The present ref. 3717 is no. 45 of the limited edition of 50 examples of the IWC’s pilot’s watch launched in 2006 and dedicated to the pilot and poet Antoine de Saint-Exupéry to mark the 75th anniversary of his novel “Night Flight”, first published in 1931.

1931 also represents the number of watches in the limited edition: 1,630 in stainless steel, 250 in 18K rose gold, 50 in 18K white gold and one in platinum, auctioned for a good cause in 2006.

The special edition is distinguished by the tobacco-coloured dial and silvered subsidiary dials. The 12 hour register contains the initial “A” from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s signature, the back of the case features an engraved portrait of the pilot in his flying suit.

Each watch is supplied with a copy of “Night Flight” that also contains hitherto unpublished illustrative material.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1900-1944), French novelist and essayist, pioneer commercial pilot, the poet of flight
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry was born in Lyon on 29 June 1900; he attended Jesuit schools in France and Switzerland. In 1921 he began military service and learned to fly, later being commissioned as an air force officer.

After 3 years in business, Saint-Exupéry became a commercial pilot in 1926, flying first from France to Morocco and West Africa. From his experiences he drew the novel that launched his literary career in 1929, Courrier Sud (Southern Mail), describing the pilot's solitary struggle against the elements and his sense of dedication to his vocation.

In 1929 Saint-Exupéry was transferred to Buenos Aires, where he got married in 1931, the year he published Vol de nuit (Night Flight), his second book. It is based on his experiences as an airmail pilot and as a director of the Aeroposta Argentina airline, based in Buenos Aires.

In 1939 he returned to the French air force and was decorated for bravery in 1940. After the capitulation of France he went to the United States, where he wrote Pilote de guerre (Flight to Arras), published in 1942. In 1943 he re-joined his unit in North Africa, fighting with the Free French; although now overage, he insisted on undertaking reconnaissance missions. On 31 July 1944, his aircraft disappeared near Corsica, probably shot down by a German fighter; no trace was ever discovered.

Other works of Saint-Exupéry include Le Petit prince (1943; The Little Prince), his possibly most famous book; a long philosophical work published posthumously, Citadelle (1948; The Wisdom of the Sands); and volumes of correspondence and notebook jottings.