The Little Prince on his home planet, the Asteroid B-612, as presented in the book of the same name (Le Petit Prince). First published in 1943 and in French, The Little Prince has been translated into more than 270 different languages with more than 150 copies sold worldwide. Illustration: © Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Estate
As the Christmas tree was being taken down, a souvenir from IWC was spotted – a biplane decoration.
This metallic biplane decoration was actually taken from an IWC Christmas card received and it marked part of the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of The Little Prince (1943 to 2013), the best-selling novel written and illustrated by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900 to 1943).
The metallic biplane decoration hanging on the Christmas tree was from an IWC Christmas received. Photo: TANG Portfolio
This decoration reminded us of one of the wristwatches produced to commemorate the anniversary of this popular novel – the IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition Le Petit Prince that was launched in September 2013 at the Watches&Wonders exhibition held in Hong Kong.
The main highlight of the Mark XVII Edition Le Petit Prince is its midnight blue dial. There is also the star on the counterweight of the continuous sweep seconds hand.
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition Le Petit Prince (Ref. IW326506) features a “midnight blue” dial and was launched in 2013 to mark the 70th anniversary of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s best-selling novel The Little Prince. The counterweight of the continuous sweep seconds hand is in the form of a star, a reference to the stars drawn and mentioned in the book. Limited to 1,000 pieces. Retailed at around: 5,500 Swiss francs / 4,500 euros / US$6,000 / S$7,500 / 19,000 Malaysian Ringgit. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. 2013 Watches&Wonders, Hong Kong
On the case back is an engraving of The Little Prince with a scarf and the text: “IWC Pilot’s Watch Le Petit Prince, One out of 1000”. This “one out of 1000” is an obvious reference that indicates that only 1,000 pieces of this version is available.
Case back of the IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition Le Petit Prince Ref. IW326506 featuring the engraving of The Little Prince. Photo: © TANG Portfolio. 2013 Watches&Wonders, Hong Kong
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition Le Petit Prince is an attractive piece not just for fans of the brand but those who enjoy Le Petit Prince and the writings of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
The blue dial is eye-catching and this is one of the main differences as compared to the regular production IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII with a black dial and in stainless steel that was launched in 2012.
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition Le Petit Prince is retailed at around 5,500 Swiss francs / 4,500 euros / US$6,000 / S$7,500 / 19,000 Malaysian Ringgit.
This isn’t a princely sum given that the regular production Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII is about US$500 less dear than this limited edition piece. In other words, using the Mark XVII as the reference, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition Le Petit Prince is reasonably priced.
One must also not forget that part of the proceeds from the sale of the limited edition IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII Edition Le Petit Prince goes to the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Youth Foundation which is fighting against illiteracy through its support of initiatives that promote reading and writing.
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVII in stainless steel was launched in 2012. Retailed at around: 5,000 Swiss francs / 4,000 euros / US$5,500 / S$6,800 / 17,000 Malaysian Ringgit. Photo: © IWC