IWC Pilot Performance Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month

Unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2025, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month (Ref. IW388801) brings together two of the brand’s technical pillars: the robust, motorsport-inspired Performance Chronograph case, and the spectacular perpetual calendar mechanism with digital date, month, and leap year indicators. Crafted from lightweight Ceratanium with a blacked-out finish and rich gold accents, the new reference is both striking and technically ambitious. With a flyback chronograph and a full digital perpetual calendar, this new flagship piece joins the brand’s pilot-themed range with considerable visual drama and engineering depth.
Measuring 43mm in diameter and 16.5mm in thickness, the case of the new IWC Pilot’s Watch Performance Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month is constructed from Ceratanium, which is a proprietary IWC material that blends the lightweight resilience of titanium with the scratch resistance of ceramic. The matte black finish gives the watch an aggressive, tactical look, while the polished ceramic bezel adds a contrasting golden tachymeter scale, underscoring the watch’s motorsport inspiration.
The caseback is fitted with tinted sapphire crystal, providing a shadowed glimpse of the 474-component manufacture movement inside. Beneath the darkened glass, you can still appreciate the dramatic contrast of the blackened bridges and skeletonised rotor, which reveals the mechanical intricacies and motion of the automatic winding system.
It comes equipped with a screw-down crown for improved durability, and its convex sapphire crystal features anti-reflective coating on both sides. Matching Ceratanium pushers, crown, and bracelet complete the stealthy aesthetic, while the overall geometry remains faithful to the muscular proportions of the Big Pilot family. Water-resistance is rated to 100 meters (330 feet), a reassuring figure for a watch of this complexity and technical pedigree.
The dial presents an impressive combination of utility, contrast, and mechanical theatre. Its textured black surface resembles hammered metal, providing a distinctive industrial backdrop to the various displays. Large white Arabic numerals and bold hands evoke classic pilot’s watch DNA, while flashes of gold in the digital date, month, and leap-year displays elevate the visual impact. A gold-tipped central chronograph seconds hand adds further contrast without disrupting overall balance.
The dial is organized into four distinct registers: double-digit windows at 3 and 9 o’clock display the month and date, while a smaller aperture at 6 o’clock indicates the leap year cycle and shares space with the small seconds subdial. Chronograph hours and minutes are grouped in a single totalizer positioned at 12 o’clock, simplifying elapsed time reading while maintaining symmetry. Notably, the digital calendar displays incorporate open-worked, reticulated discs for added visual depth and technical allure.To ensure maximum legibility, IWC treats the hands, numerals, and hour markers with Super-LumiNova, emitting a crisp glow in low-light conditions. The result is a dial that may be technically dense but remains clear and methodical, which is an essential feature for a watch balancing both pilot’s functionality and haute horology complexity.

IWC Pilot Performance Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month

The “IWC Pilot Performance Chronograph Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month” (Ref#: IW388801) is powered by a self-winding mechanical movement, caliber 89802 with 51 jewels, 474 components, and 28,800 vph.  Power reserve can last up to 68 hours, when fully wound
Mounted on the watch is an integrated Ceratanium bracelet that mirrors the matte black case for a unified stealthy aesthetic. It’s equipped with a folding clasp for secure closure and daily wear practicality, and the bracelet links offer both robustness and lightweight comfort thanks to Ceratanium’s ceramic-like surface properties paired with titanium’s durability. For more up to date information visit the official IWC Schaffhausen website here.

MSRP: $81,900.00 USD

 

IWC Schaffhausen, IWC, Chronograph, Perpetual Calendar, Digital, Watches & Wonders, Luxury Watches