Geneva, 10 November 2016 – On the occasion of our autumn sale of Important Watches, Sotheby’s Geneva will once again come together with the prestigious watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen to present a completely unique, special-edition timepiece created by the Swiss manufacturer.

On 15 November, collectors will be able to discover the IWC Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince” (Reference IW502704, Lot 175). This unique piece in red gold features a stunning blue movement, the first ever to have been created by IWC. The proceeds from the sale will benefit the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation, the charitable organization dedicated to supporting disadvantaged young people and children all over the world through local initiatives. 

Looking ahead to the sale, Pedro Reiser, Department Manager for the Watch Division at Sotheby’s in Geneva commented: “It is an honour for us to nurture this continuing partnership with IWC Schaffhausen, and to present this unique special-edition watch. This year, once again, the celebrated watchmaker has shown its passion for innovation, developing an exceptional timepiece with a superb blue movement. We feel that this impressive technical endeavour is sure to enchant collectors, and we look forward to renewing our support for the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation.”

TECHNICAL PROWESS AND VISUAL POETRY ADDITIONAL FEATURES
For the world-famous poet and author of “The Little Prince”, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, poetry and technology, writing and flying were two sides of the same coin. Now, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince” brings these two worlds together. The front side of the watch features a midnight blue dial with annual calendar and red gold luminous hands. The reverse side of the watch reveals an outstanding blue movement – the first ever developed by the manufacturer. The dial shows the little prince gazing in amazement at the sky. He stands on a tiny planet, which in its entirety forms the rotor and revolves around its axis. Due to the highly complex techniques required to ensure an even blue finish on the movement, followed by the delicate process of assembling the pieces, the movement took IWC nearly 2 years to develop.

The sumptuous blue of the movement creates the impression of depth within the watch, echoing the extraordinary adventures of the little prince. In addition to its spectacular blue movement, the sleek exterior of the IWC Pilot’s Watch Annual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince” hides numerous other features that illustrate the exceptional quality of IWC’s technical workmanship. These include an annual calendar, which shows the month, date and day of the week in three separate windows. Its highly complex mechanism takes into account the differing lengths of different months, with the exception of February; once a year, it requires a simple manual correction using the crown.

This superb piece in 18-carat red gold also includes a 7-day power reserve and a transparent sapphire-glass back.

FURTHERING THE WORK OF THE ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY YOUTH FOUNDATION
Handed down through generations, the wonderful tale of the little prince has so far been translated into 290 languages and dialects. The Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation aims to reach new heights in the coming years by producing a version of the book in braille, adapting both the text and pictures. The proceeds from the sale of the watch will go towards supporting the launch of the foundation in the United States and to collaborate with local NGOs and associations. The organization will help visually impaired children to discover the little prince’s magical world and its enchanting illustrations, via specially conceived educational workshops. 2