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23 January 2012 | By Laura McCreddie

IWC- Portofino Chronograph Edition

Laureus Sport for Good Foundation

The Portofino Chronograph Edition Laureus Sport for Good Foundation in stainless steel is available in a limited edition of 2,500 watches. The exclusive timepiece in the hallmark shade of blue combines understated elegance with a distinctive sporting flair and is a perfect example of successful design and modern technology.

The stopwatch elements have been so skillfully integrated that the simplicity typical of the Portofino is retained. The chronograph dial, too, is equally restrained without sacrificing any of its functionality. The aggregate timing displays are joined by a small seconds at 9 o’clock, which elegantly counterbalances the day and date displays on the opposite side of the dial.

The Portofino Chronograph Edition Laureus Sport for Good Foundation is powered by the tried and tested 79320 calibre with a 44-hour power reserve and automatic winding with a ball bearing rotor. A special engraving embellishes the back of the case.

Technical Details

Mechanical chronograph movement, date and day display, small hacking seconds, case back engraving based on the winning entry to the Time to inspire drawing competition, limited to 2,500 watches in stainless steel

Calibre – 79320

Frequency – 28,800A/h/ 4 Hz

Jewels – 25

Power reserve – 44 h

Winding – automatic

Materials – stainless-steel case, blue dial with rhodium plated Roman numerals

Strap – blue alligator leather with pin buckle in stainless steel

Glass – sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides

Water-resistant – 3 bar

Diameter – 42 mm

Height -13.5 mm

Time to look to the future

Portofino Chronograph Edition Laureus Sport for Good Foundation

Schaffhausen, February 2012 – With a limited special edition for the Laureus Sport for Good

Foundation, IWC Schaffhausen is showing its support for the sixth time to children and adolescents who are confronted with the most trying conditions in the course of their everyday lives. The watch manufacturer is launching the Portofino Chronograph in characteristic Laureus blue as a symbol of hope for a better future.

“As a Global Partner of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, IWC Schaffhausen is launching another watch with a mission that goes well beyond keeping the exact time,” says CEO Georges Kern.

“The Portofino Chronograph Edition Laureus Sport for Good Foundation is an ambassador for children and young people from all over the world who lead lives that are far from blessed and are in urgent need of our support. We are able – and willing – to lend a helping hand.”

Since 2005, the Schaffhausen based company has been a driving force behind Laureus, which supports over 90 projects worldwide that give socially underprivileged children and adolescents the hope of a better life and show them ways of helping themselves. Every year, in keeping with a revered tradition, IWC Schaffhausen selects a model from its collection as a means of supporting the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

In 2012, it is the Portofino Chronograph’s turn to sustain this sport-inspired range of watches. The watch that gives fresh heart The Portofino Chronograph Edition Laureus Sport for Good Foundation in stainless steel is available in a limited edition of 2,500 watches. The exclusive timepiece in the hallmark shade of blue combines understated elegance with a distinctive sporting flair and is a perfect example of successful design and modern technology. The stopwatch elements have been so skilfully integrated that the simplicity typical of the Portofino is retained. The chronograph dial, too, is equally restrained without sacrificing any of its functionality. The aggregate timing displays are joined by a small seconds at “9 o’clock”, which elegantly counterbalances the day and date displays on the opposite side of the dial. The Portofino Chronograph Edition Laureus Sport for Good Foundation is powered by the triedand- tested 79320 calibre with a 44-hour power reserve and automatic winding with a ballbearing rotor. A special engraving embellishes the back of the case.

This year, in keeping with tradition, IWC Schaffhausen organized its annual children’s drawing competition among all the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation projects worldwide. The subject “Time to inspire” motivated children and young people all over the world, aged between 4 and 16, to take part. The jury finally chose an illustration by 7-year-old Kumara Wadu Parami Apsara from Sri Lanka, who is part of the Seenigama Sport for Life project.

The young girl, who was born exactly a month before the devastating tsunami, took inspiration from the subject to depict four young girls happily playing and enjoying themselves without a care in the world. The winning entry is engraved into the case back of the special edition and serves as a reminder that part of the proceeds from sales will help children all over the world come to terms with their difficulties and find renewed courage despite all the setbacks and losses they have suffered.

Sri Lanka struggles to create a new life

The last three decades in Sri Lanka have been marked by fear and suffering. A 30-year civil war that ended only in 2010 destroyed a large proportion of the island and violently ripped many communities apart. The effects of the horrendous tsunami that hit in December 2004 are still keenly felt, even 7 years later. In April 2005, 4 months after the catastrophe, representatives of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation first paid a visit to the devastated southern province of Sri Lanka around Galle.

