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Buying guide

Which IWC Pilot's Watch to buy: Mark XX, Chronograph 41 or 43, Big Pilot or Top Gun (2026)

IWC's Pilot's Watches come in more versions than any other IWC family: the Mark XX, a 36mm, chronographs in two sizes, the Big Pilot, ceramic Top Guns and Le Petit Prince editions. This is which one to buy, and what the extra money gets you at each step.

By the Sterling Guild team · Updated 29 October 2026 · Prices checked daily at Goldsmiths · How we choose

Our top picks: IWC Pilots Mark XX, IWC Pilot Automatic Le Petit Prince, IWC Pilots Chronograph

We don't sell watches. Links to retailers are affiliate links: if you buy after following one, the retailer may pay us a commission. You pay the same price, and no brand or retailer pays to appear. How this works

Our top picks

  1. Best overallIWC Pilots Mark XX£4,900The Mark XX in 40mm steel, with IWC's 32111 calibre and a 120-hour power reserve.
  2. Best smaller sizeIWC Pilot Automatic Le Petit Prince£4,400The 36mm Pilot's Watch Automatic, with a blue sunburst dial, the lowest price here.
  3. Best chronographIWC Pilots Chronograph£6,400The Chronograph 41, with IWC's 69385 calibre, on a blue leather strap.
  4. Best Big PilotIWC Big Pilots£7,900The Big Pilot in its 43mm size, with IWC's 82100 calibre and a 60-hour power reserve.
  5. Best Top GunIWC Pilots Automatic£7,700A 41mm automatic in black ceramic, from IWC's Top Gun line.
In this guide
  1. How we chose
  2. The best IWC Pilot's Watch overall: Mark XX
  3. The best smaller Pilot's Watch: 36mm
  4. The best chronograph: 41 or 43?
  5. The Big Pilot
  6. Top Gun: black ceramic
  7. Le Petit Prince editions
  8. IWC or something else?
  9. Questions people ask

The best IWC Pilot's Watch for most people is the Mark XX: the classic three-hand pilot's watch in 40mm steel, with IWC's own calibre and a 120-hour power reserve. For a smaller wrist, the 36mm Automatic; for a chronograph, the Chronograph 41; and for the bold, oversized look, the Big Pilot 43.

Every watch here is sold new by Goldsmiths, a UK authorised retailer, at Goldsmiths' own price on the date shown.

How we chose

We went through the IWC Pilot's Watches Goldsmiths sells and compared the sizes, calibres, power reserves and materials from Goldsmiths' own product pages. We earn a commission if you buy through our links, which never changes the price you pay.

Watch Size Calibre Power reserve Case Price
Pilot's Watch Automatic 36 36mm 32102 120 hours Steel £4,400
Mark XX 40mm 32111 120 hours Steel £4,900
Chronograph 41 41mm 69385 46 hours Steel £6,400
Chronograph 43 43mm 69385 46 hours Steel £6,500
Big Pilot 43 43mm 82100 60 hours Steel £7,900
Top Gun Lake Tahoe 41mm Automatic Ceramic £7,700

Calibres and power reserves are from Goldsmiths' product pages; we leave a box blank where Goldsmiths doesn't give one.

The best IWC Pilot's Watch overall: Mark XX

The Mark XX in 40mm stainless steel, with IWC's own 32111 automatic calibre and a 120-hour power reserve, a black dial with luminescent markers and a calfskin strap with quick-release, water resistant to 100 metres, according to Goldsmiths. It's the plainest, most classic Pilot's Watch, and five days of power reserve means it keeps running over a long weekend off the wrist.

IWC Pilots Mark XX
Best overallIWC Pilots Mark XX IW328201 · 40mm · Automatic · 100 m water resistant £4,900Price at Goldsmiths, 29 October 2026 Full specsSee it at Goldsmiths

The Mark XX also comes with a blue or green dial, and on IWC's steel bracelet:

The best smaller Pilot's Watch: 36mm

The Pilot's Watch Automatic 36 Le Petit Prince: the same instrument design in a 36mm stainless steel case, with a deep blue sunburst dial, Super-LumiNova numerals and gold-plated hands, and a case back engraved with the Little Prince, according to Goldsmiths. It's the least expensive IWC Pilot's Watch at Goldsmiths, and the one for a slimmer wrist.

IWC Pilot Automatic Le Petit Prince
Best smaller sizeIWC Pilot Automatic Le Petit Prince IW458802 · 36mm · Automatic · 100 m water resistant £4,400Price at Goldsmiths, 29 October 2026 Full specsSee it at Goldsmiths

The best chronograph: 41 or 43?

