I recently saw John Mayer perform on a cable television music special where he played with several jazz and blues greats from a previous age. And it was hard not to be a little bit impressed that he was aware of the timelessness of their art: That sometimes the brilliance of the past simply cannot be innovated upon and that the old can be as contemporary as the next new thing.

Thus, having scene that special, I can no longer claim to be surprised that perhaps THE most prized timepiece in his extensive collection can trace its ancestry nearly seventy years: The IWC Big Pilot’s Watch, originally manufactured in 1940.

For all intents and purposes, IWC’s Big Pilot’s Watch has been their bread and butter timepiece. It features one of the largest automatic movements available and has all the famous features that have become synonymous with IWC’s historic brand. Its automatic movement can generate a power reserve of eight and a half days, however, it only runs for seven days before a built in mechanism stops it automatically because the torque that drives the movement could decrease and subsequently its balance and accuracy could be thrown off.

Furthermore, the timepiece is available in either stainless steel or 18 ct. white gold, it has an automatic Pellaton winding system, mechanical movement, a power reserve display, date display, a central hacking seconds hand, an iron case to protect it from magnetic fields, a case diameter of 46.2 mm, case height of 15.8 mm, and it comes with a crocodile leather strap.

Mayer claims that someday he intends to pass his IWC Watches and his Big Pilot’s Watch down to his kids. Who can blame him?