IWC and “Le Petit Prince”

By Laura Bishop, Watch Manager at Fellows Auctioneers.

Luxury Swiss watch brand IWC have undoubtedly created one of the most crucial links in watchmaking and human nature; the unique link between IWC and storytelling which is underpinned by the luxury watch brand’s emphasis on creating stories and dreams, not simply producing watches that can be used to tell the time.

This link is most strongly illustrated by the company’s relationship with the Fondation Antoine de Saint-Exupery. Since 2005 IWC have been committed to supporting the Fondation’s goals of ensuring the famous Frenchman’s ideas remain alive; ideas based on themes of aviation and dreams, a perfect combination for a brand such as IWC.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery was an aviation pioneer as well as a man of dreams. He became a pilot before WWII and then joined the French Airforce at the outbreak of WWII. His most famous novella “Le Petit Prince” is one of the most popular short stories in the world. The story sees a stranded pilot on a desert island beside his crashed aircraft. This pilot then meets a young prince who has fallen to Earth from a tiny asteroid. What follows is a magical story of dreams and philosophy. The most famous quote from the book:

“One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eyes.”

It is easy to see how this way of thinking can be applied to the art of luxury watchmaking, whereby IWC creates some of the world’s most technical and intricate watch movements, often hidden inside fairly large heavy stainless steel cases.

In 2013 IWC began creating their “Le Petit Prince” line of watches, a selection of fine, quality pilot’s watches, bringing together the two main elements of a utilitarian tool and the magical element of fantasy. Many of these watches have a blue sunburst dial, illustrating the magical and mysterious nigh time sky. These watches also have engraved on the case back, or on the rotor, an image of the Little Prince himself.

The huge success of this relationship for IWC ultimately comes down to the romantic combination of technology and poetry. IWC believes every watch collector can buy one of their watches and be reminded of his or her dreams. These watches are far more than just time pieces, they are a profound reminder that anything is possible.