What We Know
The new IWC Perpetual Calendar ProSet models might be exactly what collectors have been looking for. First, we now have a Big Pilot’s Perpetual Calendar that isn’t the whopping 46.5mm diameter we’ve been accustomed to in the past. Finally, the three new models introduced this week at Watches and Wonders have been downsized by a few millimeters. Most importantly, the new models bring a new generation of the brand’s crown-adjusted perpetual calendar complication, now named IWC-ProSet.
Before we get to the caliber, let’s talk about the cases and dials. There are three models in this new ProSet series. As this year is a big one for IWC’s connection to Le Petit Prince, two models come with deep blue dials. A 42mm model in stainless steel feels classically IWC and comes with a 5-link bracelet, while a 43mm model comes in white ceramic for a casual, modern look. If blue isn’t your style, a 42mm model in rose gold gets paired with a green dial.
Now, back to the ProSet. It’s a huge improvement on the legendary Kurt Klaus-designed complication from the 80s. While the Kurt Klaus design was brilliant in its adjustability entirely through the crown, removing the need for any external pushers, it offered a major drawback—the fear of oversetting. It’s because the caliber can only advance the date, and if the owner oversets it, they would need to either stop the watch until the actual date catches up to the one on the watch or send the watch to IWC for manual correction.
But finally, the ProSet allows the crown to adjust the perpetual calendar not just forward, but backward. No more fear of oversetting, and it’s an entirely worry-free experience. No, it’s not the first reversible perpetual calendar movement out there—that record would go to Dr. Ludwig Oechslin’s 90s-era caliber for Ulysse Nardin. But it’s a big step for the brand and basically eliminates the one drawback that the movement came with. Plus, water resistance is improved now to 100 meters.
This new ProSet caliber maintains the brand’s now-iconic perpetual calendar layout, with its double moonphase at 12 o’clock and a four-digit year display between 7 and 8 o’clock, though the power reserve display is gone, as this smaller version has a more standard 60-hour power reserve. But the internals here have been completely changed, with the architecture now entirely gear-based rather than depending on a traditional program disc, allowing for movement in both directions.
The caliber also uses what the brand calls extendable and retractable “fingers,” which allow for the perpetual calendar to change different indications, in conjunction with wheels that have multiple layers for information like the length of months or the leap year. Said layers activate the extendable fingers at the right time, like the end of each month or the change in the leap year cycle. These wheels and gears, due to their complexity, are manufactured through the LIGA process, allowing for more complicated shapes in the caliber. It’s all part of the IWC-manufactured 82665 caliber, modernized with a silicon hairspring and a nickel-phosphorus escapement.
The new IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet models are priced at $38,800 in steel on bracelet, $41,600 in ceramic, and $54,700 in rose gold.
What We Think
This is an undeniably great new development from IWC. A smaller perpetual calendar, now forwards and backward adjustable, and all at 100 meters water resistance, is kind of the best of all worlds here. Sure, 42mm is still a large watch, but it’s a Big Pilot after all. What I’ll be keeping an eye on is how the brand manages having both this new ProSet caliber and the legacy movements in the catalog at the same time. It’ll be interesting to see if there will be a priority to update models across the board to sport this new movement, but that’s certainly easier said than done—after all, this Watches and Wonders also introduces new perpetual calendar models with that older, larger caliber.
I think the pricing is very fair here, with this new downsized watch with revamped caliber, a bit over two thousand dollars more than the older 46.2mm version in steel, but this time also with an added bracelet. The white ceramic ProSet is actually lower priced than the larger, older model, which makes sense considering less ceramic is needed for the case, but remains a nice surprise considering this new caliber. Credit where credit’s due, this is a welcome decision from IWC.
All in all, I think we’re in the golden age of user-friendly perpetual calendars, with this new generation of calibers following Audemars Piguet’s announcement of its crown-operated QP last year. Throw in reversible perpetual calendar options from H. Moser & Cie., Ochs und Junior, and more, and there are now so many expressions of the complication that also allow for a worry-free experience. But a Big Pilot is certainly singular in its aesthetics these days, and if you want that pilot’s watch look with a perpetual calendar, there’s nothing else on the market that would scratch that itch.
The Basics
Brand: IWC
Model: Big Pilot’s Perpetual Calendar ProSet
Reference Number: IW329601 (Le Petit Prince in Steel); IW339601 (Le Petit Prince in Ceramic); IW329602 (Rose Gold)
Diameter: 42mm (Steel or rose gold); 43mm (White ceramic)
Thickness: 14mm (Steel or rose gold); 14.3mm (White ceramic)
Case Material: Steel; Rose gold; Ceramic
Dial Color: Blue (Le Petit Prince editions); Green (Rose gold)
Indexes: Applied
Lume: Yes, Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 100 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Bracelet on steel model; Strap on others
The Movement
Caliber: 82665
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, perpetual calendar with year and perpetual moonphase
Power Reserve: 60 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 VpH
Jewels: 34
Chronometer Certified: No
Additional Details: New IWC-ProSet reversible perpetual calendar
Pricing & Availability
Price: $38,800 (steel); $41,600 (ceramic); $54,700 (rose gold)
Availability: Now
Limited Edition: No
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