and function, the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition“ Le Petit Prince” closely follows the classic Pilot’s Watches from IWC. Its precision, reliability and authentic cockpit-style design embodies their fundamental values.
Like cockpit instrumentation, the midnight blue dial is reduced to essentials, and legibility is the priority. IWC’s designers have modified the date window to make it look more like a board instrument, with its vertically arranged numerals giving the impression of an altimeter. The current date is indicated by a triangle.
A poetic detail evokes the little prince is the counterpoise in the form of a small star at the rear end of the seconds hand. It is a reminder that the boy was the prince of a minuscule star before he started to explore the earth.
The case back is decorated with an engraving that shows the little prince with his fluttering scarf standing on a tiny asteroid.
The Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition “Le Petit Prince” is water-resistant to 6 bar, is powered by an automatic 30110-calibremovement and has a 42-hour power reserve.
In terms of precision and robustness, the Mark XVII meets the full schedule of specifications for professional Pilot’s Watches from Schaffhausen. With its soft iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields and a front glass secured against sudden drops in pressure, the Mark XVII takes up a tradition established by its historical forebear, the Mark 11 of the 1940s.
Part of the proceeds from sales of the special editions Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince” and the Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition “Le Petit Prince” will go to the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation to support its worldwide commitment against illiteracy. Quite in keeping with the thinking of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who once wrote: “Your task is not to foresee the future, but to enable it.”
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