IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Markus Bühler

Quick specs IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Markus Bühler
Price: approx. € 130.000 | CHF 125’000 | approx. $ 140,000 | approx. £ 119,000
Size: 43 mm
Reference: IW329901 – limited to 51 pieces

The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Markus Bühler is a tribute to the original version of 2008, a limited edition of 12 back then. This new one, with a tourbillon, which the old one hasn’t, is limited to 51 pieces. But only 50 of them will be sold.

Inside this watch runs the automatic IWC caliber 82905, which can be admired through its sapphire case back. The tourbillon is made of 56 parts and weighs only 0,0663 grams. The turbine is the upper part of the tourbillon and replaces the regulator in order to save weight. And the turbine, blade by blade hand-made and finished, is made from titanium, to save weight too. Which is a good thing as the case is from platinum, which is not the lightest material for a watch. But first, let’s see who is the creator of this masterpiece.

Who is Markus Bühler?

Markus Bühler is a watchmaker, that’s for sure. In 2003 Markus Bühler was an apprentice at IWC. In that year he developed a watch for IWC to compete in the Prix IFHH de l’Horlogerie (Institut de Formation à la Haute Horlogerie). The goal was make a watch with an open barrel to show the mainspring. Which he managed to modify a Unitas movement with turbine-shaped wheels over the barrel and by using another turbine disc on the front to replace the traditional small seconds. He won the competition.

In 2008 this leads to the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Edition Markus Bühler (ref. IW5003 or IW500301). This is a huge 46.2-millimeter pilot, limited to 12 pieces, of which one was for Bühler himself. Who already became an employe of IWC. This watch has a hand-wound IWC caliber 64900, which is a modified Unitas 6498, a rather affordable and basic but reliable hand-winder that was originally developed for pocket watches. Nowadays Markus Bühler is Associate Director of Watch & Movement Assembly at IWC.

The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Markus Bühler has a power reserve of 80 hours

The new IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Markus Bühler is almost a complete evolution of the original version. But not in appearance. Although it is housed in a smaller case; it shrunk from 46.2 to 43 millimeters. The new Markus Bühler Big Pilot also displays a turbine at 6 o’clock but this time, combined with a flying minute tourbillon. The turbine still functions as a small seconds indicator by the red dot that you can see on one of the blades. Since the tourbillon is positioned under the turbine. The watch has a power reserve of 80 hours.

The new interpretation of the Markus Bühler’s Big Pilot’s Watch still has a black dial, large Arabic numerals as hour markers. Also rhodium-plated hands, secured with a black cordovan leather strap with a turbine logo. As said, limited to 51 pieces, where one is owned by Markus Bühler himself.