News 
IWC Schaffhausen lends its support to the “Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight” expedition as its main sponsor. Next summer, a carefully restored Spitfire boasting a unique silver-chrome finish will take off from London to embark on a round-the-world flight.
IWC looks back over an 80-plus year history of manufacturing pilot watches and has even previously commemorated the Spitfire plane with several special edition watches. Dedicating them to this particular project once again underscores the Swiss watchmaker’s passion for aviation.
At the same time, IWC is announcing a partnership of several years with the Boultbee Flight Academy. The institution, founded by pilots Steve Boultbee-Brooks and Matt Jones, is the first officially recognised Spitfire flying academy in the world.
The Spitfire marked MJ271 was built in 1943 in Castle Bromwich. At present, the aircraft is being stripped down to its component parts and painstakingly restored. Every single part is being polished by hand to a brilliant sheen to give the plane its dazzling silver appearance. In spring 2019, the public will have their first chance to see the aircraft, rechristened the “Silver Spitfire”.
The round-the-world flight will depart next summer in England. The first part of the tour will see it fly via Canada and into the USA. This route allows the expedition team to benefit from the comparatively mild weather conditions of the Arctic. From there, the route continues via South East Asia to India, before turning towards the Middle East and flying on back to Europe. On its way, the “Silver Spitfire” will also touch down in several countries that have never before seen an aeroplane of this sort on their runways.
October 18, 2018