{"id":9659,"date":"2022-11-11T00:00:30","date_gmt":"2022-11-11T00:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swisswatchexpo.com\/TheWatchClub\/?p=9659"},"modified":"2025-08-19T10:58:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T10:58:11","slug":"iwc-pilots-timezoner-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swisswatchexpo.com\/thewatchclub\/2022\/10\/20\/iwc-pilots-timezoner-review\/","title":{"rendered":"IWC Pilot\u2019s Timezoner Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Since the 1930s, IWC has been engineering robust mechanical Pilot\u2019s watches to meet the needs of professional pilots. Over the years, the Swiss giant has made the Pilot\u2019s Watch<\/a> far more than just a timing device. Today, it\u2019s a horological icon \u2013 one that has spawned many iterations with outstanding design and useful complications.<\/p>\n

One such example is the IWC Pilot\u2019s Timezoner. With its patented bezel technology, this worldtimer cum super-GMT allows the wearer to shift between timezones with a simple press and turn of the bezel. Learn more about this excellent example of IWC engineering:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\"IWC<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n
IWC Pilot’s Timezoner Top Gun Ceratanium IW395505<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

The Timezoner Function<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

What is the Timezoner function, and what makes it different from other world time watches?<\/p>\n

With most watches, the interaction between the user and his watch is done via the crown, an element used to wind the movement and adjust the time. This works well the majority of the time. However, with this method, the bezel becomes an element of the habillage with no interaction with the movement itself.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n
IWC Pilot’s Timezoner Top Gun Ceratanium IW395505<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

With the Timezoner, IWC became the first watchmaker to offer a timepiece that permits the wearer to set another timezone in addition to the date and 24-hour hand, with a single action on the bezel: press, rotate, and release.<\/p>\n

The Timezoner works without stopping the movement, thus not losing a single second in the process, even across the dateline. This design was created by Michael Vogt, who outfitted his creations with this bezel-set GMT mechanism under the Vogard brand, which debuted at 2014 Baselworld. He eventually sold it to IWC, who further developed it.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

Intuitive Design<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The rest of IWC Pilot\u2019s Timezoner design is easy to use: The ceramic bezel comprises the 24 main cities \u2013 each corresponding to a full-hour time zone. Reference time, also named UTC, is highlighted in red, while some of the time zones feature an additional marker, pertaining to daylight saving time (DST).<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\"IWC<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
\n
IWC Pilot’s Timezoner Le Petit Prince Steel IW395503<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

The arched window displays a white disc with a 24-hour scale acting as an AM\/PM indicator and is linked to the central hours to determine which way the disc is rotating. A date, which is a ubiquitous feature of traveler\u2019s watches, complements this functional display.<\/p>\n

Robustly built and user-friendly, the patented Timezoner function is a prime example of IWC engineering.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n

IWC\u00a0Pilot’s Timezoner Models<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The first IWC watch equipped with the Timezoner function, the Pilot\u2019s Watch Timezoner IW395001, was unveiled in 2016 and came equipped with a flyback chronograph. The ingenious concept was revived in 2019 in a simpler “Spitfire” edition that did not have the stopwatch function.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
<><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n