On 5 March 1936 in southern England, the first Spitfire prototype, constructed by Reginald Joseph Mitchell, took off on a test flight. After the test flight, RAF pilots and the British Air Ministry had no doubts – the Spitfire was the fighter aircraft of the future. They immediately began mass production for this astonishingly manoeuvrable machine, with its elliptically-shaped wings and, initially, a 1,030 h.p. Rolls Royce Merlin Motor engine. Given the standards of the time, the Spitfire was a stroke of aerodynamic genius with the best flight qualities. During the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire secured its place as the most successful fighter aircraft in history. IWC Schaffhausen maintains strong links to the world of aviation and has been providing pilots and air forces throughout the world with precision watches for decades now. The IWC Schaffhausen Spitfire Automatic is one of the most well-known watch models from IWC Schaffhausen and was inspired by the legendary Spitfire. The IWC watch represents the technical excellence and design of the aircraft and combines a classic pilot’s watch design with modern watchmaking craftsmanship.