The SPRIN-g PROTECT shock-absorbing system, which took eight years to design, is based on a spring that keeps the movement suspended inside the case. Thanks to its shape and the use of BMG (Bulk Metallic Glass), the spring protects the movement from the gravitational forces generated by shocks. Suffice it to say that in impact tests carried out in the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge University, a protected movement withstood accelerations of over 30,000 g. "Since F.A. Jones founded IWC over 150 years ago, technology and innovation have always been at the core of our DNA. Today, we carry on this tradition with our technical division, IWC Experimental, which is dedicated to revolutionary developments in areas such as advanced materials or gravity protection. The Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber XPL is the first fruit of this division's ingenuity. Every detail has been carefully analysed and improved to redefine shock protection for mechanical watch movements," said Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen. The Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber XPL (Ref. IW357201) is the first IWC watch to feature the patented SPRIN-g PROTECT system. At the heart of the system is a spring that protects the movement and shock-absorbs it, allowing it to continue moving independently of the case, before bringing it to a more gentle stop. "When a watch suffers a collision, the movement and its components are subjected to high gravitational forces. If a pilot inadvertently hits his watch against a hard surface in the cockpit, for example, the accelerations are between 300 and 1000 g. Our shock-absorbing system protects the movement so effectively that, in impact tests, it withstood accelerations of over 30,000 g," explains Dr. Lorenz Brunner, Department Manager Research & Innovation at IWC Schaffhausen. The spring was designed to distribute the stresses evenly over its entire length and width. Solving this problem required advanced simulation tools and a meticulous design process. A second decisive factor was the choice to use BMG (Bulk Metallic Glass) as the material. A sophisticated manufacturing process gives BMG an amorphous microstructure, which makes it considerably more elastic than traditional metals. An ultra-light titanium casing ring further reduces the mass that the shock absorber has to support. The 44-mm case, water-resistant to 10 atmospheres, is made of Ceratanium, a material developed by IWC and based on a patented titanium alloy. It is as light and robust as titanium but at the same time as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic. The black stealth design is complemented by a dial in the same shade, an anti-reflective sapphire-glass coating and a black rubber strap with a textile inlay. The movement used, visible from the caseback side, is the IWC-manufactured 32115 calibre (28,800 vibrations per hour, 21 jewels, 120-hour power reserve), a self-winding mechanical movement. Production of the Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber XPL is limited to just 10 pieces per year. The watch is available exclusively from IWC boutiques or the company's concierge service.
