The IWC Big Pilot's Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince, reference IW329501, is a platinum pilot's watch with a deep blue sunray dial, a flying minute tourbillon at 6 o'clock and the IWC-manufactured calibre 82905 with an 80-hour power reserve. IWC announced it on May 21, 2025 as a limited edition of 150 pieces, dedicated to Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the aviator and author of "The Little Prince". This guide covers the specifications, how the tourbillon and Pellaton winding work, how a 43 mm platinum watch wears, how the IW329501 differs from the perpetual calendar sibling, dated catalogue pricing in 2026 and what to check before buying. Bizak & Co. sources the IW329501 to order; the IWC Pilot collection lists the pilot's watches we can seek.
Last reviewed on September 29, 2026 by Filip Biczak. Prices are dated observations, not quotes.
IWC IW329501 specifications
| Attribute | IW329501 |
|---|---|
| Name | Big Pilot's Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince |
| Case | Platinum, 43 mm diameter, about 14.5 mm high according to IWC's reference listing; platinum crown; sapphire glass case back |
| Dial | Deep blue with a sunray finish; rhodium-plated hands and applied numerals filled with Super-LumiNova |
| Movement | IWC-manufactured calibre 82905, automatic, Pellaton winding, 80 hours power reserve |
| Complication | Flying minute tourbillon at 6 o'clock, 56 parts, 0.635 g, with a tourbillon stop that halts it when the crown is pulled |
| Rotor | Shaped as the Little Prince standing on his asteroid, visible through the case back |
| Strap | Brown calfskin with a platinum folding clasp |
| Water resistance | 10 bar, the manufacturer's rating; see the buying checks below |
| Edition | Limited to 150 pieces, announced May 2025 |
Source: IWC's press release for the Little Prince pilot's watches, which describes the platinum case, the calibre 82905, the tourbillon and the edition size. Confirm the details of any individual watch on its papers and case back.
What is the Big Pilot's Watch 43 Tourbillon Le Petit Prince?
It is the platinum tourbillon in IWC's Little Prince series. IWC has dedicated pilot's watches to Antoine de Saint-Exupery for many years; he flew for the French air mail before writing "The Little Prince", which was published in 1943, and the blue dials in the series are a nod to the book. The 2025 pair consists of the IW329501, in platinum with a flying tourbillon, and the IW504901, a blue ceramic Big Pilot's Watch that combines a perpetual calendar with a tourbillon and is limited to 100 pieces.
The Big Pilot's Watch itself goes back to the 1940s, when IWC built large, highly legible observation watches for pilots. The modern collection keeps the big crown, the large Arabic numerals and the plain dial layout. The IW329501 keeps all of that and adds a complication that pilot's watches were never built to have, which is much of its appeal: a rugged design language wrapped around a delicate mechanism.
How do the flying tourbillon and Pellaton winding work?
A tourbillon places the balance wheel, hairspring and escapement in a small rotating cage. Abraham-Louis Breguet patented the idea in 1801 to average out the effect of gravity on pocket watches that stayed in one position for long periods. On a wristwatch, which moves constantly, the practical benefit is debated, and most owners buy a tourbillon for the mechanical spectacle. A flying tourbillon is supported on one side only, without an upper bridge, so the cage appears to float. On the IW329501 the cage completes one rotation a minute at 6 o'clock, and IWC's press release describes the mechanism as appearing to float in space against a dark background.
The tourbillon stop is a practical detail. Pulling the crown halts the cage, which lets you set the time to the second. The Pellaton winding system, developed in the 1950s by IWC's former technical director Albert Pellaton, uses movement of the rotor in both directions to wind the mainspring through a cam and pawl arrangement. IWC says that highly stressed parts of the winding system are made from zirconium oxide ceramic, which is close to wear-free, and that the pallet lever and escape wheel carry a proprietary Diamond Shell coating to reduce friction. Both details support the 80-hour power reserve: you can leave the watch off the wrist over a weekend and expect it to be running on Monday.
How does a 43 mm platinum pilot's watch wear?
At 43 mm the IW329501 is a mid-large watch, but the height is what you feel. At about 14.5 mm it sits higher than a time-only pilot's watch, and platinum is much denser than steel, so the case is heavier than the dimensions suggest. Wrists of about 17 cm (6.7 inches) and above carry it comfortably; on smaller wrists the weight is more noticeable than the diameter, so try the watch on before committing to the purchase.
The calfskin strap makes it lighter to wear than a bracelet would, and the platinum folding clasp adds some weight on the underside, which helps the watch stay centred. The tourbillon is placed low on the dial, so the blue dial is uncluttered above it. The Arabic numerals and the sunray dial make it readable at a glance, and the crown is large enough to pull with gloves on, which is a small nod to the Big Pilot's Watch origins.
