
The watch world loves to give us internet-shattering releases for random anniversaries all the time. However, amidst the deluge, we forget that it doesn’t have to always be like this. To keep things classy, IWC Schaffhausen celebrates 75 years of its iconic Pilot’s Watch Mark Series with the most understated variant it could come up with.

Sporting a silver-plated, basically-white dial with black accents, the new Mark XX anniversary variant comes with either a black calfskin strap or a stainless steel link bracelet. Powered by the in-house caliber 32111 automatic movement with a whopping 120 hours of power reserve, the timepiece is housed in a 40mm stainless steel case with 100m of water resistance — just like the previous versions. The Mark XX debuted last year and has since been available in blue, green, and black dials. One could ask why IWC wouldn’t wait until 2023 to release the XX. We couldn’t tell you, but we can say that this new edition is the most striking that this current generation offers thus far.

Following a rich history, the Mark Series was officially launched in 1948 at the request of the British Royal Air Force. Codenamed the Mark 11, the “navigator’s wristwatch” was to be worn by military pilots and engineered for legibility. As such, it featured a simple, high-contrast dial that’s informed the rest of the references over the past three-quarters of a century. It wasn’t until the Mark XII in 1993 that these pieces were available to purchase by civilians. Prior to the Mark XX last year, the most recent update was all the way back in 2016 with the Mark XVIII.

Available now on IWC’s website, the Pilot’s Watch Mark XX: 75 Years Edition is priced at $5,250 for the calfskin version and $6,150 for the steel bracelet version.