It's exactly ten years since IWC turned a wonderful idea into a tradition. On 1 December 1998 the first auction was held on the manufactory's website. On that occasion, the model Mark 11, a veteran from the company's own collection, changed hands for the benefit of the Red Cross. Every year since then our auction has been an eagerly awaited event.
Between 8 and 14 December 2008, IWC Schaffhausen will be auctioning a watch that will never be available again - the Pilot's Watch UTC Edition Antoine de Saint Exupery in platinum. This tribute to the French pilot, author and adventurer will be presented together with a copy of the English edition of his novel "Terre des Hommes" ("Wind, Sand and Stars"), hand-signed by the author. The proceeds of the charity auction will go to the SIPAR organization, which works in Cambodia to fight illiteracy by publishing children's books and setting up school libraries.
The watch's case diameter is 44 mm, and the dial is tobacco brown like the two previous models. The initial "A" of Antoine de Saint Exupery's signature again embellishes the dial, on this occasion at "9 o'clock". The watch is driven by the 30710-calibre automatic movement with a central seconds hand, seconds stop function, date display and a power reserve of 42 hours. The convex, antireflective sapphire glass is secured against a sudden drop in air pressure and the movement is protected against strong magnetic fields by a soft iron inner case. With its screw-down back and the screw-in crown, the Pilot's Watch UTC Edition Antoine de Saint Exupery is water-resistant to 6 bar.
The watch that goes with the book
For watch lovers with a fondness for the pilot, author and adventurer Antoine de Saint Exupery, this Auction is literally a one-time opportunity to become the owner of this outstanding tribute to the famous Frenchman. In addition, this special edition is accompanied by an English edition of the novel "Terre des Hommes" ("Wind, Sand and Stars") signed by the author. This novel gives a fascinating insight into an era when aviation was still in its infancy. In highly personal terms, Saint Exupery relates his experiences during the pioneering age of the airmail service over the inhospitable Andes and across the expanse of the Sahara. What could be more appropriate, therefore, than to provide this third watch dedicated to Saint Exupery with a UTC display? That acronym stands for Universal Time Coordinated - the coordinated world time by which international flight plans are set up. While the time at home, for example, continues to run in a separate 24-hour display window, the actual local time can be adjusted forwards or backwards with the crown in hourly steps, depending on the direction of flight, and also, if necessary, on crossing the International Date Line. Saint Exupery's passion for flying is also illustrated by the intricate relief engraving on the case back. The "Lat-coère 25" aircraft was one of the first postal aircraft put into service and which was used above all in South America by the "Aeroposta Argentina", where Antoine de Saint Exupery served as the director from 1929 to 1931.
IWC CEO Georges Kern is enthusiastic about the competitive bidding, which will keep watch lovers around the globe in suspense. "This expression of respect for Antoine de Saint Exupery as a pilot is not only a piece of jewellery for cosmopolitans. Whoever takes possession of this unique item will also, through its purchase, boost educational opportunities for Cambodian children by fighting their illiteracy."
Features:
- Mechanical automatic movement
- Date display
- 24-hour display (UTC display)
- Time display adjustable in 1-hour steps using the crown
- Central seconds hand with stop function
- Soft iron inner case
- Back engraving
- Limited edition: a single watch in platinum
Movement:
Calibre 30710
Beats 28,800/h 4 Hz
Jewels 23
Power reserve 42 h
Winding automatic
Case:
Material platinum
Glas sapphire, convex, antireflective, protected against a drop in air pressure
Water-resistance 6 bar
Height 12.9 mm
Diameter 44 mm
Weight:
Watch in platinum with brown calf leather strap 210 g
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