Under the leadership of cricketing legend and Laureus World Sports Academy member Sir Ian Botham, the team looked into ways of using sport to give children and adolescents in the crisis stricken region something they could count on and use, to make a large contribution to building the country. Following its visit, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation began cooperating with the locally active Foundation of Goodness and set up the Seenigama Sport for Life project as a means of actively supporting the region. While the first priority was to heal the mental wounds and rebuild the country and its infrastructure after the tsunami, the focus today is on a long-term commitment.

The Seenigama Sport for Life project offers coaching in cricket, volleyball, swimming, basketball and badminton from which more than 1,400 children and young people in eight village schools now benefit. Sport is also used as a means of tackling the many social problems, and this is having a positive effect on the entire region. The Foundation of Goodness has also extended its efforts to the north of the country. It is the only non-governmental organization involved and, together with the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, is fostering post-war development in Sri Lanka. New sports facilities are being built in the former war torn zone of Mankulum in the north of Sri Lanka. In March 2011, Ian Botham paid a visit to the project region, which is still plagued by landmines. “Sri Lanka has had to face a number of challenges over the years including the tsunami and conflict, and I never cease to be inspired by the strength of the human spirit to deal with the challenges that affect communities,” said a visibly moved Ian Botham. Sport will continue to play a key role in the attempt to have a positive influence on the lives of as many children and adolescents as possible in Sri Lanka and to pave the road to a better future. Further information can be found at: www.laureus.com/foundation/projects.

Together against poverty

Seenigama Sport for Life is just one of over 90 worldwide projects supported by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. A charitable foundation, it has already assisted over 1.5 million children and adolescents who are victims of poverty, homelessness, war, violence, discrimination, drug addiction, racism and HIV/Aids. IWC Schaffhausen is a Global Partner and worldwide representative of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. With the support of the Laureus World Sports Academy, an association of sports legends who between them hold over 100 Olympic medals, 100 world championship titles and 200 world records, the aim is to help children and young people find a way out of drugs, poverty and violence. Following this principle, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation is active in crisis areas all over the world, including the slums of Mumbai and Uganda, the South Bronx in New York and in the region torn by the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

IWC Schaffhausen

With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing watches of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of Haute Horlogerie at its finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As part of the company’s social responsibility, IWC is one of the driving forces behind the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. Active climate protection and environmental responsibility also are part and parcel of the company’s philosophy.

The traditional Swiss manufacturer has lowered its carbon dioxide emissions by 90 per cent in the space of a few years and has been certified as a carbon-neutral enterprise since the summer of 2007.

Source: IWC

Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar – Series

The IWC Big Pilots Watches are very well known and have been a staple of IWC for many years, along with the TOP GUN Series IWC have decided in their wisdom to add a further two timepieces being the new TOP GUN Miramar line. The design of the case and dial was inspired by old observer’s watches. The most conspicuous visual features are the shimmering metallic grey of the ceramic case and the rugged green textile strap.

The new Big Pilot TOP GUN Miramar series of two editions, pays homage to the birthplace of the Top Gun legend, the pilots’ school of the US Marines in Miramar/California. From here, between 1969 and 1996, the reputation of the dauntless elite pilots spread throughout the rest of the world.

The Miramar line picks up on certain elements of historic IWC deck watches, such as the division into an external chapter ring and an internal hour circle. The shimmering metallic grey of the ceramic case, the beige hands and chapter ring as well as the green textile strap were inspired by the military-style design.

The first of the two is a Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar (Ref: 501902) and is equiped with the IWC-manufactured 51111-calibre movement, which is one of the largest automatic movements and, with its pawl-winding system, builds up an 8.5-day power reserve in next to no time. But the power reserve mechanism is smart and allows it to run for only 7 days before stopping the movement.

The Big Pilots TOP GUN Miramar is guaranteed to keep perfect time for 7 days when fully wound. The sapphire glass has an antireflective coating on both sides and is secured against sudden drops in pressure in the cockpit. On the back of the case is an intricate Top Gun engraving.

The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar will be available in three colours, these being matte grey, beige and green. A first in terms of design for IWC.

Then we also have the Big Pilot Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar (Ref:388002), (pictured above) Again IWC have used typical TOP GUN colours, such as beige, grey and green, underscore the military-style design. The bracelet is a direct reference to the extremely tough belts typically used by military air personnel.

