A Closer Look At The IWC  Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN Lake Tahoe

Today, we are taking a closer look at the all-new  (available for sale as of July 2023)  IWC  Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN Lake Tahoe watch, which is part of the brand’s Colors of Top Gun series. This newest complicated Big Pilot’s watch is crafted in the same white ceramic called IWC Lake Tahoe by IWC and Pantone, that was first introduced in the Big Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun in 2022. The color is inspired by white uniforms and the winter landscape around freshwater Lake Tahoe, which is a mountainous area that pilots of the nearby TOP GUN flight school frequently fly over.

While the high-tech ceramic case color isn’t new, the timepiece most certainly is – and it is taking the sports world by storm. In fact, just recently, avid F1 fans may have spotted Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS team driver, and IWC ambassador, wearing it.

The 46.5mm watch boasts a black dial and black hands with white Super-LumiNova coating. It is equipped with IWC’s in-house-made perpetual calendar movement, caliber 52615,  that was developed by Kurt Klaus in the 1980’s and that has enjoyed several improved iterations.  It tracks the different lengths of the months and the leap years – requiring no manual adjustment until the year 2100 (when the scheduled leap year will be skipped).

Thanks to a special reductionist gear train, the moonphase indication on the watch, a patented double moon phase that shows the moon in the northern and southern hemispheres,  is so precise that it will only deviate by one day after 577.5 years. The movement also boasts the Pellaton winding system and seven days of  power reserve. It is visible via a transparent sapphire case back.

The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN Lake Tahoe version is both stealth and sleek at the same time. The white accents on the pitch black dial make it incredibly easy to read and the oversized crown is the prefect reminder that this is a pilot’s watch. It can go anywhere in the world with complete accuracy without an adjustment for more than 500 years — longer than multiple generations of wearers. It will be available as of July 2023; it is eligible for registration under the My IWC care program and can benefit from a 6-year extension to the standard 2-year International Limited Warranty.

(This article by Roberta Naas was first published on Forbes.com.)