IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN

In the summer of 2019, a 1943 Spitfire aircraft will embark on an around-theworld flight, counting as its main sponsor watchmaker and aviation connoisseur IWC. The painstakingly restored (and rechristened) Silver Spitfire, which is being given a silver-chrome finish, will make about 150 stops in 30 countries, in the Middle East, South East Asia and Europe. Aviation enthusiasts Matt Jones and Steve Brooks will take off from London and return by Christmas. The expedition is the brainchild of the United Kingdom’s Boultbee Flight Academy, the first Spitfire flying academy in the world. Swiss watchmaker IWC has been creating pilot timepieces for more than 80 years and has, incidentally, created special-edition watches in the past to commemorate the 1940s-era plane. “More than any other aircraft, the Spitfire symbolises man’s dream of flying. She is a masterpiece of engineering, who was born ahead of her time. We were instantly captivated by the ambitious idea of flying this aircraft around the world, and we are excited to be able to help this adventure along its way,” says Christoph Grainger-Herr, chief executive of IWC Schaffhausen. www.iwc.com