The first ever Best IWC Big Pilot Replica with a carbon fibre composite case, the Big Pilot Black Carbon has a black dial with grey hands and markings, replicating the colour of the composite case. It’s livened up by red accents on the power reserve indicator and seconds hand.
The Big Pilot Black Carbon has a “fish” crown – the oversized, onion-shaped winding crown has a stylised fish logo on its top. Despite being a seemingly trivial detail, the “fish” crown is dear to IWC enthusiasts, one many collectors regard as a golden age.
From the 1950s until the mid-2000s, most water-resistant IWC watches featured a “fish” crown. The very first generation of the high quality copy big pilot watches, the ref. 5002 introduced in 2002, featured a “fish” crown. Not long after, the “fish” crown was dispensed with in favour of a crown featuring the IWC “Probus Scafusia” emblem.
This happened sometime in 2006, first with a “transitional” ref. 5002 that was equipped with the new cal. 51110 and “Probus Scafusia” crown, and soon after with the all-new ref. 5004 with both new movement and crown.
As a result, the “fish” crown also takes pride of place on the usa iwc clone watches case back, which bears large “fish” crown emblem cast in relief.