Politician Rodrigo Roa Duterte spotted wearing a IWC

Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the 16th President of the Philippines, was photographed wearing an IWC Schaffhausen Pilot's Watch Mark XVI on his wrist — a timepiece whose pedigree traces directly to British military aviation. The sighting is notable precisely because of what Duterte chose not to wear: despite the considerable resources available to a sitting head of state, he opted for a tool watch retailing well under USD 5,000, consistent with his deliberately plain-spoken public image.

The Mark XVI, reference IW325501, carries a 39mm stainless steel case — compact by contemporary standards but historically faithful to cockpit-instrument sizing. The matte black dial features large Arabic numerals at even hours, a triangular 12 o'clock pip, and luminous baton hands, all hallmarks of the Mark lineage dating to the IWC Mark XI of 1948. A date window sits at 3 o'clock, and the caseback bears a soft-iron inner cage for anti-magnetic protection. Power comes from IWC's in-house calibre 30110, a 42-hour automatic wound via the brand's Pellaton pawl-winding mechanism — robust, reliable, and well-suited to daily wear.

The Mark XVI occupies a fascinating position in IWC's catalogue hierarchy. Introduced in 2006 as a refinement of the Mark XV, it bridges the gap between the utilitarian original RAF-spec watches and the more elaborate Big Pilot family. Collectors prize the Mark XVI for its restraint: no ceramic bezel, no chronograph module, just a clean instrument dial on a leather strap. The reference was discontinued in 2012 when IWC introduced the Mark XVII, which makes surviving examples increasingly sought after on the secondary market.

Duterte's choice reflects a pattern observed among certain political leaders who favour Swiss tool watches — reliable, legible, and carrying enough horological credibility to satisfy insiders without broadcasting conspicuous consumption to voters. The Mark XVI achieves exactly that balance. At 160,000 Philippine pesos at time of posting — approximately USD 2,800 — it sits comfortably within the range of senior civil servants and executives.

On the grey market today, clean examples of the IW325501 trade between USD 2,200 and USD 2,800, holding value respectably given the model's discontinuation. The Mark XVI remains a collector's quiet recommendation: unpretentious, historically grounded, and built to last a career.