The unusual division into an external chapter ring and an inner hour circle is reminiscent of the deck watches typical of the 1930s and 40s, and, by extension, the historical legacy of IWC Pilot’s Watches. The DNA is repeated in the design of the date display, which bears a direct resemblance to the altimeter in a cockpit. Thanks to the integrated flyback function, depressing the reset button returns the running stopwatch hand to zero and immediately starts recording another measurement of time. The watch also owes its convenient 68-hour power reserve to further development of the IWC-manufactured 89365 calibre and a soft-iron inner case protects the precision movement against magnetism.

 Technical Details

 Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar

Calibre – 51111

Frequency – 21,600 A/h / 3 Hz

Jewels – 42

Power reserve – 168 h

Winding – automatic

Materials – polished ceramic case, anthracite-coloured dial

Strap – green textile strap, pin buckle in stainless steel, blasted

Glass – sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides

Secured against displacement by drop in air pressure

Water-resistant – 6 bar

Diameter – 48 mm

Case height -15 mm

Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar

Calibre – 89365

Jewels – 35

Power reserve – 68 h (7 days)

Winding – Self-winding

Materials – polished ceramic case, anthracite-coloured dial

Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields

Strap – green textile strap, pin buckle in stainless steel, blasted

Glass – sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides

Secured against displacement by drop in air pressure

Water-resistant – 6 bar

Diameter – 46 mm

Case height -16.5 mm

IWC – Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN – Series

The IWC Big Pilot Watch TOP GUN comes in three distinct types, The standard (if you can call it that) The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN (Ref. 501901), The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN (Ref. 388001) and the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN (Ref. 502902). The choice is yours…..

The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN (Ref. 501901) combines the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology from the 21st century. Fully wound, the IWC-manufactured 51111-calibre movement consisting of 311 components will keep the movement running for 7 days. The Big Pilot’s Watch has entered the age of supersonic flight.

The ideal choice for complex airborne manoeuvres is the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN (Ref. 388001) with protection against magnetic fields and a glass secured against drops in pressure.

The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN is a chronograph with split-second accuracy is an indispensable item in any pilot’s watch collection. As only fitting, the movement that powers the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN was developed in-house. Following further development, the calibre-89365 chronograph movement now also features a 68-hour power reserve. A soft-iron inner case protects the precision movement against magnetism.

The dial is in the classic cockpit-style design, all the way down to the date display, which closely resembles an altimeter. Luminescent white hands and displays guarantee outstanding legibility, even when visibility is poor. The centralized stopwatch hand, whose signal red counterpoise is of the silhouette of a jet, shows recorded times in seconds, while the small white hand in the subdial at “12 o’clock” shows the number of elapsed minutes.

Thanks to the integrated flyback function, depressing the reset button returns the running stopwatch hand to zero and immediately starts recording another period of time. The small red seconds hand rotating at “6 o’clock” is an indication that the watch is running normally. It can be stopped as and when necessary for synchronization purposes. The 46-millimetre ceramic case is water-resistant to 6 bar and makes the watch particularly light. 

The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN comes with a wealth of features that will send the adrenaline levels of watch lovers soaring. They include the IWC-manufactured 51614-calibre movement with high-performance Pellaton winding system that builds up a 7-day power reserve. This efficient movement drives multiple watchmaking complications.

Apart from displays for the date, day and month, the perpetual calendar has a four-digit year display that takes into account all the leap years in the Gregorian calendar until the year 2100. All these displays can be easily adjusted with the crown and advance automatically. The moon phase display represents the position of the moon in the northern and southern hemispheres.

The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN combines the classic instrument look with the sport-inspired design of the TOP GUN line. The ceramic case and titanium crown are further indications of IWC Schaffhausen’s innovative technology and a reminder that it discovered these materials for use in its products. This timepiece is one of the most complex pilot’s watches ever built.

Technical Information

The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN (Ref. 501901)

Calibre – 51111

 Frequency – 21,600 A/h / 3 Hz

 Jewels – 42

 Power reserve – 168 h

 Winding – automatic

 Materials – ceramic case, black dial,

Strap – black soft strap, folding clasp in stainless steel, blasted

 Glass – sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides

Water-resistant – 6 bar

 Diameter – 48 mm

 Case height -15 mm

The Big Pilot’s Watch Chronographer TOP GUN (Ref. 388001)

Calibre – 89365

Jewels – 35

Power reserve – 68 h

Winding – Self winding

Materials – ceramic/titanium case, black dial,

Strap – black soft strap, folding clasp in stainless steel, blasted

Glass – sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides, Secured against displacement by drop in air pressure

Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields

Water-resistant – 6 bar

Diameter – 46 mm

Case height -16.5 mm

The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN (Ref. 502902)

