Sotheby's and IWC Schaffhausen to offer The Big Pilot's Watch Annual Calendar Edition "Le Petit Prince" to benefit the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation - Auction in Geneva on 12 November 2017

Geneva, 31 October 2017 – Sotheby’s is delighted to renew its partnership with the prestigious watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen, and to offer a one-of-a-kind timepiece at auction to benefit the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation.

During Sotheby’s sale of Important Watches on 12 November 2017, we will present a completely unique special edition watch by IWC Schaffhausen: the IWC Big Pilot's Watch Annual Calendar Edition "Le Petit Prince"(Reference IW502705, Lot 183). This extremely attractive wristwatch in 18-carat white gold is a homage to author and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and features an annual calendar function with the month, date and day in three separate semi-circular windows.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the watch will benefit the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation, whose charitable work is dedicated to supporting young people and children in need all over the world.

“This is a very special partnership for Sotheby’s, bringing together IWC Schaffhausen’s passion for innovation for the benefit of a highly deserving cause, the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation. We are delighted to present this unique watch, which showcases the technical prowess and craftsmanship of this celebrated watchmaker while paying tribute to the memory of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry himself.” Mikael Wallhagen, Head of the Watch Department at Sotheby’s in Geneva

“We are pleased to partner with Sotheby’s this year for the fifth time already to support the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation. The timepiece to be offered in the upcoming auction is a beautiful homage to the literary work of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, while the carefully coated blue movement and hand-painted rotor demonstrate the technical expertise of our manufacture. ”

Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO IWC Schaffhausen
TIMELESS ELEGANCE
The IWC Big Pilot's Watch Annual Calendar Edition "Le Petit Prince"to be offered on 12 November is finished in elegant 18-carat white gold. Its timeless design brings together the poetry and much-loved narrative of The Little Prince, with technical features demonstrating IWC Schaffhausen’s exacting standards in precision watchmaking.

The front side of the IWC Pilot’s Watch features a sumptuous midnight blue dial with rhodium-plated luminous hands, inspired by the glowing dials of cockpit instruments. Located at “12 o’clock” on the dial, IWC’s annual calendar shows the month, date and day 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 in March, it requires a simple manual correction using the crown.

The striking conical crown of the Pilot’s Watch harks back to the pioneering days of aviation, when pilots had to face the elements in unheated cockpits. The large size of the crown allowed pilots to set and wind their watch even when wearing thick gloves and a padded flight suit.

The reverse side of the watch reveals IWC’s sophisticated and innovative blue movement, which took IWC nearly two years to perfect. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s much-loved character, The Little Prince, is shown gazing into the sky from his tiny planet. The planet in its entirety forms the rotor and revolves around its axis. Also made of 18-carat gold, the rotor is decorated with beautiful detail of blue flowers, inspired by the original illustrations in The Little Prince.

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 the illustrations.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the watch will go towards supporting the launch of the foundation’s activities in North America 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.

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 the illustrations.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the watch will go towards supporting the launch of the foundation’s activities in North America 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.