IWC has just announced the third limited edition for its on-line Collectors’ Forum, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Collectors’ Watch”, or the CF3. Based on the Spitfire chronograph, the CF3 has improvements which should appeal to traditionalists, like a soft iron cage to protect against magnetism.

Created for the members of the IWC Collectors’ Forum (though it can be ordered by the public), the IWC Collectors’ Forum CF3 is based on the Spitfire Pilot’s Chronograph, with the addition of some three tweaks. Most notably, the three date aperture has been scrapped in favour of the conventional single date window. Second, the 43 mm steel case has a solid back and a soft iron inner cage for protection against magnetism, something absent in the Spitfire. And lastly, the dial, or rather the top of the soft iron cage, is matte black with beige, faux aged Luminova on the hands and indices. While not significantly different from the regular model, the CF3 looks more like a traditional pilot’s watch, especially with the revised date window.

The IWC Collectors’ Forum was one of the earliest official brand forums to be set up, and is now very active, if narrow in scope. As its name implies, the CF3 Pilot’s chrono is the third Collectors’ Forum watch, the first being an Ingenieur and the second the Da Vinci chronograph.  Owners of the Ingenieur get first pick at serial numbers 1-100 of the CF3, since 100 of the Ingenieurs were made. The other numbers will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. The price of the CF3 is 11,500 Swiss francs, while in the USA it is US$11,800; and in other countries the price will be approximately the same. That is approximately 10% more than the regular Spitfire chronograph. The CF3 can be ordered from IWC.  – SJX Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates and news.