Watch Paparazzi

Football manager Pep Guardiola spotted wearing IWC

Pep Guardiola, then manager of Bayern Munich, was photographed with the IWC Big Pilot's Watch Reference IW500901 on his wrist — a choice that says rather a lot about a man who builds football systems around function and clarity of purpose.

The IW500901 is the core stainless-steel expression of IWC's Big Pilot's Watch family, running to a substantial 46.2mm in diameter and 15mm in height. The matte black dial carries large Arabic numerals with luminescent coating, a small seconds subdial at nine o'clock, and the signature triangular index at twelve — all lifted directly from the instrument logic of mid-century aviation watches. The fixed bezel, domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides, and the oversized crown designed for operation with gloved hands complete the utilitarian brief without apology.

The movement inside is IWC's in-house Calibre 51111, a 17-jewel automatic beating at 21,600 vph and delivering a headline 168-hour (seven-day) power reserve via twin mainspring barrels. That power reserve is displayed via a dedicated subsidiary dial on the reverse, though on this reference the exhibition caseback makes the architecture visible in full. The movement lineage traces back to the historic Kurt Klaus-developed pocket-watch calibre, giving the Big Pilot genuine manufacture credibility rather than the badge-engineered history some competitors rely on.

Among collectors, the IW500901 occupies a specific and durable position: it is the 'honest' big pilot, without the complications or limited-edition premiums of the Perpetual Calendar or Spitfire variants, yet technically accomplished enough to satisfy serious enthusiasts. Its scale demands presence on the wrist, which perhaps explains its consistent popularity with athletes and coaches operating in high-visibility environments.

Guardiola's taste in watches has leaned toward German and Swiss manufacture pieces with architectural credibility — the IWC Big Pilot's Watch IW500901 sits comfortably in that profile. On the secondary market, this reference trades at modest premiums to retail given IWC's production volumes, making it one of the more accessible entry points into genuine manufacture pilot watchmaking at this scale.