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Albert Santos Dumont, Good friend of Louis Cartier - The Cartier Santos was the first "pilot's watch" actually
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The wristwatch was a watch and indispensable instrument for flying fora multitude of practical reasons. The pilot's could check flight times,remaining fuel (via calculation), location (via calculation) et cetera.Time was inextricably intertwined with flight. This became extremelyimportant during bombing missions of the WWII. Precision timing wasthen absolute necessity and specialized watches started to emerge.
Modern day pilot's watches are fundamentally shaped by one company- IWC (International Watch Company) based in Schaffausen , Switzerland.
IWC is not a newcomer or new kid on the block with a range ofpilot's watches just because it's the 'in thing' to be selling today.IWC have in fact been involved in pilot's watches since 1930s. The veryfirst IWC pilot's watch began life in 1936 and was dubbed "SpecialWatch for Pilot's". It basically combined all the features that weredeemed necessary for its specific nature of function. It had highlegibility and a rotating bezel that could be operated with a glovedhand.
IWC Ref 436 "Special Watch for Pilots", Shown is one from 1939. This was watch first produced in 1936.
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This original 1936 watch also featured antimagnetic protection andthis was a must give that aviation was increasingly exploiting newinventions in on transmitting devices, radios and radar.
At the beginning of WWII the German Luftwaffe / Reich's AeronauticsMinistry (RLM) collaborated with the German Naval Observatory andinvited various watch companies to submit watches for testing. IWC (andother watch companies) were to develop and produce a very precise watchspecially just for pilot's use. It was designed as a navigation watchor observation watch. The Germans demanded absolute precision and eachindividual piece was tested at the German Gesundbrunnen MarineObservatory in Glashutte before being released into service.
The institute assigned one of three classes: (1) Special Class (2) First Class (2) Second Class.
The IWC was assigned to "B" Watch (i.e navigation watch) Firstclass. These standards also stipulated that the best materials andengineering components were to be used. They had to be equipped withhigh quality balances and have a specially treated balance spring with"breguet" curve. The was regulated in six positions at three differenttemperatures - YES! Three different temperatures.
There are very few manufacturers today that even attempt regulationat 3 differing temperatures. Documents from that era also confirm thatthe watches had to be reliable at -20 degrees C.
It was designed to be worn over the thick flying suit on the arm oreven on the thigh - hence the over-long leather strap riveted to thestrap attachments. The watch was not kept by the pilot but issued atthe start of a mission and most certainly used as a navigational aidfor night and long-range reconnaissance on long-distance flights. Itmay also have been used by bomber pilots also. However, it appears lesslikely that it could have been intended for fighter pilots or Stukapilots.
The watch also had to have a "Hacking" mechanism (i.e. Second handwould stop when the crown was pulled) We take this for granted now, butback in the day the invention of stop-second itself was considered acomplication on a watch. With the "hacking" feature the pilot couldthen synchronize his watch exactly with his counterparts or a knowntiming signal. Typically before a flight the watch would besynchronized with a Chronometer on the ground in the flight preparationroom.
The Legendary IWC Ref 431, Big Pilot's Watch for German Air Force.
Shown here is an example from 1940
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IWC choose the Cal 52 for the base and this was outfitted with someunique modifications. The exact designation of the Caliber used in theIWC "B-uhr" was "52T 19 H6 S.C". The 'T' stood for tirette which meanshand setting by pulling on the crown. 19 is the movement diameter at 19lignes (or 42.25mm) and H6 is the height of the movement at 6mm. The'S.C.' meant that this movement had 'Seconde Centrale' and the gearmechanism for indirect propulsion of the central second hand by theelongated 3rd wheel pivot was added to the normal Cal 52.
The IWC Cal 52 as seen in a Pocket Watch (Without Center Seconds)
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The IWC Cal 52T SC which powered the IWC Ref 431 Big Pilot's Watch for German Air Force
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For the IWC enthusiast and collector you may wish to know that theIWC factory ledger list the diameter as not as 19 lignes but 19/22. The'22 lignes' appears because the movement was outfitted with a movementring that increased the diameter to 22 lignes for fitment into thelarge case.
Mechanically this movement was top class Schauffhausen workmanship.16 jewels, Swan neck fine adjustment, slit metallic balance with weightscrews and fine adjustment screws. The balance spring was of thebreguet overcoil variety terminal curve. The steel lever of the Swisslever escapement was polished glossy but the escapement wheel was mattefinish. The plates, bridges and movement ring was gold plated. Thevisible wheels were all embellished with a sunburst finish.
An exact total of 1200 such movements were manufactured and bore the serial numbers 1013801 to 1015000.
1000 of these were delivered to the German Luftwaffe using arecipient named "Siegfried Heindorf" in Berlin as watches. The firstbatch consisted of watches were equipped with a cylindrical crown andthe later batch had the conical crowns that we associate so stronglywith today as a design cue.
The remaining 200 Cal 52 S.C. movements were delivered and used as deck watches by the British Royal Navy.
The German B-uhr watch was a steel case with diameter 55mm (today'smodern IWC big pilot is 46mm so at 55mm is the original grand daddy ofbig pilots is living large!). Horn to horn the watch as 67mm and itscase height was 17.5mm. The dials werre 0.9mm thick and had a diameterof 49mm. The glow in the dark coating used was radium.
IWC Ref 431 from 1940 - The Original Big Pilot's Watch
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One notable marking is the fact that "FL.23883" was stamped on theside of the case. "FL" stood for Fliegnummer (flying number) and '23'meant a device for flight monitoring. The final '883' digits wereactually assigned by the German Testing Office for Aeronautics(Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt).
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IWC Ref 431 seen from the back - Stamped "BA 2690":
*Stamp in black color BA = factory control, the stamps have beenmade by certified examiner, who has ensured that the watches, they havestamped correspond in their execution to those of the sampleexamination of the DVL: Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt.
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The "Conical" crown on the IWC Ref 431 that we associate so much with pilot's watches today.
The oversized crown allowed the wearer to operate the watch with gloves on.
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IWC was not the only supplier of this navigational watch to the GermanLuftwaffe. The navigation wristwatches designated "FL23883" came fromIWC, Lange & Soehne, Wempe, Walter Storz (Stowa) and Lacher &Co (Laco). There were all extreme horological specialties and are morethan worth their weights in gold present day.
Shown below is a similar German Air Force FL 23883 watch
This time supplied by a maker in the Glashutte Region of Germany.
Note that the same numbers "FL.23883" are stamped on the side of the case.
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Today the IWC "B-uhr" legacy lives on as the IWC Big Pilot's watch.The cal 52 is not longer used and the new movement is the IWC 5000 basethat now gives it 7 days of power reserve. The latest versions of thismovement are modern free sprung balance wheels and tick along at21,600vph with breguet overcoil.
Will let the pictures speak for themselves.
IWC Ref 500421 - Big Pilot's Watch Edition Antoine de St Exupery in Rose Gold (4N)
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IWC Ref 500420 - Big Pilot's Watch Edition Antoine de St Exupery in White Gold
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IWC Ref 500422 - Big Pilot's Watch Edition Antoine de St Exupery in Stainless Steel
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IWC Ref 500413 in Platinum, This is the "Father" part of a 2 watch set known as "Father & Son"
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IWC Ref 500402 in White Gold
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IWC Ref 500401 in Stainless Steel
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The IWC Big Pilot Family
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发表于 2009-8-9 11:42
