Watch Paparazzi

Pilot Niki Lauda spotted wearing IWC

Remembered a year after his passing in May 2019, Niki Lauda is here recalled not only for his motorsport legacy but for his quietly discerning taste in watches. Among his regular wrist companions was the IWC Pilot's Watch Spitfire Chronograph in rose gold, reference IW387803 — a piece that sits comfortably at the intersection of aviation heritage and haute horlogerie.

The IW387803 is housed in an 18k Armor Gold case measuring 43mm, a proprietary IWC alloy noted for its hardness and warm tone. At its heart beats the calibre 89361, an in-house automatic movement featuring a flyback chronograph function — allowing the timer to be reset and restarted with a single pusher, a genuinely useful complication rather than a decorative one. The movement offers a 68-hour power reserve and operates at 28,800 vph. The matte black dial, large Arabic numerals, and luminous hands retain the utilitarian pilot's watch DNA first codified by IWC in the 1930s, even as the rose gold case tips the piece firmly into luxury territory.

The Spitfire sub-collection, named after the legendary British Supermarine fighter aircraft, has occupied a consistent middle ground within IWC's pilot's lineup: more refined than the standard Big Pilot, less overtly dressy than the Portofino. The rose gold Spitfire Chronograph is a relatively rare configuration, produced in limited numbers and sought by collectors who appreciate the contrast between its martial design language and precious metal execution. On the secondary market, that tension sustains strong demand.

For Lauda, the choice is coherent. A man who approached racing with engineering rigour and wore a Rolex Daytona ref. 6265 as his primary chronograph was unlikely to choose a watch for superficial reasons. The flyback function of the IW387803 is a practical complication with real roots in cockpit timing — exactly the kind of specification Lauda would have registered and respected.

The IW387803 retailed in the region of $25,000 USD when in production. On the grey market today, rose gold examples in good condition command a modest premium over original retail, reflecting both the scarcity of the configuration and the enduring collector interest in IWC's pilot's complications.