IW329501 vs IW504901 vs a standard Big Pilot 43: which one?
| IW329501 | IW504901 | Standard Big Pilot's Watch 43 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case | Platinum, 43 mm | Blue ceramic, with a 5N gold crown and case back ring | 43 mm, in a metal that depends on the reference |
| Complications | Flying minute tourbillon | Perpetual calendar and flying minute tourbillon | Time and date, in the standard reference |
| Movement | Calibre 82905, 80 hours | Calibre 51950 | Varies by reference |
| Edition | 150 pieces | 100 pieces | Regular production |
| Character | Precious metal, a single high complication, the simpler dial | Two high complications in a modern material | The everyday pilot's watch |
The choice between the two Little Prince editions is mainly a choice between a simple tourbillon dial in platinum and a more complicated dial in ceramic. If you want the Big Pilot's Watch as an everyday pilot's watch, a standard reference in the IWC Pilot collection is a different proposition and a very different price.
Why platinum rather than steel or gold?
IWC describes platinum as the rarest of the precious metals, and notes that it retains its whitish shine indefinitely and resists corrosion and tarnishing. It is also denser than gold, which is why platinum watches feel weighty. Platinum has a colder, greyer tone than white gold, and it scratches in a different way: it dents and displaces rather than losing metal, so a well-worn platinum case develops a soft patina rather than deep gouges. The finish complements the blue dial, and the contrast with the brown calfskin strap is what the design leans on.
For a buyer, the material matters mainly for the price and the feel. A platinum tourbillon carries a higher price than a steel or gold pilot's watch would, and the metal is also part of why IWC limited the edition to a small number.
How much is the IWC IW329501 in 2026?
- Retail. IWC does not always publish a price for limited editions in every market, and retail figures vary by country and tax. Ask an authorised IWC boutique for a current figure; we do not quote one here.
- Bizak catalogue ask. On September 29, 2026 Bizak's sourced catalogue listed the IW329501 at US$92,700, sourced to order. That is one dated listing, not an offer, and it can change with the watch, its condition and its papers.
- What moves the price. A full set with the box, papers and the original strap and clasp adds to the ask. Signs of wear on the platinum case, a missing certificate or a replaced strap subtract from it.
Ask for a dated written quote for the exact watch and set. Our watches over US$50,000 collection gives context for other watches in the same price band, and auction results at Phillips watches and Sotheby's watches show how the market prices limited-edition complications.
Is a limited edition of 150 easy to resell?
Treat it as a watch to enjoy first. A limited edition is easier to identify and to authenticate, and the small number is a point in its favour. It also means fewer comparable sales, so a resale price is harder to predict than for a regular production watch. Complicated limited editions in precious metal tend to have a narrower group of buyers than steel sports watches, and selling one can take longer. No reference is guaranteed to rise in value, and the edition number on its own does not make a watch worth more. If resale matters, ask for a written cash-buy assessment before you commit, and keep the box, papers and strap together. Our sell or trade your watch page explains how we assess a watch.
Buying an IW329501: what to check
- Reference and edition. The reference IW329501 should appear on the papers and the case back, together with the individual edition number. Ask for both.
- Set. The box, warranty card, manuals and the original brown calfskin strap with its platinum folding clasp should match the watch.
- Tourbillon behaviour. The cage should turn smoothly, and pulling the crown should stop it. Ask for a short video of both.
- Case condition. Ask for close photographs of the platinum case, the lugs and the crown. Platinum shows dents and polishing differently from steel.
- Service history. On a complicated watch, ask for any service record and for IWC's own guidance on service intervals for the calibre 82905.
- Water resistance. Do not rely on the original 10 bar rating for a watch with a tourbillon and an open case back. Arrange a current pressure test before any exposure to water.
- Authenticity. Buy from a seller that will put an authenticity guarantee in writing; ours is set out on the authenticity guarantee page.
Quick answers
What movement does the IWC IW329501 use?
It uses the IWC-manufactured calibre 82905, an automatic movement with Pellaton winding, a flying minute tourbillon at 6 o'clock and an 80-hour power reserve.
How big is the IWC IW329501?
The platinum case is 43 mm in diameter and about 14.5 mm high according to IWC's reference listing, and it is worn on a brown calfskin strap with a platinum folding clasp.
Is the IW329501 a limited edition?
Yes. IWC limited it to 150 pieces when it announced the watch in May 2025, together with the 100-piece perpetual calendar tourbillon IW504901.
How much is the IWC IW329501?
On September 29, 2026 Bizak's sourced catalogue listed it at US$92,700, sourced to order. That is a dated listing rather than a quote, and retail prices vary by market.
What does the tourbillon stop do?
Pulling out the crown halts the tourbillon cage so that you can set the time with second-accurate precision, and the cage restarts when the crown is pushed back in.
Request an IW329501 sourcing quote
Tell us your budget, whether the full set and the original strap are required, and your timing through our sourcing enquiry form. We confirm the specific watch, photographs, papers and the final price before you commit. You can see the catalogue entry for the IW329501, browse the IWC Pilot collection and all IWC watches, or read about Bizak & Co.
The catalogue entry can be reserved with a $200 deposit, which is applied to the purchase price and is refundable only if Bizak & Co. cannot fulfil your order.
Related reading: Nautilus 5990 guide for another complicated watch with a travel or timing function · Patek Philippe price guide · Authenticity guarantee · Sell your watch.
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