The Swiss Story Behind the World’s Sturdiest Watch

This slick new timepiece is nearly impossible to destroy, no matter where you bring it.

The Swiss Story Behind the World's Sturdiest Watch

AFAR MAGAZINE JULY/ AUG Precious Cargo

Photo by Jeffery Cross

In a Swiss workshop on a bank of the Rhine, IWC watchmakers have been piecing together reliable, easy-to-read pilot watches since the Allies first flew out to face Hitler. To this day, IWC’s Big Pilot watches are tricked out with superpowers that allow them to withstand a sudden drop in cockpit pressure or an icy plunge to 60 meters. And the titanium case back can take serious blows—a fall at airport security or a sudden closing of subway doors. The updated Top Gun model looks more handsome than ever with a dead-simple face, a black ceramic case, and an embossed calfskin strap. Meanwhile, inside, 311 parts silently spin and whir with to-the-millisecond Swiss precision.

>>Next: This Bird Just Might Make You a Birder

I host @blamopodcast. I write about watches and other stuff.
From Our Partners
Sign up for our newsletter
Join more than a million of the world’s best travelers. Subscribe to the Daily Wander newsletter.
More from AFAR