At 43mm the IWC Pilots Watch Spitfire Chronograph is the largest watch in my collection. I love my 34mm Rolex. I have no problem with small diameter watches, they are so comfortable. To be honest, I was a bit worried about how I would feel wearing a 43mm wrist associate. For my first little bit of owning this watch, I went back and forth if I could handle the size (think Full Metal Jacket). I’ve worn it on an Aaron Bespoke strap and the bracelet. Both look great. The bracelet is a thing of beauty. Every link is removable, there is a fantastic micro-adjust mechanism on the clasp and it tapers so well to my averagely endowed wrist. The bracelet is a win. It feels sturdy, it looks sturdy. It’s everything you want in a luxury watch.

So let’s talk a bit about the movement. How many jewels does it have? I don’t know. Is Jewel that girl that works at that club and does that thing with her… Oh, ugh, forget that… got sidetracked. Anyway, the movement is fantastic, it’s In-House instead of based on a Valjoux 7750. I have nothing against the Valjoux 7750, it’s a great movement, but for a watch in this price point it would be unacceptable in my opinion. This movement features a flyback chronograph, works perfectly and keeps excellent time. And then there’s the date, it’s a triple date which is very collectible because it was only produced for a short run. Aesthetically I don’t mind the triple date, especially since the date change is not super snappy on these, but I really would have preferred a snappy date, with or without the triple display.

As for the dial. It’s a sunburst slate dial, and it looks fantastic in a lot of lighting, and what really sets this apart from other Spitfire’s is the applied numerals. They are really well done and the lume is fantastic. This IWC Pilots Watch Spitfire Chronograph is an upgrade over the more average references, and that is easy to tell by the look and feel.