Both Pilot's Chronographs use IWC's own 69385 calibre with a 46-hour power reserve and are water resistant to 100 metres, according to Goldsmiths, and they cost almost the same. So the choice is size: 41mm suits most wrists, while 43mm has more of the oversized aviator look.

WatchPriceCaseMovementWater resistanceCrystalPower reserveStrap
IWC Pilot Chronograph£6,40041mm stainless steelAutomatic100 m—46 hoursCalfskin
IWC Pilots£6,50043mm stainless steelAutomatic100 m—46 hoursLeather

Prices at Goldsmiths on 29 October 2026. Specifications from Goldsmiths' product pages and the brands' own pages; where they differ, we use the brand's figure.

Our pick is the Chronograph 41 in blue, on a blue calfskin strap with IWC's EasX-CHANGE quick-release system, according to Goldsmiths.

IWC Pilots Chronograph
Best chronographIWC Pilots Chronograph IW388101 · 41mm · Automatic · 100 m water resistant £6,400Price at Goldsmiths, 29 October 2026 Full specsSee it at Goldsmiths

The Big Pilot

The Big Pilot 43 is IWC's bolder Pilot's Watch. It uses IWC's 82100 calibre with a 60-hour power reserve, in a 43mm steel case with a calfskin strap and the EasX-CHANGE system, water resistant to 100 metres, according to Goldsmiths.

IWC Big Pilots
Best Big PilotIWC Big Pilots IW329301 · 43mm · Automatic · 100 m water resistant £7,900Price at Goldsmiths, 29 October 2026 Full specsSee it at Goldsmiths

The 46mm Big Pilots go further, with a seven-day (168-hour) power reserve, according to Goldsmiths. The Big Pilot Le Petit Prince is water resistant to 60 metres.

Top Gun: black ceramic

IWC's Top Gun Pilot's Watches come in ceramic cases. The Top Gun Lake Tahoe is a 41mm automatic in black ceramic on a rubber strap, and the Mojave Desert is the same idea in brown ceramic.

IWC Pilots Automatic
Best Top GunIWC Pilots Automatic IW328104 · 41mm · Automatic · 100 m water resistant £7,700Price at Goldsmiths, 29 October 2026 Full specsSee it at Goldsmiths

Le Petit Prince editions

IWC's Le Petit Prince editions honour Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's book, with blue dials and an engraving of the Little Prince on the case back, according to Goldsmiths. Besides the 36mm and the Big Pilot above, there's a Mark XX and a Chronograph:

IWC or something else?

An IWC Pilot's Watch is a serious first luxury watch. If you're comparing, see our best IWC watches and best first luxury watch, or our Omega Speedmaster guide for the other great aviation-and-space chronograph.

More IWC Pilot's Watches

16 more from Goldsmiths, from £4,900 to £31,400. Prices and specifications are Goldsmiths' own; we haven't written about these ones in detail.

Questions people ask

Which IWC Pilot's Watch is best for a first IWC?
The Mark XX: the classic three-hand Pilot's Watch in 40mm steel, with IWC's own 32111 calibre and a 120-hour power reserve, and the least expensive full-size Pilot's Watch at Goldsmiths. For a smaller wrist, the 36mm Automatic.
IWC Pilot's Chronograph 41 or 43?
Both use IWC's 69385 calibre with a 46-hour power reserve, according to Goldsmiths, and cost almost the same, so it comes down to your wrist. The 41mm suits most wrists and wears like a normal sports watch; the 43mm has more of the classic oversized aviator look.
What's the difference between the Big Pilot and the Pilot's Watch?
The Big Pilot is IWC's larger, bolder take: the Big Pilot 43 uses IWC's 82100 calibre with a 60-hour power reserve, and the 46mm Big Pilots have a 7-day (168-hour) power reserve, according to Goldsmiths. The Pilot's Watch Mark XX is smaller, simpler and less expensive.
Is the IWC Pilot's Watch waterproof?
Most IWC Pilot's Watches at Goldsmiths are water resistant to 100 metres (10 bar), fine for swimming. The 46mm Big Pilot Le Petit Prince is rated to 60 metres. Each watch's page shows its own rating.
What is the IWC Top Gun?
Top Gun is a line of IWC Pilot's Watches, and the Top Gun models at Goldsmiths have ceramic cases, such as the Top Gun Lake Tahoe in black and the Mojave Desert in brown ceramic.

Related guides

How we write these guides: every watch is one you can buy new from a UK authorised retailer. Prices and specifications come from the retailer's own product page, and anything extra comes from the brand's website. We check prices and stock every morning, but they can change, so the retailer's page always has the final word. No brand or retailer pays to appear. Read how we choose watches and jewellery and our editorial policy; spotted a mistake? Email contact@sterlingguild.co.uk.