IWC is no stranger to understated brilliance. Among the most legendary aviation timepieces ever made, the brand’s Pilot watch range has always been big on clarity and low on pizazz. And yet, these are highly revered and look unbelievably attractive on your wrist to boot.
Current offerings consist of the 43mm Big Pilot and the more accessible Pilot’s Watch Mark XX — the latest in the Mark series. For the past two years or so, the Mark XX has always featured a stainless steel case…until now. Honoring the Patrouille Suisse, the latest iteration of the Mark XX features a titanium case.
Celebrating its 75th anniversary last year, the Mark Series was officially launched in 1948 at the request of the British Royal Air Force. Codenamed the Mark 11, this new “navigator’s wristwatch” was to be worn by military pilots and engineered for legibility. As such, it featured a simple, high-contrast dial that has informed the rest of the references for over three-quarters of a century. It wasn’t until the Mark XII in 1993 that these pieces were available to purchase by civilians. Prior to the Mark XX, which debuted in 2022, the most recent update was all the way back in 2016 with the Mark XVIII (there was no Mark XIX).
This titanium case Mark XX isn’t the first Pilot’s Watch from IWC to use the material. Previously, the Swiss watchmaker has housed its Big Pilot and even past Mark generations like the Mark XII in titanium done in partnership with Saab. Largely, titanium has been implemented for special-edition models, just like it is now with the Mark XX.
Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the Patrouille Suisse is the acrobatic flight team of the Swiss Air Force that’s been a partner of IWC since 1994. The caseback of this watch features Patrouille’s official emblem. Utilized for the case, bezel, caseback, and crown, the titanium has been matte-blasted.
Rather than trying to find a dial color to complement the titanium case, IWC picked a slate gray sunray dial that matches perfectly. It’s accented with off-white numerals, markers, and hands — the last of which have been outlined in black like other Mark XX models. However, the tip of the second hand is red in color.
Adorned with a black textile strap with a titanium buckle, the watch’s other features are identical to your standard steel Mark XX, including the 40mm case diameter, 10.6mm thickness, and manufacture movement. The IWC caliber 32111 is an automatic movement with 120 days of power reserve — one of the big updates when the Mark XX was introduced in 2022.
Case Size: 40mm
Case Thickness: 10.6mm
Case Material: Titanium
Water Resistance: 100m
Movement: IWC manufacture Caliber 32111 automatic
Band: Black textile
Limited Edition?: Yes, 250
Limited to just 250 examples, the Pilot’s Watch Mark XX Patrouille Suisse Titanium is priced at $6,500 (about $1,250 more than the steel models). Head over to IWC’s website to enquire about the release.
IWC made its first-ever titanium version of its Pilot’s Watch Mark XX to honor the Swiss Air Force’s Patrouille Suisse acrobatic flight team.
