Big Pilot is a famous series of IWC, it has a big amount of sales each year in watch market. Rolex Submariner, Panerai Luminor 1950 and IWC Big Pilot are my favorite three watches. IWC Big Pilot IW500908 has been very popular since its release, the watch is a special edition of Le Petit Prince, the book has created a sale miracle, now it is the turn of this watch that is named after the book. Actually the watch did not let us disappoint, Big Pilot Le Petit Prince soon became one of the most favorite watches of many collectors. Why so popular? I think there are two reasons, first the high reputation of IWC itself, second, the attractiveness of elegant Le Petit Prince name. When a watch gets more discussion, it will be replicated soon. Like this IW500908, more than three factories have cloned it, and there are so many versions in different quality, the best one Big Pilot Le Petit Prince replica is made by ZF. Here I will give you a full review of ZF IW500908.
The case is 46mm in diameter, but it seems to be bigger because of the oversized crown. The big round case is brushed with triple lugs that have natural curve. The bezel is smooth and polished, look at the case from side, it has a beautiful outline, the streamlined lugs have smooth edge that is polished. The brushed finish on case is delicate and the polishing level could be compared with that on genuine watch. On the crown, the fluted patterns make you rotate the crown easily, there are fine relief on the frontal face of the crown. Like crown, case back is also screw-down, there is a Le Petit Prince pattern on the center of the case back, you have to be very careful, some cheap IWC Le Petit Prince replica watches have an airplane pattern on the back.
Blue dial looks very elegant. There are three hands on the center, the longest and most slender seconds hand runs smoothly across the dial, hour markers, which include Arabic numerals, are big. The triangle marker at 12 o’clock is an icon of IWC Big Pilot watch. All hour markers, hour and minute hands as well as small hand at 3 are filled with white luminous material, the lume coating is thick and full, so the green lume light from the dial in dark place will be strong and long lasting. The subdial at 3 o’clock is designed for power reserve display, the 7-day power reserve indicator on this replica IW500908 is real, it works like original watch. On this big dial, every detail is enlarged, including the trapezoidal date window at 6 o’clock. The date window has black font in white background, which is easy to read from the dial, the font in that window is also centered and has correct thickness. Overall, the dial on this replica IWC Big Pilot has a top finishing level, you can not find obvious flaws.
Behind the solid case back, it is a clone IWC 521111 automatic movement, like genuine watch, between the case back and movement, there is an antimagnetic soft iron. The replica uses a Sea-gull ST as a base movement to make this 521111. I did not open the back and had no fortune to see the movement inside, the factory said that they have modified the plates and rotor of the movement to make it look like the real IWC 521111 Caliber.
About the brown leather band, it is made of Italian calf skin leather, the band feels super soft and has nice stitching. There is a stainless steel deployant clasp fitted on this band, with correct engravings on a satin-finished base. Because this replica watch has a real 7-day power reserve function, it is sold at a high price. Hope you can understand.
