This week it was pretty clear that you guys wanted to see the new Antoine de St. Exupéry Chronograph ref. 3878-05 (MSRP: $33.5K), and being the all-around great guy that I am, that's exactly what I'm bringing you.
IWC has been creating tributes to this acclaimed French author/poet/adventurer/pilot since 2006, and as with the past pieces in this series, the 3878 does a yeoman's job of honoring both the man and the brand. The predominant color theme here is brown, which is reflected in the shimmering dial and sober pilot's strap with complimentary creme stitching. In this particular instance, the case is crafted from 18K red gold, which does a wonderful job of highlighting the earthy tone of the dial (they didn't have a stainless steel variant on hand, however that watch will also feature the lovely brown dial). The font used for the indexes is unique to this piece, as are the minute tracks; both signature cues that lend a delightful vintage aura to the proceedings.
The caseback features an engraving of the Lockheed P-38 "Lightning" which was the last plane that St. Exupéry flew:
The movement is IWC's in-house cal. 89361 automatic flyback chronograph, which sports the same crisp actuation as the other pieces that rely on this exceptional engine; however, unlike the other pilot's chronographs that use the 89000-series movement, this one also sports the 12-hour totalizer in the 12 o'clock subdial. Personally speaking, this is something that makes me happy to see, as I tend to want to time events that last more than an hour with my chronographs. Thoughts?
At 43mm, the St. Exupéry is actually one of the smaller pilot's chronographs that one can buy from IWC, and it wears like an absolute dream on my 7.2" wrist. True, there's a fair bit of heft here thanks to the solid gold case, but it's well balanced and it looks absolutely fantastic. I'm not a "gold" man, but for this watch (and the Spitfire Perpetual and the Portuguese Minute Repeater...) I could become one quite easily.
In case you were wondering what it looks like on a sub-7" wrist, Robert was kind enough to model it for me:
(please note that it looks larger relative to his wrist than it appears in real life)
Overall, this is one incredible watch, and yes, I'm already jealous of the 500 lucky souls who will own one in red gold (the stainless steel version isn't restricted to set number, but its production will be limited). As with most IWC pilot's watches, this piece is secured against sudden pressure drops, features an antimagnetic soft iron inner-case and is water-resistant to 60M, so clearly good looks and durability aren't mutually exclusive in this instance.
Romantic, erudite, robust... These are all adjectives that I'd use to describe the St. Exupéry, and somehow, I think that's exactly what IWC was aiming for. If so, they nailed it.
Robert took care of me with his usual expert flair and attention to detail (yes, as you can see in the picture above, I got my chocolate), Nigel made sure that everyone was safe and sound, and both Liana and Andre took the time to stop over and say hello; in other words, it was a typical visit to the Flagship. As for Patrick, he didn't have a chance to filch my cocoa confection since he was busy attending to a recently engaged couple that wound up purchasing a brand new 3777 on the bracelet (mazel tov!). With any luck, the new owner will pop in and say hello.
And that just about wraps up another Boutique Visit Friday, boys and girls. As for what's in store next week, well that's up to you. However, to help get the conversation started, I shall leave you all with this parting shot:
- craniotes