Sell your Pilot's Watch · South Florida · by appointment
Sell your IWC Pilot's Watch to a dealer who reads the reference, not the dial.
A Mark XVIII, a Big Pilot 5009, and a Pilot's Watch Chronograph 3777 share the same black dial and triangle at twelve. They are three different sales. Send the dial, the caseback, and the card. I reply within 1 business day with the reference, the number, and the reasoning.
- Mark XV through Mark XX, Big Pilot 5002 to 5010 and the 43, and the Chronographs
- Top Gun, Spitfire, Le Petit Prince, and Saint Exupéry pieces priced as editions
- Numbered and engraved casebacks checked against the paperwork
Who this page is for
Which Pilot's Watch you have is the first thing that sets the offer.
This page is for the owner of an IWC Pilot's Watch who wants to know what it is before hearing what it is worth. Many bought a Mark as a first serious watch. Some bought a Big Pilot and found it too large. Some own a Le Petit Prince and are not sure whether edition means limited.
The family runs from a 40 mm three-hander to a 46 mm seven-day watch, with chronographs and a Timezoner between. Supplied calibres sat in most Marks and Chronographs until recently; IWC's own seven-day calibres sit in every classic Big Pilot. The editions add a dial colour, an engraved caseback, and sometimes a number.
Below I separate the Marks, the Big Pilots, the Chronographs, and the editions. In-house versus supplied in general, the warranty card, and the My IWC registration stay on the IWC page.
Selling a Pilot's Watch to me
What changes when the dealer names the reference before the number.
The reference is named first
Mark XVIII or Mark XX, Big Pilot 5004 or 5009, Chronograph 3777 or 3881. I name it, and the calibre, before an offer goes out.
Editions priced as editions
Top Gun, Spitfire, Le Petit Prince, and Saint Exupéry pieces have their own buyers. A numbered caseback with its paperwork is priced as the edition it is.
The Big Pilot is not worth more by default
A 46 mm Big Pilot has a smaller pool of wrists than a 40 mm Mark. Generation, set, and case finish set the offer, not the diameter.
Solid casebacks checked, not held against you
The soft-iron inner case means most Marks and the older Big Pilots have no display back. I check the movement number in hand, so that costs you nothing.
What I check on a Pilot's Watch
Five things that decide the offer on this family.
Each one moves the number. I explain which way in the reply.
Reference and calibre
Mark XV 3253 through Mark XX 3282. Big Pilot 5002, 5004, 5009, 5010, and the 43 mm 3293. Chronograph 3717, 3777, and 3881, the Double Chronograph, the Timezoner.
Case size and material
38 to 41 mm on the Marks, 41 to 43 mm on the Chronographs, roughly 46 mm on the classic Big Pilot. Steel, red gold, ceramic, Ceratanium, and bronze each sell to their own buyer.
Dial colour and edition
Black is the standard. Midnight blue is Le Petit Prince. Tobacco brown is Saint Exupéry. Green and bronze sit with Spitfire. Sand, white, and green ceramic are Top Gun. The caseback confirms which.
Card, registration, and edition papers
The warranty card, the My IWC registration where it exists, and on limited pieces the caseback number matching the paperwork.
Crown, strap, and clasp
The large conical crown should wind and set with no play. Riveted calf, soft calf, fabric, and the steel bracelet are each original on some references, and the bracelet with its links adds more than any strap.
How it works
Four steps. Real numbers.
01
Get an offer
Send the appraisal form with the dial straight on in daylight, the caseback with the reference and any edition number legible, the crown from the side, the strap and clasp, and the card beside the watch. Add the movement through the display back where it has one. I reply within 1 business day.
02
Ship or meet
Use the prepaid, fully insured FedEx label, or book an appointment in Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach. For a Mark XI, a Double Chronograph, or a numbered edition I prefer to meet.
03
Inspect and confirm
I open the box on camera, check the movement number against the reference and the card, and read the dial under a loupe. If it matches, the offer stands.
04
Get paid
Wire or check within 24 hours of inspection. If we do not agree, the watch comes back to you, insured, at my cost.
Mark or Big Pilot
The two Pilot's Watches most owners have, and how each one sells.
Same dial language, different case, different movement, different buyer.
| Criteria | Mark XV to Mark XX | Big Pilot 5002 to 5010, and the 43 |
|---|---|---|
| Case size | 38 mm on the XV, 39 on the XVI, 41 on the XVII, 40 on the XVIII and XX | Roughly 46 mm on the 5002 through 5010; 43 mm on the 3293 |
| Movement | Supplied ETA- and Sellita-based calibres through the XVIII; IWC's own 32111 in the XX | IWC's own seven-day calibres, 5011, 51111, and 52110; the 82100 in the 43 |
| Caseback | Solid, over the soft-iron inner case | Solid on the classic references; display back on the 43 |
| Power reserve | Around two days through the XVIII; five days on the XX | Seven days, shown on the dial; 60 hours on the 43 |
| What moves the offer most | Generation, dial, case finish, the card | Generation, full set, the original strap and clasp, case finish |
Directions, not figures. I show the arithmetic in the reply.
