Off Topic » IWC Big Pilot Racing Works Edition

Personal thoughts on the IWC Big Pilot Racing Works Edition Blue dial, lightweight titanium case, powerful mechanical movement – this should be perfect for me, but is it?

Everyone familiar with IWC Schaffhausen’s iconic Big Pilot’s Watch knows the immediate consequences of such a large watch. Measuring 46.2 mm in diameter and 15.4 mm in height, often made from stainless steel or even precious metals, it’s a behemoth on the wrist. To get around this problem and make it more wear-resistant, IWC introduced the Big Pilot 43. While this solved the size issue, it also brought with it some drawbacks, which Frank addressed shortly after launch, with another way around the big pilot's intimidating stature. It comes in the form of the IWC Racing Works version launched a few months ago. Since I'm slowly working my way towards owning my first IWC Big Pilot, I wanted to get my hands on this one to see if I liked it.

To get away from the basics, the IWC Big Pilot "IWC Racing Works" edition is the same size as the steel or gold watch, but with a titanium case and crown. This saves a lot of weight, which I'll get to later. To differentiate it from the regular range of the iconic Big Pilot, it features a sunray-brushed blue dial with gray numerals and hands. The caliber 52110 that powers it uses a dual barrel system that still provides a 7-day power reserve, and is wound by a central rotor and equipped with a bidirectional Pellaton winding system for greater efficiency. So in that regard, nothing much has changed.

I must admit, I am a big fan of the Big Pilot and plan to add one to the range in the near future. While I haven't decided which one yet, I've narrowed it down to a few possible options. First up is the classic first generation Ref. 5002, which I had the pleasure of borrowing for a while from a friend's collector. The uniqueness of that watch, which I love, is its fish-shaped crown and closed bowl-shaped caseback. Following closely behind is the "black carbon" IW506101, which is harder to track as only 100 were produced, and admittedly a bit pricey as a result. Luckily, IWC threw me a curve ball with this IWC Racing Works edition!

Considering my height of 2.01m, I had no issues with the size or weight of the Big Pilot. The steel Ref. 5002 weighs around 150 grams, which is quite heavy for a leather strap. Of course, this depends not only on the size of the case, but also on the movement inside. "Black carbon" Ref. 506101 significantly reduces weight, as the material is approximately five times lighter. This makes wearing them more enjoyable, especially during the warm summer months. This IWC Racing Works titanium watch should weigh somewhere in between, but it has so much more going for it that has me rethinking my ideal Big Pilot.

So what caught my attention? For starters, the fact is that it's somewhere between the steel and carbon versions, as I like to feel the weight of a luxury watch on my wrist from time to time. For example, I regularly wear an Oris Aquis depth gauge, which weighs 189 grams. That's on a rubber strap! Then there's the tactile look and feel of the matte titanium case. I just love the purposeful, tool-like vibe of a watch’s appearance. In the end, the sunray-brushed blue dial won me over. At first, I didn't think much of it because it looked like just another random blue dial to me, but it offsets the Big Pilot's gauge design perfectly.


Technical Specifications – IWC Big Pilot’s Watch IWC RACING WORKS IW501019
Case: Diameter 46.2 mm x Height 15.4 mm - Grade 5 titanium case, matte sandblasted finish - Screw-locked crown - Sapphire crystal protected against displacement due to loss of air pressure - Solid titanium back, soft iron interior Case - 100 meters water resistant
Dial: Sunray-brushed blue dial with gray-toned markers, tracks, numerals - Matte hands filled with gray luminous material
Movement: Manufacture Caliber 52110 - Self-winding with bi-directional Pellaton winding system - 31 jewels - 28,800 vibrations per hour - Two barrels providing a 7-day power reserve - Hours, minutes, central seconds, date and power reserve indicator
Strap: Blue calfskin strap with embossed carbon texture - titanium folding clasp
Reference number: IW501019