DAMAN^AUGUST/SEPTEMBER2019170
SPECIAL REPORTW
ith six distinct collections, IWC
Schaffhausen really has something
for everyone. That being said, nothing
really sparks the imagination quite like the
brand’s impressive collection of pilot’s watches.
Bold and expressive, these timepieces conjure
up a sense of adventure from the golden age
of aviation when airmen were pioneers; they
invoke the mechanical precision and gentlemanly
conduct of combat pilots from some of the mostON WINGS OF
SILVER
IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN CELEBRATES ITS RICH
HERITAGE IN AVIATION WITH A SPECIAL
EXHIBITION OF ITS PILOT’S WATCHES. JOEZER
MANDAGI REPORTS FROM KUALA LUMPURstoried conflicts in history; but most importantly,
they invoke the heady mixture of self-assured
swagger and consummate professionalism that all
pilots seem to have.
As it so happens, 2019 has been set as the
year of pilot’s watches for IWC and as part of
this ongoing theme, last July the brand held
an amazing Pilot’s Watches Exhibition at the
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur shopping mall in the
bustling capital of Malaysia.The exhibition was officially opened on the
evening of July 2, but the venue started attracting
attention way before that. For one, it was situated
in the middle of Pavilion Kuala Lumpur’s
Centre Court. And then there was the gleaming,
impossible-to-miss life-size replica of the Silver
Spitfire looming over the booth.
The Silver Spitfire, by the way, is another
important part of IWC’s story of aviation this
year. As its name implies, it is one of the many
surviving specimens of the World War II era
Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft. More
importantly, it is one of the several dozen that are
airworthy, having been meticulously restored and
hand-polished to give it a unique silvery sheen.
This August, if all goes well, it will embark on a
43,000 kilometer round-the-world flight, with
British pilots Matt Jones and Steve Boultbee
Brooks taking turns in the cockpit.
IWC’s support for the “Silver Spitfire – The
Longest Flight” project came as no surprise. The
brand has previously commemorated the Spitfire