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- The new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph (Ref. IW378008) pairs an olive-green dial with a 43 mm stainless steel case.
- It comes with both a five-link stainless steel bracelet and a matching olive-green rubber strap, each using IWC’s EasX-CHANGE system.
- The watch costs AUD $15,300 and is powered by the IWC-manufactured calibre 69385 with a 46-hour power reserve.
Choosing a watch strap usually comes down to what kind of watch you want to wear that day. A steel bracelet dresses things up a little, while rubber or silicone straps tend to make the same watch feel a little more relaxed and sporty, less inclined to show off. With the latest Pilot’s Watch Chronograph from IWC, you won’t be strapped into a permanent decision; you get both.
The new Ref. IW378008 comes with both a five-link stainless steel bracelet and an olive-green rubber strap, giving the AUD $15,300 chronograph two noticeably different personalities straight out of the box. Both use IWC’s EasX-CHANGE system, so you can swap between the straps without any tools or a visit to your local watch technician.
But we all know you were looking at that olive-green dial before you even knew about the second strap. And while green dials are hardly revolutionary at this point, this vivid shade works so damn well against the brushed steel case, crisp white markings and gold-plated hands. It gives the familiar Pilot’s Watch layout something slightly different without overhauling what makes this IWC series so popular.
1/4Two Straps, Two Different Looks For IWC
The stainless steel bracelet is obviously the dressier of the two options. Its five-link construction gives the watch a more polished, traditional sports-watch look, and it features a stainless steel folding clasp.
Switch over to the matching olive-green rubber strap, and everything starts to relax. The colour combination keeps the strap neatly tied to the dial, while the more casual rubber construction makes much more sense outside formal occasions.
Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from bringing both straps with you in case your outing takes a turn. Because each strap uses the EasX-CHANGE system, you can swap from the bracelet to the strap at the touch of a button without reaching for a spring-bar tool.
Nothing particularly complicated, but getting both straps makes this reference far more versatile the moment it arrives. When you’re spending over AUD $15,000 on a new watch, it doesn’t hurt to throw in a few extras for the next wrist check.
Same Familiar Pilot’s Watch Hardware Inside
You’ll find plenty of IWC’s familiar Pilot’s Watch hardware beneath the olive-green colour scheme.
The 43mm stainless steel case is 14.8 mm thick and water-resistant to 10 bar. The dial features white Super-LumiNova Arabic numerals and hour markers, gold-plated lume-filled hands, and a day-date display at 3 o’clock, with elapsed chronograph minutes at 12.
Inside is the IWC-manufactured calibre 69385, an automatic mechanical chronograph movement running at 28,800 vibrations per hour with 33 jewels and a 46-hour power reserve. And always my favourite part: the movement is visible through the sapphire display caseback. Gorgeous.
1/3IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph IW378008 – Key Specs
- Price: AUD $15,300
- Reference: IW378008
- Case: Stainless steel
- Diameter: 43 mm
- Thickness: 14.8 mm
- Dial: Olive green
- Movement: IWC-manufactured calibre 69385
- Power reserve: 46 hours
- Water resistance: 10 bar
- Straps: Five-link stainless steel bracelet and olive-green rubber strap
- Strap system: EasX-CHANGE
- Functions: Chronograph, day-date display, small hacking seconds
- Caseback: Sapphire display caseback
- Availability: IWC boutiques and IWC.com
IWC has made high-precision chronographs for its Pilot’s Watches collection since the early 1990s, and this latest version isn’t here to rebuild the plane that got them here in the first place. Instead, it gives a familiar Pilot’s Watch a lovely-looking olive-green colour scheme and two genuinely different ways to wear it.
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