Key Highlights
- IWC Schaffhausen welcomed Eileen Gu and George Russell to its space-inspired booth at Watches and Wonders Geneva.
- The visit coincided with 90 years of IWC Pilot’s Watches and an expanded aviation narrative reaching into space.
- Eileen Gu wore the Portofino Automatic 34 Day & Night Le Petit Prince, the first Le Petit Prince edition outside the Pilot’s Watches collection.
- George Russell wore the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Le Petit Prince and explored the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet.
- The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet debuts a perpetual calendar adjustable forwards and backwards via a single crown position.
A Space-Inspired Stage for 90 Years of Pilot’s Watches
At Watches and Wonders Geneva, IWC Schaffhausen marked 90 years of Pilot’s Watches with a booth conceived as a space station overlooking Earth and centred on a Little Prince sculpture. In this setting, the brand presented new Le Petit Prince references and the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet to ambassadors Eileen Gu and George Russell, linking pilot’s watch heritage with an exploration theme.
Eileen Gu and the New Face of Le Petit Prince
Eileen Gu returned to Geneva as an IWC ambassador, wearing the Portofino Automatic 34 Day & Night Le Petit Prince (Ref. IW459806), the first Le Petit Prince edition outside the Pilot’s Watches line. She highlighted the Little Prince standing on a small moon within the Portofino design as a reminder to stay curious and keep exploring, echoing the booth’s focus on future possibilities in sport and watchmaking.
George Russell’s First Encounter with Watches and Wonders
For George Russell, a six-time Grand Prix winner, the fair marked his first visit to Watches and Wonders. At the IWC booth, he wore the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Le Petit Prince (Ref. IW388120), a 41-millimetre chronograph with a deep blue dial that pairs instrument-style design with the story of pioneering flight.
Russell described this balance of precision tool and narrative as characteristic of IWC, uniting functionality with everyday wearability and reflecting the legibility and accuracy he depends on at speed.
Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet
Among the novelties, the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet drew particular interest. It debuts a perpetual calendar that can be adjusted forwards and backwards through a single crown position, underscoring IWC’s focus on user-friendly complications.
The ambition behind the movement resonated with Russell, who compared the challenge of creating such a mechanism to setting an ultimate objective in watchmaking and pursuing it with consistency and passion, a theme that also shaped his and Gu’s reflections on long-term goals.
IWC: Engineering, Materials and Endurance
Founded in 1868 in Schaffhausen, IWC combines craftsmanship with advanced industrial technology across collections such as Portugieser, Portofino, Pilot’s Watches and Ingenieur. The manufacture focuses on professional instrument watches and functional complications, particularly chronographs and calendars designed for robustness and ease of operation, and develops performance-focused innovations through its XPL division.
IWC pioneered the use of titanium and ceramic and created Ceratanium, linking mechanical watchmaking to demanding environments such as jet aviation and human spaceflight. This engineering mindset underpinned the Watches and Wonders presentation and the Le Petit Prince novelties discovered by Eileen Gu and George Russell.
Why It Matters
For discerning collectors in the GCC, this moment in Geneva highlights IWC’s commitment to rigorous engineering and storytelling, expressed through the Le Petit Prince novelties and the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar ProSet. The presence of athletes such as Eileen Gu and George Russell reinforces the brand’s alignment with high performance, precision and long-term ambition, qualities that appeal to a regional audience focused on legacy, innovation and purposeful luxury.
To stay informed on IWC’s latest complications and ambassador stories, collectors can follow the brand’s official channels for updates on launches and showcases relevant to the region.