Calibre – 51614

Jewels – 62

Power reserve – 168 h (7 days)

Winding – Automatic

Materials – ceramic/titanium case, black dial,

Strap – black soft strap, folding clasp in stainless steel, blasted

Glass – sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides, Secured against displacement by drop in air pressure

Water-resistant – 6 bar

Diameter – 48 mm

Case height -16 mm

A tribute to the supermen of the skies

Two new Pilot’s Watches: TOP GUN Miramar and TOP GUN

Heading up the professional Pilot’s Watches from IWC Schaffhausen is the new 2012 TOP GUN collection. And in the vanguard is the new Miramar line: a tribute to the birthplace of the Top Gun legend in California.

The pilots who pass out from the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School in Fallon, Nevada, are part of the world’s flying elite. Their insignia: Top Gun. Top Gun is also the name of an IWC watch collection offering the very best in mechanical watchmaking today. And in 2012, five new models will be taking off.

Three of them feature the classical TOP GUN design, recognizable from the instrument look of the dial and the attractive mix of materials consisting of ceramic for the case, titanium for the push-buttons and crown, as well as the soft strap material. They are joined by two timepieces in the new TOP GUN Miramar line. The design of the case and dial was inspired by old observer’s watches. The most conspicuous visual features are the shimmering metallic grey of the ceramic case and the rugged green textile strap.

The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN (Ref. 501901) combines the clear-cut instrument look of the 1940s with ultra-modern watch technology from the 21st century. Fully wound, the IWC-manufactured 51111-calibre movement consisting of 311 components will keep the movement running for 7 days. And if it is not already clear, the Top Gun insignia on the case back says it all: the Big Pilot’s Watch has entered the age of supersonic flight.

The Big Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN Miramar (Ref. 501902) incorporates precisely the same technical features but comes in three colours: matte grey, beige and green: in design terms a first for IWC.

The ideal choice for complex airborne manoeuvres is the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN (Ref. 388001) with protection against magnetic fields and a glass secured against drops in pressure. And with the IWC-manufactured 89365-calibre movement, it is equally impressive on the inside.

With the same specifications, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Miramar (Ref. 388002) features the new design and is equally “airworthy”.

No less impressive is the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN (Ref. 502902), with a wealth of complex technological features that include a perpetual calendar with four-digit year display, moon phase display and 7-day power reserve. Working away inside the black ceramic case is one of IWC’s largest and most efficient automatic winding systems.

Asking the ultimate of man and machine The Edition TOP GUN has held a permanent place in IWC’s Pilot’s Watch family since 2007. It takes its name from a special training course offered by the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School, the “Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor”, better known by the legendary accolade “Top Gun”. Pilots who successfully complete this course are part of a tiny elite comprising the best trained, fastest reacting and most courageous of their breed. The technology used is state of the art. Within the space of a few seconds, the jets reach their take-off speed of just under 300 km/h. During training flights above the endless deserts of Nevada, they hurtle through the air at up to twice the speed of sound.

As exacting as the demands placed on the young pilots, they are no less stringent than those placed on the equipment. The quality standards required of a watch designed for flying are formidable, and IWC Schaffhausen swears by two materials that it was the first to use in watchmaking worldwide: high-tech ceramic for the case and titanium for the crown and controls. The zirconium oxide case is sintered at 2,000 degrees Celsius and machined with diamond tools. It is also nonmagnetic, acid resistant, light and, like titanium, very skin friendly.

IWC introduced titanium to watch case making while working with Porsche Design. Both companies were forerunners in the machining of this high-tech material, which is corrosion resistant and tougher than steel but weighs only about half as much.

During dogfights – air-to-air combat calling for spectacular manoeuvres that any pilot must master – both man and material are subject to enormous g-forces. The cockpit occupant briefly undergoes the equivalent of up to nine times the acceleration of gravity. He is pushed back forcefully into his seat: his body contorts and even his watch presses deeply into his wrist. During regular centrifuge sessions, the pilots have to tolerate 9 g for 15 seconds, which seems like an eternity, without losing consciousness, as their own weight increases to around 600 kilograms. In a similar test with a centrifugal accelerator, IWC Pilot’s Watches have withstood forces of up to 30 g for minutes at a time. So what possible use could that be? Generally speaking, none at all. But when the ejector seat is used, it generates forces of up to 20 g and the Pilot’s Watch designers in Schaffhausen think like the Top Gun instructors in Fallon: it’s better to be safe than sorry.

IWC Schaffhausen

With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing watches of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of Haute Horlogerie at its finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design.

Source: IWC Schaffhausen