IWC continues to refine their Pilot?s Watch family with a new entry to their Classic collection in the Chronograph 41. Not only does the watch get a tidier 41mm case, it also receives the IWC manufactured 69385 caliber within. The move continues with the downsizing trend we?ve seen from IWC in recent years, making their substantial collection of historic Pilot?s watches a bit more wrist friendly. While still on the large side, the 41mm case and 69000 series movement are a welcome addition to the Classic collection. This watch has a few surprises hidden as well, and we got our hands on a sample to see just how viable the new case size is in everyday wear. 
If you?re thinking this watch looks a little familiar, well, that?s because a blue dial Pilot?s watch chronograph already exists in both the Classic and ?Le Petit Prince? collections. What?s new here is the case size, the movement, and the quick change strap system (more on that later). Before we go any further, it?s worth taking a moment to unpack the current landscape of IWC Pilot?s watches.
 

There are, as far as I can tell, five sub-collections within the Pilot?s watch family, each serving a slightly different purpose. We asked IWC CEO Christopher Grainger Herr in our podcast ep. 180 about the sheer breadth of their Pilot watch offerings, and how the average enthusiast can about making heads or tails of the collections, and he explains that ?if (a customer) want to dive deep, the depths of storytelling ...