“Around the World in Eighty Days” is an adventure novel about the travels of Phileas Fogg. He and his valet Passepartout have a goal: to circumnavigate the world in 80 days. The novel has lit the fire of adventure in many readers, encouraging them to go out and see the world. Did this exciting novel also inspire the Silver Spitfire in its current adventure?
In August of this year, a fully-restored Spitfire took off from London on the first leg of its round-the-world adventure. The plane is a Spitfire MK IX aircraft, which was originally built in Castle Bromwich back in 1943. It has been fully restored and now boasts a unique silver-chrome finish. The test flights were successful and the plane was given the all-go for the trip. IWC Schaffhausen is the main partner in this trip of a lifetime, “Silver Spitfire — The Longest Flight,” and of course serves as the trip’s official timekeeper. Piloting this impressive plane on this wonderful journey are Steve Boultbee Brooks and Matt Jones.
The pilots have taken the Silver Spitfire across thousands of nautical miles and seen sights worthy of their own adventure tale. From London, they ventured to Iceland and Greenland. They took a spin through North America with stops in New York, Texas, California, and Canada. They moved on to Asia, with flights to Japan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India.
IWC has been manufacturing Pilot’s Watches for more than 8 decades. There are several special-edition timepieces that commemorate the Spitfire. The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire has a stainless steel case, black dial, and a green textile strap. The chronograph function gives you a stopwatch feature without needing a separate tool. The IWC Pilot’s Watch UTC Spitfire Edition MJ271 has a gorgeous bronze case that goes quite well with the green dial and leather strap.
IWC also has a watch that is specifically dedicated to this current adventure: the IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Spitfire Edition “The Longest Flight.” This watch is powered by the 82760 calibre, an IWC-manufactured movement that is automatic and self-winding. It has a 24-hour display for the Worldtimer function. The watch is stunning too — the stainless steel case, black dial, and green textile strap come together and are enhanced by the cities listed on the bezel.
As Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen explains, “More than any other aircraft, the Spitfire symbolises man’s dream of flying. She is a masterpiece of engineering, who was born ahead of her time and who continues to dazzle with her iconic design. We were instantly captivated by the ambitious idea of flying this aircraft around the world and we are excited to be able to help this adventure along its way.”
