Description
Not every collector wants 41mm or more on their wrist, and IWC acknowledges this with the Pilot's Watch Automatic 36 Le Petit Prince. The IW458802 delivers the full Le Petit Prince experience — deep blue dial, anniversary caseback engraving, and the IWC in-house calibre 32102 with 120-hour power reserve — in a refined 36mm package that's just 9.9mm thick.
Design
The 36mm stainless steel case is classically proportioned. The deep blue sunray dial carries white printed indices and numerals, with gold-plated hands filled with Super-LumiNova. The convex sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating adds a subtle dome. Central hacking seconds, and a glass secured against air-pressure displacement — a traditional pilot's watch feature. The caseback features the detailed Little Prince engraving. Paired with a blue calfskin leather strap.
Specifications
- Reference: IW458802
- Case: Stainless steel, 36mm diameter, 9.9mm thick
- Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
- Movement: IWC calibre 32102 (in-house, automatic)
- Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
- Power reserve: 120 hours (5 days)
- Dial: Deep blue sunray with white indices
- Hands: Gold-plated with Super-LumiNova
- Strap: Blue calfskin leather
What's Exciting About This Watch
A 120-hour power reserve in a 36mm × 9.9mm watch is remarkable packaging. IWC has managed to deliver the same 5-day reserve as the larger Mark XX in a case that's 4mm smaller in diameter. The 36mm size opens the Le Petit Prince collection to a whole audience — smaller-wristed men and women — who were previously excluded from the pilot's watch conversation. And it's not a compromise: this is a fully featured IWC with in-house movement and proper pilot's watch specifications.
History
IWC introduced 36mm pilot's watches to address the growing demand for smaller-diameter luxury sport watches. This is the first time the Le Petit Prince treatment has come in 36mm, marking it as a milestone in the collection's 20-year history.