The new fake IWC Big Pilot Markus Bühler is a departure from the old model. Gone are the days of the artisanal, almost prototype-like watch powered by an outsourced movement: enter complications and luxury. Of course, it is still fitted with the turbine on the dial but not on the back. The initial model, as we’ve seen, was a bit gimmicky – and I’m saying this in the best possible way, as these turbines, which were mostly decorative, added a ton of charm to the super clone watches online uk. The new one is a mature, far more serious take on the concept.
First and most importantly, the perfect replica IWC Big Pilot Markus Bühler isn’t a classic Big Pilot anymore. It isn’t 46mm in diameter, and it’s not made from steel. Instead, it is built around the more recent, more reasonable, less purist-oriented luxury copy IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43. As you’ve guessed from its name, it measures 43mm in diameter with a thickness of 14.6mm and a lug-to-lug measurement of about 52mm. In this regard, it’s just a bit thicker than a classic 3-hand version. The main difference with other BP43 and with the classic Markus Bühler BP is the material. The 2023 edition is made of platinum, and its case is entirely polished, while most cheap fake IWC watches are mostly brushed. Other than that, the classic features of the collection have been respected, such as the oversized diamond-shaped crown, the pressure-resistant sapphire crystal or the see-through caseback. And the water-resistance has been maintained at a comfortable 100m.
Moving on to the dial, this Swiss made fake IWC Big Pilot’ Markus Bühler looks remarkably familiar at first sight… But there are a few twists to discover. The layout is traditional BP, with oversized Arabic numerals and a highly legible minute track. Just like its ancestor, this new edition has a glossy black dial and applied markers, which are now located every 5 minutes. Just like the hands, they are rhodium-plated and lumed. The main feature on the dial is, of course, the turbine at 6 o’clock, which still acts as a small seconds indicator, thanks to a red dot on one of the 12 blades. However, there are some major updates here.
First of all, under the turbine lies a tourbillon. Indeed, since high quality replica IWC has moved from an outsourced Unitas to an automatic in-house movement, they’ve decided to up the game drastically. But fitting a 12-blade turbine on top of a tourbillon regulator comes with its own problems, the main one being weight – the higher its mass and inertia, the more energy it takes to keep the mechanism in motion (basic physics). Weight reduction is, therefore, the primary focus in any tourbillon construction. But now imagine having a turbine on top… With such constraints in mind, Markus Bühler went for a clever solution. The turbine is the upper part of the flying tourbillon cage, replacing the traditional regulator. This, however, requires a technical change; the hairspring attaches to the underside of one of its blades, and the watchmaker can adjust the zero crossing of the balance by turning the turbine. Also, in order to reduce friction and improve the flow of energy, the pallet lever and the escape wheel are treated with a special coating named Diamond Shell technology.
Still on the topic of weight, the turbine, which was cast in aluminium in the past, is now machined from a lightweight titanium alloy. Considering its complex geometry and small size, the milling process alone takes several hours, on top of which some more time is necessary to hand-polish each of the 12 blades (which have a twisted shape…) Once completed, the tourbillon consists of 56 parts and weighs only 0.663 grams, despite its large (by tourbillon standards) turbine/cage on top.
The strap also shows some nice tributes to the creator of both the original watch and this 2023 edition Swiss movement replica IWC UK. Made of black Cordovan leather and closed by a platinum folding clasp, the back of the strap is printed with a turbine logo and Markus Bühler’s signature.
