IWC Schaffhausen announces the exclusive Big Pilot’s Watch Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry in platinum to go on auction at Sotheby’s in Geneva

Luxury Swiss watchmaker IWC announced that the one-of-a-kind platinum edition of the IWC Big Pilot - Antoine de Saint Exupéry will be auctioned off by Sotheby's on May 9th, 2010 in Geneva. The auction called "Important Watches" will take place at the Hotel Beau Rivage from 8:00pm onwards. Sotheby's will be exhibiting all watches included in the auction in several cities. Unfortunately only the exhibitions in Geneva and Hong Kong will be open to public.

The Big Pilot’s Watch Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry in platinum is an exclusive icon of Swiss-manufactured aviator watches that is highly distinctive both in terms of looks and functionality. Its sporty elegance features a high-caliber platinum watch case, tobacco brown dial and a special back engraving depicting Saint Exupéry as a military pilot. Its classic functionality and superior mechanical properties also set this watch apart. The IWC-manufactured 51111 caliber with automatic Pellaton winding, 7-day power reserve, power reserve display, Breguet spring and date display make this novel timepiece one of the best in its
class, a fact reflected in its reserve price.

The auction will open on 9 May in Geneva at the Hotel Beau Rivage, and the Big Pilot’s Watch Edition Antoine de Saint Exupéry in platinum will be auctioned together with a special edition of the Saint Exupéry biography “L’archange et l’écrivain” by Nathalie Des Vallières at a reserve price of CHF 50,000. The entire proceeds from the auction of this timepiece will be donated by IWC Schaffhausen to the French organization “Enfants du Monde/Droits de l’Homme” (EMDH), which works worldwide to protect children and their rights. In particular, IWC supports projects in Madagascar, where EMDH has been working together with local partners since 1994 to help disadvantaged children.

IWC watches are available exclusively in Nashville, TN and Miami, FL at King Jewelers. For more information regarding IWC watches and the IWC Big Pilot - Antoine de Saint Exupéry, please visit http://www.iwc.com/ and http://www.kings1912.com/.

Luxury Sport Watch of the Year: IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph

The winner of King Jeweler’s Luxury Sport Watch of the Year as released at the SIHH 2010 show hosted in Geneva during late January, IWC triumphs with release of the Yacht Club collection back in the iconic Portuguese case. The 45.4mm Yacht Club Chronograph is the first sporty IWC model in the Portuguese family and houses IWC’s manufacture caliber 89360. Its chronograph permits the recording of aggregate times of up to twelve hours on the common counter for the minutes and hours and can be reset to zero via the flyback function at any time while running, so that it is instantly ready to start measuring a new time.

Designed for nautical duty, a screw-in crown and crown protection help protect against the elements, and the case offers 6 bar water resistance. Consistent with the sporty theme, this watch has luminescent indices and hands – a first in the Portuguese family.

The Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph is available in three variants: 1) steel with a silver-plated dial, rhodium-plated luminescent hands and appliqués; 2) steel with a black dial, silver-plated flange and rhodium-plated hands and appliqués, also luminescent; 3) 18 carat red gold with a slate-colored dial with a sun pattern ground finish, subtly contrasted by the black small seconds display circle and the black ring for the aggregate minutes of the chronograph. This model is distinguished additionally by gold-plated hands and solid red gold appliqués. All three variants are worn on a black rubber strap with a folding clasp. The sapphire-glass back offers a clear view of the IWC-manufactured movement with double-pawl winding.

Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph Specifications
Movement: Calibre 89360
- Beats: 28,800/h- Jewels: 40- Power reserve: 68 h- Winding: automatic
Glass: sapphire, convex, anti-reflective coating on both sides
Back: see-through sapphire-glass back
Crown: screw-in
Water-resistant to 6 bar
Diameter 45.4mm
Height 14.5mm

The IWC Yacht Club Chronograph is priced at $12,600 in steel and $23,100 in red gold (USD). The Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph will be available at IWC boutiques in June. King Jewelers is proud to offer the IWC Portuguese Yacht Club Chronograph collection in September, but will allow collectors a first-hand glimpse at King Jeweler’s Nashville Watch Fair to be hosted April 23rd and 24th at King Jewelers in Green Hills, TN. For more info, visit http://www.kings1912.com/ or http://www.iwc.com/.