The detail
What moves a Pilot's Watch offer, and why.
From the Mark XI to the Mark XX
The Mark XI was built for the Royal Air Force in 1948 and set the look: black dial, white numerals, the triangle at twelve, a soft-iron inner case. The Mark XI and the 1994 Mark XII, with its Jaeger-LeCoultre-based calibre, are collector watches I quote in person. The Mark XV, 3253, came in 1999 at 38 mm. The XVI, 3255, grew to 39 mm in 2006. The XVII, 3265, went to 41 mm in 2012 with the three-date window. The XVIII, 3270, pulled back to 40 mm in 2016 with a single date. The XX, 3282, kept 40 mm in 2022 and put IWC's own 32111 inside with a five-day reserve, so it trades apart from the XVIII.
The Big Pilot: 5002, 5004, 5009, 5010, and the 43
The modern Big Pilot arrived in 2002 as the 5002, roughly 46 mm, with the calibre 5011 and a seven-day reserve on the dial. The 5004 followed with the 51111, the 5009 in 2016 with the 52110, and the 5010 in 2021. All four wear the oversized crown and a riveted calf strap with a folding clasp, and they sell on generation, on whether that strap and clasp are still with the watch, and on case finish.
The Big Pilot 43, reference 3293, is the 2021 answer to the wrist that could not carry a 46. It drops the date and the reserve indicator, runs the 82100, and shows the movement through a display back. It is priced apart from the 46 mm pieces.
Chronographs, the Double Chronograph, and the Timezoner
The Pilot's Watch Chronograph 3717 came in 2006 at 42 mm with the 79320, built on the Valjoux 7750, and the 3777 kept that calibre at 43 mm from 2016. The Spitfire Chronograph 3879 brought an in-house 69380 at 41 mm, and the Chronograph 41, reference 3881, put an in-house 69000-series calibre in the black-dial case. The Double Chronograph is the split-seconds piece, with the 3713, the 3718 Top Gun, and the 3778 among its references; the Timezoner sets a second time zone by turning the bezel. Both need the complication tested in hand, so I prefer to meet.
Top Gun, Spitfire, Le Petit Prince, and Saint Exupéry
Top Gun means a black ceramic or Ceratanium case and the badge on the caseback, since 2007; the sand, white, and green ceramics are their own markets. Spitfire moved to bronze cases and green dials in 2019. Le Petit Prince is the midnight blue dial with the little prince engraved on the caseback, since 2013. Antoine de Saint Exupéry is the tobacco brown dial, since 2006, often numbered.
Edition is not the same as limited edition. Many Le Petit Prince and Saint Exupéry pieces are unlimited editions, made for years. The limited ones carry a number on the caseback and say so on the paperwork. Without that paperwork, a numbered watch is priced closer to the standard reference.
The soft-iron inner case, the crown, and what wears
The antimagnetic claim comes from a soft-iron cage around the movement, which is why most Marks and the classic Big Pilots have a solid caseback. The crown takes the wear: a loose Big Pilot crown, a Mark crown that no longer screws down cleanly, or a replaced crown without the signed cap are each priced. Polishing in general is covered on the IWC page; on a Big Pilot the broad flanks show it from across the room.
When selling to me is not the right call
If you hold a Mark XI with its military markings, or a low-numbered edition, and have months to find the right collector, a dealer offer sits under that ceiling. If you are undecided, keep it. If the dial has been relumed or the movement swapped, I will say so and I will not buy it. If you want an insured sale with the money within a day of inspection, send it in.
How to prepare your submission
- Dial straight on in daylight, flash off.
- The caseback with the reference legible, plus the engraving and the edition number if it has one.
- The crown from the side.
- The movement through the display back, where it has one.
- Every strap, bracelet, and clasp laid flat, with the spare links.
- The warranty card and any edition paperwork beside the watch. If there is none, say so.
- Which county you are in, and whether you prefer the label or an appointment.
Questions, answered
Before you send a Pilot's Watch
Which Pilot's Watch do I have?
Read the reference on the caseback. 3253 through 3282 is a Mark, 5002 through 5010 is a classic Big Pilot, 3293 is the Big Pilot 43, and 3717, 3777, or 3881 is a Chronograph.
Is the Big Pilot worth more than a Mark?
Often, because of the seven-day calibre, but not by default. A Big Pilot has a smaller pool of buyers, and a full-set Mark XX can place faster than a 5002 on a cut strap.
Is my Le Petit Prince a limited edition?
Only if the caseback carries a number and the paperwork says limited. Most Le Petit Prince pieces are unlimited editions, made for years.
What if I have no card?
I still appraise the watch and check the movement number in hand. On a Mark XX or a Big Pilot 43 the missing card costs more than on a Mark XV.
Should I polish it before selling?
No. The wide bevels on a Big Pilot and the brushed flanks on a Mark round off fast, and a buffed Pilot's Watch trades below a worn but crisp one.
Sell your Pilot's Watch
A real number on your Pilot's Watch, in 1 business day.
Send photos and the caseback reference. I reply personally with the reference, the number, and the reasoning. Insured shipping is on me. Payout within 24 hours of inspection.