Geneva, 12 November 2017 - Today, Sotheby's auctioned an exclusive timepiece by IWC Schaffhausen: the Big Pilot's Watch Annual Calendar Edition "Le Petit Prince" went under the hammer, garnering a winning bid of CHF 38,000. A portion of the proceeds of this auction will benefit the Antoine de Saint-Exupery Youth Foundation, in order to boost its expansion into the USA and reach its goal of offering training and educational projects to even more young people throughout the world.

The Big Pilot's Watch Annual Calendar Edition "Le Petit Prince" (Ref. IW502705) features an 18-carat white gold case and a blue dial powered by the IWC-manufactured 52850 calibre. This unique piece has a blued movement and an ornate, hand-painted rotor, adorned with a blue floral pattern, which takes the form of the little prince - from Antoine de Saint-Exupery's story "Le Petit Prince" - on an asteroid.

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The movement is elaborately coated with metal oxides to give it its blue colour, an effect which is achieved using the process of chemical vapour deposition (CVD). "I am delighted that we are able to use the proceeds raised from auctioning this exclusive Pilot's Watch to support the important work of the Antoine de Saint-Exupery Youth Foundation again this year," says Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen.

This auction in Geneva was the fifth IWC has carried out in cooperation with Sotheby's Geneva. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the foundation, helping it to establish itself on the North American continent. It is no coincidence that this charitable institution is aiming to cross the Atlantic. After all, Antoine de Saint-Exupery himself had a strong connection to America: he flew a Lockheed P-38 Lightning on multiple occasions and wrote his story "The Little Prince" in New York.

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The Antoine de Saint-Exupery Youth Foundation was established in 2008 by the descendants of the French author and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupery. It offers various training and educational programmes designed to help children and adolescents living in difficult conditions get a better start to working life. The main focus of the foundation's activities is on fighting illiteracy and supporting young people with visual impairments by conveying knowledge about Braille.

With a clear focus on technology and development, the Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen has been producing timepieces of lasting value since 1868. The company has gained an international reputation based on a passion for innovative solutions and technical ingenuity. One of the world's leading brands in the luxury watch segment, IWC crafts masterpieces of Haute Horlogerie at their finest, combining supreme precision with exclusive design.

As an ecologically and socially responsible company, IWC is committed to sustainable production, supports institutions around the globe in their work with children and young people, and maintains partnerships with organizations dedicated to environmental protection.

For more visit Iwc Schaffhausen Online.