In a world where only about 10 percent of the population is believed to be left-handed, anecdotal evidence has indicated that the number of lefties among pilots is significantly higher — as many as 40 percent. With this in mind, it begs the question as to why there are not more pilots’ replica watches designed to be worn on the right hand.
At least one of the watch world’s most noted purveyors of timepieces for aviators, IWC Schaffhausen Replica, has finally addressed this large potential audience with a new limited edition in its iconic Big Pilot’s collection: the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Edition “Right Hander.”
It takes its design inspiration from a 1940s model, the Copy Big Pilot’s Watch Calibre 52, and shares that vintage piece’s titanic case diameter of 46.2 mm. The left-mounted crown, its conical shape and large size designed for ease of use by pilots wearing thick gloves, screws into the case, which is made of stainless steel and water resistant to 60 meters.
Under a convex, nonreflective sapphire crystal, the slate-colored dial bears the classical hallmarks of the Swiss IWC Replica Big Pilot collection, with large, luminous Arabic numerals and hands as well as the traditional triangle at 12 o’clock. This model also displays the date at 6 o’clock, the small seconds at 3 o’clock, and the status of the watch’s lengthy seven-day power reserve at 9 o’clock.