The IWC Pilot's Watch Performance Chrono Perpetual Digital Date-Month ref. IW388801 was somewhat of a sleeper release from the brand. Still, when engineering ambition meets design excellence, great things come out. At the SIAR in Mexico City last week, we were finally able to peruse this watch in person and bring you this hands-on review. This watch is a bold fusion of motorsport-inspired aesthetics and two of our favorite watchmaking complications.
This latest addition to IWC's legendary Pilot's Watch collection represents a fascinating convergence of two distinct lineages within the brand's portfolio. On one hand, it inherits the robust, tool-watch DNA of the Performance Chronograph line with its racing-inspired tachymeter bezel. On the other hand, it showcases IWC's exceptional mastery of the perpetual calendar, presented here in the brand's distinctive digital format, which was a staple within the Ingenieur collection over a decade ago.
Things to Know About the Watch
What immediately commands attention is the watch's construction in Ceratanium, IWC's proprietary material that represents a significant leap in modern watchmaking materials science. The entire ensemble—case, pushers, crown, and integrated bracelet—is crafted from this remarkable alloy that marries the lightweight resilience of titanium with the scratch resistance and hardness of ceramic. The case features a guard on the left case band that we dislike and find unnecessary.
At 43 mm in diameter and 16.5 mm in thickness, the watch achieves a substantial presence on the wrist while maintaining unexpected comfort thanks to Ceratanium's featherlight properties. However, the biggest downside of this watch is that keeping it fingerprint-free is almost impossible, as the material becomes soiled with every touch—please excuse any spots or fingerprints in the pictures we took.
The manufacturing process itself speaks to IWC's commitment to innovation. Components are precision-machined from titanium alloy bars, then subjected to high-temperature kiln firing—a transformative process that endows them with ceramic-like properties and produces that distinctive matte black finish. The result is a timepiece that can withstand the rigors of daily wear while maintaining its sinister, tactical aesthetic. Complementing the Ceratanium case is a polished black ceramic bezel, its surface adorned with a golden tachymeter scale that allows the wearer to calculate average speeds over a one-kilometer distance when paired with the chronograph function.
The heart of this timepiece's appeal lies in its perpetual calendar complication combined with a useful chronograph that displays the elapsed times in one subdial. Large golden discs appear at 3 and 9 o'clock, presenting the date and month through double-digit windows that recall the jumping hour displays of IWC's Pallweber watches. At 6 o'clock, a smaller aperture reveals the leap year indicator, sharing space with the small seconds subdial.
This arrangement creates a dial remarkably legible, even though the watch is missing the helpful day of the week indication that is always present on perpetual calendars. However, what we really like is that the chronograph registers the elapsed hours and minutes with two hands at the 12 o’clock position.
The engineering behind these displays reveals IWC's perpetual calendar expertise in full bloom. The mechanism doesn't simply advance the date daily—it stores energy through a complex gear train system, accumulating just enough power to simultaneously advance multiple discs at month's end. At year's end, when the calendar transitions from December to January, the system musters additional energy to move the leap year indicator forward. The true marvel is that this perpetual calendar automatically accounts for months of varying lengths and adds February 29th every four years—meaning the combination "29" and "02" will grace the dial only once every quadrennium. Despite managing five separate discs through this intricate dance of gears and springs, the entire calendar can be adjusted using only the crown.
The Movement
Turning the watch over reveals the automatic movement through the smoked-tinted display case back. The IWC manufacture calibre 89802 is composed of 474 parts and 51 jewels. This high-specification automatic movement, beyond driving the perpetual calendar's complex disc displays, operates a fully functional flyback chronograph, with elapsed hours and minutes elegantly combined in a single totalizer at 12 o'clock. The column-wheel-controlled chronograph mechanism with vertical clutch ensures smooth operation and precise timing. A double-pawl winding system builds a respectable 68-hour power reserve, while the movement beats at a frequency of 28,800 vph.
The attention to finishing is evident through the tinted sapphire case back, which reveals blackened bridges, a skeletonized rotor, and the intricate architecture of the perpetual calendar module—a mechanical ballet visible to the wearer and admirers alike.
On the Wrist & Price
At its core, the IWC Pilot's Watch Performance Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month represents the brand's willingness to push boundaries while honoring its rich heritage. It's a watch that appeals to the collector who appreciates both motorsport chronographs and high complications, someone who values technical innovation in materials and movements alike. With water resistance to 100 meters and the durability of Ceratanium construction, it's a perpetual calendar that won't spend its life in a safe—this is a complicated watch built for the real world.
For those who believe that a perpetual calendar should be both a technical masterpiece and a daily companion, reference IW388801 makes a compelling case. It's IWC Schaffhausen at its most ambitious: innovative, bold, and uncompromising in its pursuit of horological excellence.
Sticker Price USD 86,400. For more info on IWC click here.
