The new IWC Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive IW328601 marks a clear departure from the way the Schaffhausen manufacture has traditionally approached its Pilot’s Watches, introducing a model designed specifically for the demands of human spaceflight.
Developed by IWC’s XPL engineering division and certified for spaceflight by Vast, the watch is the first in the brand’s history conceived entirely from the ground up for use beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
Rather than adapting an existing aviation instrument, IWC rethought the interaction between user and watch in extreme conditions.
The result is a crownless architecture in which all functions are controlled through a patent-pending rotating bezel system known as Vertical Drive.
A mechanical clutch transfers the bezel’s motion to the winding stem, while a rocker switch integrated into the case flank allows selection between different modes, including winding and time-setting functions.
This approach was driven by the constraints of space operations, where astronauts must interact with equipment while wearing pressurised gloves.
The bezel can be rotated to wind the movement or adjusted anti-clockwise for manual energy input, complementing the automatic winding system and ensuring usability both in gravity and microgravity environments.
The dial has been reduced to essential indications in the interest of legibility and operational clarity.
Executed in matte black, it displays mission reference time via central hour and minute hands, alongside a 24-hour scale operated by a dedicated hand on the periphery.
This format reflects the structure of orbital timekeeping, where astronauts rely on UTC or GMT to maintain consistent daily rhythms despite experiencing multiple sunrises and sunsets during a single Earth day.
A second time zone function allows the central hour hand to be adjusted independently in one-hour increments, enabling the display of home time when required.
Luminescence is differentiated by function: the hour and minute hands are outlined in green Super-LumiNova, while the 24-hour hand features a blue luminous tip, echoed by the blue seconds hand and matching inner track.
Powering the watch is the IWC-manufactured Calibre 32722, an automatic movement operating at 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) with a power reserve of 120 hours. It integrates central hacking seconds, a date display at 3 o’clock and a GMT function.
The case measures 44.3 mm in diameter and 16.7 mm in height and is constructed from materials selected for their performance under extreme conditions.
The main structure is made of white zirconium oxide ceramic, chosen for its hardness and resistance to thermal variation, while the bezel and case back are executed in Ceratanium, IWC’s proprietary titanium-based material with enhanced scratch resistance and low weight.
The watch is fitted with a domed sapphire crystal treated with anti-reflective coating on both sides and is water-resistant to 10 bar (100 metres / 330 feet). It is completed by an integrated white FKM rubber strap and a Ceratanium pin buckle.
Before certification, the watch was subjected to extensive testing by Vast, including vibration exposure up to 10g and evaluation under pressure and thermal variation conditions exceeding those expected during spaceflight.
Following these tests, the Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive received official certification for flight aboard the Haven-1 commercial space station.
A functional reinterpretation of the tool watch concept for the next phase of human space exploration, the IWC Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive, ref. IW328601, is priced at €29,000 / US$28,200. iwc.com
DISCOVER MORE WATCHES & WONDERS 2026 NOVELTIES
COMMENTS