How did IWC Schaffhausen’s Le Petit Prince watches come to be? It all started with a shared love for aviation and a desire to make a meaningful impact. In 2006, IWC began collaborating with the heirs of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation. The partnership aimed to support educational programs around the world, honouring the legacy of the French aviator and author best known for The Little Prince.

Read: The Legacy of IWC’s Le Petit Prince

By 2013, this relationship evolved into a more physical manifestation in the form of IWC’s Le Petit Prince collection. IWC reimagined its classic Pilot’s Watches with deep blue dials and whimsical design cues inspired by the beloved novella. Over the years, the collection has become a fan favourite, with special editions featuring moonphases shaped like the Little Prince’s asteroid, starry guilloché patterns, and more. The story continues today as IWC unveils two new additions: the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Le Petit Prince and the Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince.

New Le Petit Prince watches in gold and platinum 

The first of the duo, the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Le Petit Prince, debuts in blue ceramic, marking IWC’s first use of this material in a “Le Petit Prince” edition. Limited to just 100 pieces, the 46.5mm case boasts a deep-blue hue that extends to its dial and textured rubber strap. Featuring main hours, a perpetual calendar, moon phases and a flying minute tourbillon, the watch is equipped with the IWC-manufactured Calibre 51950. It’s worth noting that the moon aperture displays the Little Prince himself standing on his tiny asteroid. Thanks to its clever gear train, the moon phases will only deviate by a single day every 577.5 years. 

At 12 o’clock, the flying tourbillon is comprised of 82 parts and weighing just 0.635 grams

The sapphire caseback shows off the solid gold rotor shaped like the Little Prince on asteroid B612, complete with baobab trees.

The Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince is comparably more understated with a platinum case. Against a sunray-finished deep blue dial, oversized Arabic numerals indicate the main hours, along with a flying minute tourbillon at 6 o’clock.

Limited to 150 pieces, this edition is driven by the Calibre 82905 with a Pellaton winding system and equipped with IWC’s proprietary Diamond Shell® technology, which reduces friction and boosts energy efficiency, resulting in an 80-hour power reserve. 

Tech Specs: IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Le Petit Prince 

Reference: IW504901
Movement: Self-winding IWC-manufactured caliber 51950; 168-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; perpetual calendar (date, day, month, leap year); moon phases; flying minute tourbillon; power reserve indicator
Case: 46.5mm × 16.18mm; blue ceramic; 100-meter water-resistance
Dial: Blue
Strap: Blue rubber strap with 18K 5N gold folding clasp
Availability: Limited to 100 pieces

Tech Specs: IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince 

Reference: IW329501
Movement: Self-winding IWC-manufactured caliber 82905; 80-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; flying hacking minute tourbillon
Case: 43mm × 14.58mm; platinum; 100-meter water-resistance
Dial: Blue
Strap: Brown calfskin leather strap with platinum folding clasp
Availability: Limited to 150 pieces