IWC flies high
IWC Schaffhausen reminds collectors of its mastery of chronographs with two new dashing Pilot’s Watch models
BUILT with considerable heft and featuring stopwatch-like counters that lend it technical gravitas, a chronograph watch is, bar none, the most athletically inclined complication ever. And for a brand such as IWC Schaffhausen, a name loved by gents of all stripes for its masculine creations that span stylish dress watches to robust military-inspired offerings, mastery of the chronograph is vital to its arsenal of horological skillsets.
For those who are unfamiliar, a chronograph is a complication that is designed to help the user make interval timings. It typically comes with separate sub-dials to record and display those times, and can be activated with pushers that start, stop, and reset the chronograph function. Suffice to say, it is a feature that lends well to sporting activities, as well as for professional use such as military operations.
For technical watch lovers, a chronograph ranks among high-end watchmaking’s “big four” complications, which include the tourbillon, minute repeater and perpetual calendar. A chronograph entices with sportiness and tactility, and its mechanism is exceedingly beautiful and sculptural. That is why many esteemed watchmaking houses regard top-drawer chronographs as essential to their repertoire.
Chrono-fuelled
Although IWC introduced its first chronograph only in 1980 – almost 67 years after the appearance of the first hand-wound chronograph wristwatch – the Schaffhausen-based company had been relentless in its pursuit of perfection with this complication.
Right off the bat, IWC was determined to make a splash. Its debut model, the Reference 3700, developed in collaboration with Porsche Design, made history as the world’s first chronograph to be housed in a titanium case with a matching bracelet.
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And IWC hasn’t looked back since. Besides building even more technically advanced chronographs, the brand also expanded its capabilities in the field of material experimentation.
The fascinating assortment of chronographs that IWC introduced from the 1990s right up till today attests to this. There is Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Ceramic from 1994, the first watch in the collection to be first clad in a tough, scratch-resistant zirconium oxide ceramic case. Subsequently, the likes of the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun (2007), Portofino Hand-Wound Monopusher (2015), and the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month – each brandishing its namesake technical feature – are further proof of IWC’s knack for evolving the chronograph with both style and substance.
Taking flight
IWC’s most important milestone of its journey with this complication thus far, however, is the launch of its family of in-house chronograph movements. In 2016, the company premiered the 69000 Calibre, an automatic chronograph movement that had been built from scratch.
With robustness, reliability and longevity as key attributes, the 69000 Calibre is distinguished by several features. There is the column wheel control, which ensures smoother and more precise activation of the chronograph function; the vertical arrangement of its sub-dials for easy legibility; and a horizontal gear coupling system that is engaged when the chronograph is called to action.
“With the 69000-Calibre family, we wanted to develop one of the most stable and reliable chronographs ever. As part of the type testing process, we put the movement with all its sub-assemblies through its paces and simulate ten years of wear and tear,” said Markus Buhler, IWC’s associate director of Watch and Movement Assembly.
A current member of the 69000-Calibre family, the 69380 Calibre, makes its appearance in two new IWC Pilot Watch models for 2023 – the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun and the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun “Oceania”.
The 69380 Calibre, which can also be found in a range of similar Pilot’s Watch references such as the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun “Woodland” and Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun “Lake Tahoe”, supplements the movement family’s aforementioned attributes with small hacking seconds for precise time-setting, a day-date display, and 46 hours of power reserve.
For IWC aficionados, the new Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun in “jet-black” ceramic case with matching dial and rubber strap harks back to the 1994 model with its no-nonsense colourway. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun “Oceania”, on the other hand, comes in a deep navy sheen that recalls the overalls worn by US Navy’s servicemen. The “Oceania” blue, which sheaths the ceramic case, dial and strap, was developed in collaboration with Pantone, and adds to IWC’s impressive array of Pilot’s Watches with coloured ceramic cases.
Last but not least, both new models mark a debut of sorts. They are the first IWC Pilot’s Watch ceramic cased chronographs to come in 41 mm cases.
Compared to their 44.5 mm-sized forebears, the latest watches are decidedly more compact. That’s not to say that they look any less imposing, though. After all, these are thoroughbred IWC chronographs, and one should expect no less than the forthright muscularity, sportiveness and mechanical prowess synonymous with the complication.
An ode to the past
Four collectible chronographs for serious IWC fans.
Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Reference IW3711
This 1992 model expanded on IWC’s chronograph savoir faire. It featured a split-second chronograph movement that allowed the user to measure two interval timings simultaneously.
Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Ceramic Reference IW3705
Launched in 1994, this was the first IWC Pilot’s Watch to feature a zirconium oxide ceramic case, paving the way for future iterations of ceramic models to come.
Portofino Hand-Wound Monopusher Reference IW515104
Expressing a refined take on the chronograph, this Portofino model utilises just one pusher instead of two, to start, stop and reset the chronograph function.
Ingenieur Chronograph Edition “W125” Reference IW380701
This model from 2016 was among the first to house the epochal 69000 Calibre. Launched in the same year, the movement signalled a new dawn for IWC’s chronograph production.
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