MISSION WITH FOUR EXECLUSIVE PILOT’S CHRONOGRAPHS IN WHITE CERAMIC
Following the announcement of its partnership with Polaris Dawn earlier this year, IWC Schaffhausen presents the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Polaris Dawn”. The chronograph in white ceramic with a space-blue dial was designed to support the upcoming human spaceflight mission, which is targeted to launch no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2022. Each of the four timepieces features an engraving with the name of one of the four crew members. After travelling to space and returning to Earth, the watches will be auctioned to raise funds for the life-saving work of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, a leading institution developing treatments for childhood cancer and other paediatric diseases.
As previously announced during a signature talk at Watches and Wonders in Geneva, IWC Schaffhausen lends its support to the Polaris Dawn mission, the first of three human spaceflights planned as part of the Polaris Program, led by Jared Isaacman, the U.S entrepreneur and mission commander of last year’s Inspiration4 mission. The Polaris Dawn mission, targeted to launch no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2022, will conduct science and research designed to advance human health on Earth and our understanding of human health during future long-duration space flights. Over the course of five days, Dragon and the Polaris Dawn crew will endeavour to travel to 1,400 kilometres – the highest Earth orbit ever flown – and attempt the first-ever commercial spacewalk.
In addition to conducting research in space, Polaris Dawn will raise funds and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, a leading children’s hospital treating the most challenging childhood cancers and paediatric diseases. To support this goal,IWC has designed and donated four space-themed chronographs. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Polaris Dawn” (Ref. IW389111) features a 44.5-millimetre case made of white ceramic. The bright white colour results from a complex manufacturing process in which zirconium oxide is mixed with other metallic oxides in a precisely defined ratio and then sintered at high temperatures in a kiln. The chronographs feature dark blue lacquered dials printed with countless stars and the mission logo. In addition, the titanium case backs are engraved with the name of one of the four crew members. Alongside Jared Isaacman, who will serve as commander, the crew consists of retired United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Scott “Kidd” Poteet and SpaceX Lead Space Operations Engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.