IWC shoots for the stars with its new space watch
The timepiece is among several launched at Watches and Wonders 2026
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IT MAY BE SOME TIME before commercial spaceflight takes off – literally – but IWC Schaffhausen isn’t waiting for that day to come. The Swiss watch brand has already produced a space-ready timepiece that’s ready for your journey to outer space.
Space travel is high on our minds right now, thanks to the excitement over Artemis II’s success in circling the moon in early April – the first such mission in more than 50 years. Just before the Orion spacecraft re-entered earth, mission commander Reid Wiseman hailed the “limitless potential” of a “golden age of space travel”.
Perfect timing. The Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive – IWC’s “first tool watch engineered and certified for human spaceflight” – was unveiled just a few days after the Orion’s return, at the Watches and Wonders mega watch fair in Geneva.
Flaunting a forward-looking, dynamic and minimalist design, this black-and-white timer with round edges is IWC’s vision of a modern space watch. It would not look out of place in a Star Wars movie – and certainly not on Artemis II’s Orion spacecraft.
The Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive was tailor-made for outer space. Watches worn in space were originally made for Earth conditions and tweaked to meet the needs of astronauts travelling in zero gravity – until now. The new IWC timepiece was conceived, designed and made specifically for them.
Building on the brand’s 90 years of experience in aviation tool watches, as well as recent participation in human spaceflight missions, IWC’s engineers and watchmakers have identified “what a tool watch for astronauts offers in terms of functionality, ease of operation, time display and material execution”, says Chris Grainger-Herr, the chief executive officer of the Swiss marque.
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“Every single detail of this watch has been single-mindedly optimised for the unique requirements of human spaceflight and timekeeping in space,” he adds.
Instead of a crown, the Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive has a patent-pending rotating bezel to control all its functions. This way, an astronaut in a spacesuit can still operate it while wearing gloves. The bezel’s movements are sent to the winding stem via an efficient clutch system known as “Vertical Drive”, which gives the watch its name.
The functions of the timepiece – winding the movement or setting the two different time zones of earth and space – can also be changed by a simple on/off switch on the side of the case.
The dial displays two different times in a 24-hour format, made possible by a new in-house automatic movement. Stripped to the absolute essentials and devoid of light reflections, the matte black dial features very clear markings. The hour and second hands have luminescent coatings that glow in the dark.
The Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive is designed to withstand spacecraft’s violent vibrations and powerful acceleration force. In space, it is tough enough to withstand exposure to vacuums, radiation and extreme fluctuations in temperature.
The watch is made entirely from advanced performance materials. White zirconium oxide ceramic, second only to diamond in hardness, is used to construct the 44.3 mm case. The rotating bezel and case-back are produced with Ceratanium, which is a light, hard and scratch-resistant material that IWC developed by combining titanium and ceramic.
The timepiece has passed rigorous and extensive testing by Vast, a US company which is building the world’s first commercial space station. It is also IWC’s “strategic engineering” partner, while the watchmaker is Vast’s “official timekeeper”.
Two decades of Le Petit Prince
IWC has also rolled out five new watches to mark the 20th anniversary of its collaboration with Le Petit Prince, or The Little Prince.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s most famous literary work was published more than 80 years ago and has since been translated into more than 650 languages and dialects. The timeless tale follows a child who visits distant planets and their inhabitants, learning enduring truths about love, loss and friendship.
The anniversary timepieces are two Mark XX models in 18-carat 5N gold and stainless steel, two stainless steel chronographs in 43 mm and 41 mm, and one automatic watch in 36 mm.
All flaunt the deep blue dial with sunray finish that is the hallmark of IWC’s special editions dedicated to the iconic novel. The new watches also sport gold-plated hands with luminescent coatings and depictions of the fictional character on their case-backs.
And for the first time in 20 years, IWC has introduced a new model in its Portofino line to honour The Little Prince. This 34 mm dress watch in stainless steel also has the characteristic deep blue dial, and features the character standing on the golden moon on the day and night display at 6 o’clock on the dial.
It is a nice gesture, but the focus is still very much on the Pilot collection. Alongside the anniversary watches, IWC has launched the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Le Petit Prince, a 41.9 mm chronograph in all-white zirconium oxide ceramic, with the familiar deep blue sunburst dial. A picture of the eponymous prince is engraved on the titanium case-back.
For the longest time, the crown control of IWC’s perpetual calendar models could only be adjusted forward. Now, the watchmaker has overhauled the mechanism to re-introduce the complication watch with IWC-ProSet. This has a crown that can turn seamlessly forward and backward to make the perpetual calendar easier to set and operate.
The IWC-ProSet also boasts higher levels of precision. With a deviation of just one day after 1,040 years, the moonphase display reaches a new level of accuracy.
Three models of the new IWC perpetual calendar were launched at Watches and Wonders 2026, two of them featuring The Little Prince.
One has a white 43 mm zirconium oxide ceramic case and matching white rubber strap; the other comes in a 42 mm stainless steel case, worn with an interchangeable five-link stainless steel bracelet. Both watches have a deep blue dial and the words “Edition Le Petit Prince” etched on a stainless steel case-back ring.
The third IWC-ProSet model features a 42 mm, 18-carat 5N gold case framing a dark green olive dial, paired with an olive green buffalo leather strap.
Showcasing its expertise in advanced materials, IWC has also rolled out the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Ceralume. Limited to 250 pieces, this fully luminous complication watch was made using IWC’s proprietary Ceralume luminous technology.
Ceralume is a ceramic compound developed with RC Tritec, a leading Swiss tech firm known for its Super-LumiNova luminous pigments. Like a light-storage battery, it absorbs energy from sunlight or artificial light and re-emits it as visible light in a cycle that can be repeated indefinitely.
Thanks to the ceramic compound’s enrichment, the entire Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Ceralume – including the 46.5 mm luminous white case, the white dial and white rubber – can glow in the dark in a vivid blue hue for more than 24 hours.
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