Youtuber Jim Chapman spotted wearing a IWC

Jim Chapman, one of Britain's most recognisable lifestyle and fashion YouTubers, was spotted wearing the IWC Big Pilot's Watch Chronograph reference IW371701 — a steel-cased, large-format chronograph that sits at the serious end of IWC's pilot line and earns its place on the wrist through mechanical substance, not marketing alone.

The IW371701 is built around IWC's proprietary calibre 89361, a flyback chronograph movement with column-wheel control and a generous 68-hour power reserve. The 46mm stainless steel case is immediately recognisable by the oversized onion crown — a functional nod to the original Beobachtungsuhr pocket-watch movements adapted for aerial use in the 1940s. The black dial is archetypal pilot territory: high-contrast white Arabic numerals, luminous hands, and a clean layout that prioritises legibility over decoration. A sapphire caseback reveals the finishing quality of the movement beneath.

The Big Pilot Chronograph IW371701 entered production as part of IWC's expanded Big Pilot family, building on the cult status of the simpler three-hand IW5002 that returned the line to collector consciousness in 2002. The flyback complication elevates it above entry-level pilot chronographs, allowing the seconds hand to be reset and restarted with a single pusher — practical for aviation timing, appealing to collectors who want mechanical depth without the complexity of a perpetual calendar or tourbillon. At 46mm it is undeniably large, but the proportions are deliberate and the wearability is better than the numbers suggest.

Chapman has built an audience by presenting menswear and lifestyle through an accessible, considered lens, and the Big Pilot IW371701 fits that profile precisely. It reads as a watch purchase made on merit — a meaningful step into serious horology without veering into ostentatious territory. For a content creator whose audience skews toward aspirational but informed, it sends the right message.

On the secondary market the IW371701 trades at modest premiums or occasionally at slight discounts to retail depending on condition and box-and-papers status, reflecting healthy supply and steady rather than speculative demand. It remains one of IWC's strongest value propositions in the pilot chronograph segment.