There is perhaps no more versatile complication than the chronograph. 

From race cars to rocket ships, boats to battlefields, you are likely to find a chronograph being employed to measure a plethora of tasks and times. From the Greek khrónos (“time”) and gráphō (“to write”), a chronograph is a watch that has the ability to record time, generally via the addition of small sub-counters that register minutes and hours. 

And what better use for a chronograph than within the confines of a pilot’s watch? IWC makes some of the finest pilot’s watches in the world, with a history stretching back to the early decades of the 20th century. 

This particular watch, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire, comes with a brilliant automatic winding movement, day-date and chronograph displays, and bold legibility for which the collection is famous. It features a 42mm stainless steel case with a sapphire crystal, pump pushers, a signed screw-down crown, and luminous crisp white dial with printed white 'Arabic' indices and a matching sword handset. It comes paired to a multi-link bracelet. The white dial on this example is so sharp and distinctive, separating this piece from others in the family.

Well sized, knockout looks, and featuring a robust and reliable movement, this 'Spitfire' is one of our favorite takes on the Pilot's line in recent years.

When you hear the term ‘pilot’s watch,’ there’s a healthy chance that what comes to mind is a timepiece from the International Watch Company.