A few days ago IWC Schaffhausen presented the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL at the Watches and Wonders digital show, the first watch equipped with the brand’s new patented cushioning system. From the Wright brothers to today’s jets, pilots have always operated in extreme conditions, as well as in cramped cockpits. Robustness, therefore, has always been one of the most important functional requirements for IWC’s Pilot’s high quality replica watches uk. In recent years, the Swiss manufacture has taken robustness to even higher levels, thanks to the use of scratch-resistant materials such as Ceratanium®. The Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL is the first IWC watch equipped with the patented SPRIN-g PROTECT system. Let’s see how the cushioning works. At the center of the system there is a spring that protects the movement from the gravitational forces generated by impacts on the watch. It cushions the movement allowing it to continue moving independently of the case, before bringing it to a stop in a more delicate way. These performances are the result of the perfect shape of the spring and the material used to make it. The spring has been designed to evenly distribute stresses over its entire length and width. Solving this problem required advanced simulation tools and a meticulous design process. A second decisive factor was the choice of using BMG (Bulk Metallic Glass) as a material. A sophisticated manufacturing process gives the BMG an amorphous microstructure, which makes it considerably more elastic than traditional metals. An ultralight titanium casing ring further reduces the mass that the shock absorber has to support. Another innovation is the exclusive crown system, with a winding shaft that allows the movement to move independently of the case. Reducing the mass that the spring must protect is critical to overall system performance. The IWC-manufactured caliber 32115 used for this watch is a custom lightweight construction. Components such as the plate are made of a high-tech aluminum alloy used in the aerospace sector, of great lightness and rigidity. The bidirectional ratchet winding system accumulates a power reserve of 120 hours. XPL in the name of the watch is the acronym for “Experimental” and refers to the Experimental Technical Division of fake IWC. The powerful geometry of the case takes the iconic shape of the Big Pilot’s design to a new level, adding a futuristic surface treatment and details throughout the exterior of the watch. The case is made of Ceratanium®, a material developed by IWC and based on a patented titanium alloy. It is light and strong like titanium, but at the same time hard and scratch resistant like ceramic. The components are milled from bars and fired at a high temperature in a furnace. During this process, the surface takes on the characteristics of ceramic and acquires its unmistakable matte black finish. The black stealth design is completed by the black dial, an anti-reflective technical coating on the front glass and a black rubber strap with a textile insert. Due to the complex production process of colored ceramic, production of the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL is limited to just 10 pieces per year. The watch is available exclusively through IWC boutiques or the IWC concierge service.