Once again, mea culpa gents, but life intruded on my duties to you and the forum, which has resulted in this extremely tardy boutique visit. All is not lost, however, since in this particular instance, life, as it were, did more than simply intrude; it allowed for a somewhat special boutique visit for this week, so, if you'll indulge me, here goes nothing:
Welcome to Beverly Hills!
Yes, even though I was knee-deep in Santa Ynez wine country (hic), attending birthday parties (mine), hanging out by pools (hey, it's LA), etc., I still managed to find the time to slide by IWC's venerable Beverly Hills boutique to bring none other than the Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Day-Month ref. 3791 (MSRP: $55,900) to you fine fellows.
This, my friends is arguably the pinnacle of IWC's revamped Pilot's watch line, and given the materials, the movement and the overall execution of the piece, it's no wonder why. Before I delve into the aforementioned movement, let's talk a bit about the materials. The Spitfire Perpetual is crafted from 18K red gold that has been polished and satin-finished to within an inch of its life. It positively glows. You know what else positively glows? The slate-gray ardoise dial, which has been a hallmark of IWC's noble metal and limited edition watches for quite some time now (yes, the Spitfire Chronograph breaks this tradition, but that's neither here nor there at the moment). IMO, the shimmering dial is a perfect foil to the warmth of the case.
As you can see, this is not a delicate watch. The case measures 46mm x 17.5mm, so once more those of thin wrists might feel a bit left out. They shouldn't. As with the current 46mm double chronograph and the Top Gun ceramic version that preceded it, this one actually wears smaller than its measurements would imply. Obviously, YMMV, but before you write this one off I do suggest that you try it on first; you might be pleasantly surprised. For me that surprise was decidedly unpleasant owing to the fact that I can in no way, shape or form afford this piece. What did I say before about life intruding? Yeah. But I digress...
Now, about that movement. The caliber 89800 that beats beneath this lovely dial is comprised of no less than 474 parts and is based off of IWC's new in-house chronograph, the cal. 89361. Obviously, the big claim to fame here is the use of arabic numerals to indicate the date and the month, which is a break from what we're used to seeing from IWC's perpetual calendars, which usually hew to a four-subdial/digital date format. While this is certainly an efficient way to display the date, those who are accustomed to seeing the day of the week as well as a full, a moonphase and a four-digit year might be a bit disappointed. These omissions, however, are made up for with the inclusion of a leap year indicator window and, of course, a 12-hour chronograph with flyback. As with the other chronographs based off of this movement, the pusher action is delightful, with just the right amount of resistance and a wonderfully tactile click.
(My apologies for the atrocious pics, but I was limited by my equipment, which consisted solely of an iPhone)
For more information on this ingeniuous movement, please see this excellent piece written by Alexander Linz, which can be found on IWC's website: Flying High With Big Date And Month Displays
Overall this is a truly magnificent watch and one that begs to worn. Unlike a traditional gold perpetual calendar, this piece radiates robustness (like all other IWC pilot's watches, it's water-resistant to 60bar and secured against sudden pressure drops), and indeed I was tempted to pull a runner and liberate it from the confines of its glass display case and wear it as it is meant to be worn. Alas, my hand was stayed by none other than Gianfranco D'Attis, who just so happened to stop in as I was ruminating over my personal crime of the century. Okay, so our paths crossing again wasn't entirely a coincidence (yes, I'm stalking him), but his presence did offer me yet another opportunity to sit and discuss where IWC is currently and where they're going. My main takeaway is simply this: IWC is listening. In particular, they're listening to you. That's right, what we say and do on this forum registers with the powers that be in Shaffhausen, so keep posting your opinions, fellas, both the good and the bad.
But mostly, we just talked watches:
(The Spitfire Perpetual, Gianfranco's personal Top Gun Chronograph and my Top Gun Perpetual)
Naturally, I will be speaking with him more specifically about IWC in the future, but for now I think it's important that we all know just how personally he is focused on making IWC the absolute best that it can be.
So what of the boutique itself? Physically, it's an intimate affair, which also describes the attention and service that one receives when visiting. Johan Gyllenkrok, the boutique manager, is cut from the same cloth as our friends here in the NYC Flagship boutique, and I look forward to the time when I can sit and talk shop with him again. Hopefully I won't have to wait until my next milestone birthday.
What can I say, "I LOVE LA!"
Regards,
Adam
PS - Sorry for the lack of a customary espresso pic, but Johan and Gianfranco were kind enough to break out the champagne in honor of my birthday, and in my surprise I neglected to snap a shot.
- craniotes