IWC celebrates 90 years of the Pilot’s Watch set against the spectacular backdrop of Sydney Harbour and Vivid Sydney!
IWC always puts on a great show, and this past week, the Schaffhausen brand didn’t disappoint with a showcase of its new Pilot’s Watch collection at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney. Making it even more special, the watches may have been the focal point inside, but outside, Circular Quay and Sydney Harbour were alive with light, thanks to the annual Vivid Sydney: an annual celebration of creativity, innovation and technology, along with a stunning light show every night!
90 Years Of Pilot’s Watches
If you’ve not been keeping score, IWC Schaffhausen has been making Pilot’s Watches since 1936. Over the last 90 years, the brand has excelled at making watches for pilots, from the very first “Special Watch for Pilots”, the legendary Mark 11, to the iconic oversized Big Pilot’s Watch.
Along with the 90 years of Pilot’s Watches, this year marks 20 years IWC has also been associated with the Foundation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and The Little Prince, or Le Petit Prince. It is one of the best-known children’s stories written by Anoite de Saint-Exupéry about a young prince who leaves his tiny asteroid to explore the universe. The story explores themes of love, friendship, responsibility, and what truly gives life meaning. Something we can all relate to.
Bridging the Pilot’s Watch and Le Petit Prince theme, this year, IWC has partnered with VAST, a privately owned space technology company focused on developing the next generation of commercial space stations. In doing so, it looks to the next evolution of Pilot’s Watches, but this time, not for aircraft, but for spacecraft. As a result, it has developed the Pilot’s Watch Venturer Vertical Drive: The first watch specifically developed for space and space flight.
With all these great watches on display, it’s hard not to get caught up in the romance of travel and time, just like The Little Prince. Again, showing why storytelling is so important for brands these days, as it allows the watch community and people more broadly to connect with the hobby in a more meaningful way.
Celebrating In Style
With all these milestones for IWC this year, it is great to see the brand taking the celebrations to Australia. With a city filled with light and sound, Vivid Sydney was perhaps the best setting for a Time Traveller experience, tying in all the themes around the Pilot’s Watch, The Little Prince and the final frontier with VAST and the Venturer.
Held at the Museum of Contemporary Art, opposite Circular Quay, we, along with all the guests, were greeted with a room that was, for the lack of a better word, cinematic. With a smoky ambience mixed with blue-coloured lights, the room was a mix of the Le Petit Prince blue and something else, a little more futuristic.
In attendance were a mix of IWC clients as well as media, helping IWC celebrate each of the milestones in 2026. Talking with the collectors, you realise how passionate they are about the brand, and it makes sense as IWC is a brand that has such a great story to tell, and is a brand that is rooted in engineering and material innovation. Even when you talk to IWC’s CEO, Chris Grainger-Herr, that passion starts with him and permeates down through the business.
IWC has also just appointed a new Oceania Brand Manager, Dennis Raul, who’s been heading up the brand’s introduction and growth in India for the past 11 years. Since Quentin Chalier’s move across to Vacheron Constantin, IWC has been on the hunt for a brand head for several months, and landed on the man who has had instrumental success in launching IWC to the sub-continent and its growth over the last decade.
Towards the end of the night, guests had the chance to head out to the balcony, treated with the sight of a large balloon moon with the Little Prince flying across it, and the beautiful sight of Sydney City and Sydney Harbour in the background.
It has been a great year so far for IWC and its releases, and from what we are told, there are many more to come! If you want to read more about IWC, its releases, and our hands-on reviews, then head to our IWC page here.