The IWC Big Pilot (or, frankly, nearly any variant of the Pilot line) is certainly on my wish list. But, a spare ten grand eludes me at present, and, currently in life, I don’t really have a pressing need for 168 hours of power reserve, haha.
I have dabbled in a few pilot-type watches, and have considered a Laco or a Stowa, or other brands more dedicated to the “Flieger” type realm, but it’s always seemed a big commitment to a style I haven’t known if I’ve really liked.
Enter the world of affordables, where you can spend much lower to see what you like and, while a very direct “homage variant” is not my usual choice, I’ve wanted to have a very pilot-centric watch on my wrist long enough, that this copy-cat kind of route seemed an economical way to give it a try.
Certainly the Fedon Skywalker I just shared was not so aviator-like, but it got me thinking that I really don’t have a traditional black dial aviation style, despite having a number of “pilot” kinds of watches.
Also, I keep seeing Parnis watches on here, and elsewhere, and I like every one that I've seen, so it’s been a brand that’s been of interest to me. Put the two ideas together, of a pilot and a Parnis, mix in a price point of seventy bucks, and, I’m sold!
This has honestly kinda been a year of getting some stuff I’ve always wanted – maybe the idea of death potentially looming just a cough away has something to do with that – so it felt good to add this one, and I am very pleasantly surprised by it.
LOL, zero fan fare in the arrival!
Literally came in this taped together Styrofoam brick, but arrived within just a few days from China, so that was much better than the reported wait time of nearly a month.
Inside the bubble wrap, the beautiful Parnis Big Pilot!
47mm, so a case size I like, alleged to have a sapphire crystal, but I’m thinking K1 or even just mineral, despite the enthusiastic eBay advert. Only 50m WR, but, hey, the ten thousand dollar IWC is only 60m, so, not bad!
Seagull automatic (the ST2530), but no blued screws, so, not the top end version of the movement, but, no complaints on accuracy.
Movement provides subdials for small seconds, and a power reserve (sorry, should have moved the hour hand out of the way there).
As that last pic shows, there is some kind of added film or something, over the date wheel, which I see even on pics of just the raw movement, so that makes the date a bit less visible, and I’m not sure what the logic is there?
Genuinely decent leather strap, with a cool kind of ribbing on either side, up toward the lug area, which just imparts a further vintage kind of pilot vibe for some inexplicable reason. Maybe it seems reminiscent of a bomber jacket, lol, idk, but it works, and was my favorite strap version of all the various models of this being sold.
Branded buckle…
And, in a look around the case, decent finishing in general and I love the prominent, screw down crown. And, why not, it’s very IWC, haha.
Lume is a crash and burn. A shame because it lumes up well, but the fade there, as you can see by the seconds hand, is over the course of a single minute. Uggh. Looks like they buy lume at the same store as Invicta perhaps, haha.
The power reserve subdial hand is revealed now, which is hidden in all of the other pics, I see, since I hadn't fully wound it, and did not notice the error of the hour hand perfectly covering the subdial hand's position. My apologies.
Idk, I guess decent lume is pricey, but I’d pay a few more bucks to be able to see in the dark past a minute.
On the wrist, ultra comfortable. The strap is, as I mentioned, very wonderful, and needed no break in. It is of an ideal length, and the watch takes up a stable position on the wrist, and the dial is a joy to behold when checking the time.
It has definitely helped me decide that this is a look I like – a lot. In fact, there is a pilot style watch my brother has wanted (from a different brand) for a while (not a variant like this, but certainly an aviator style), and, when buying it for him, I decided to also get one for myself. It’s another affordable, but I’m looking forward to its arrival and it is one, again, I’ve had my eye on for a long time.
So, at the end of the day, this one is no IWC, but I’m frankly impressed with what seventy bucks, and some Styrofoam, delivers!
It certainly has the look I wanted to experience, so a good learning purchase, and now I know, at some point, I’ll want a “better” version of this style. I already have my eye on the one that Marc & Sons has, although I’m keeping my trigger finger at bay, for the moment.
In the meantime, I’m happy and proud to join the Parnis Club!
Thanks all, for reading.
Keep on watching!