Geneva: Sotheby’s auctioned an exclusive, unique timepiece by IWC Schaffhausen. The Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince” with a unique blue movement went under the hammer for CHF 48,750. The proceed will go to the Antoine de Saint- Exupéry Youth Foundation, a globally active organization that campaigns to support children and young people living in difficult conditions.
The Big Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince” is the first and so far the only watch in the history of IWC with a blue movement. The manufacturing process required to make it has taken around 1.5 years to develop and refine. To give the IWC manufactured 52850 calibre its striking blue colour, the plates and bridges have been coated with various metal oxides. The major challenge of this process was keeping the thickness of the coating consistent and achieving a completely even tone using the chemical vapour deposition technique (CVD). When combined with the blue screws and red gemstones, the blue movement creates the perfect backdrop for the 18-carat red gold rotor: it depicts the little prince from the story with the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry standing on a planet staring out at the starry night sky.
With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world’s leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of Haute Horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design. As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people, and maintains partnerships with organizations dedicated to climate and environmental protection