Summer sports timepieces from IWC and Vacheron Constantin to watch

IWC

[SINGAPORE] IWC Schaffhausen has found a simple way to make the Ingenieur feel new yet again: Give it a dial colour nobody was expecting.

The latest Ingenieur Automatic 35 arrives with a fresh turquoise-blue shade called “Pool” and that is probably where you would want to head to with the current heatwave. 

On paper, this is the same rebooted 35-mm stainless-steel Ingenieur introduced last year with the same integrated bracelet, same five-screw bezel, same Genta-inspired architecture.

On the wrist, however, the watch is definitely more playful and unmistakably summer-ready.

The dial is where the magic happens. The signature “Grid” pattern of lines and squares catches the light differently across the surface, while the rhodium-plated hands and markers provide a crisp contrast. 

IWC Schaffhausen’s creative director Christian Knoop calls it “a fresh, radiant aquatic shade that feels made for summer” and says it brings “a surprising and vibrant new expression to the Ingenieur”.

He is spot-on about the way the dial plays with light. Combined with the alternating satin-brushed and polished surfaces of the case and bracelet, the watch has considerably more visual depth than its compact dimensions suggest.

Inside is the automatic calibre 47110 with a 42-hour power reserve, visible through a sapphire caseback, while 10-bar water resistance keeps the sporting credentials intact.

More importantly, the Pool edition proves that the 35-mm Ingenieur is not merely a shrunken version of the 40-mm model. With six variants now in the collection, it has become a line with its own personality, and this bright blue newcomer is easily the most distinctive of the lot.

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Vacheron Constantin

Vacheron Constantin’s latest additions to the Overseas collection come in a feminine 34.5-mm size, but the real focus should be on the pair of lacquered dials: a warm golden hue for the rose-gold model and a striking deep red for the stainless-steel version.

The red dial is the one likely to stop collectors in their tracks. Its satin-finished sunburst centre and velvet-finished minute track create a depth that feels more jewellery-inspired than typical sports watch fare, while the gold model goes for a more understated monochromatic look with matching pink-gold markers and hands.

What Vacheron has done cleverly is keep all the familiar Overseas cues intact.

The hexagonal Maltese Cross-inspired bezel remains front and centre, the integrated bracelet still carries the collection’s distinctive cross-shaped links, and both watches are powered by the in-house calibre 1088/1 with a 40-hour power reserve.

At 9.33 mm thick and water-resistant to 50 m, they retain the practical, travel-ready character that has always defined the Overseas.

Each watch also comes with a bracelet, rubber strap and alligator strap that can be swopped without tools, allowing the look to change from sporty to dressy in seconds.

For Vacheron Constantin’s style and heritage director Christian Selmoni, the move towards more compact proportions is not to be mistaken for a nostalgic exercise as there is a current trend of watches becoming smaller.

He explains it is about “broadening the ways in which the watch can be worn and experienced today”, describing the new size as “a natural bridge between heritage and modernity”.