IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium and IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 Top Gun
This year for Watches and Wonders 2022, IWC Schaffhausen has concentrated all the new releases on the Top Gun collection. Beside the new Woodland and Lake Tahoe models, IWC release the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Ceratanium and Big Pilot’s Watch 43 TOP GUN (Ref. IW329801). If the last one is in black ceramic, the first one is Ceratanium.
In 2019, IWC Schaffhausen released for SIHH (which name is now Watches and Wonders) the IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium Ref. IW371815 (please read more about here), which was the first watch with their collection using this innovative material named Ceratanium.
What is Ceratanium?
IWC has begun since the 70s to tried to find new materials for their watches in order to be more durable, lightweight or scratch-resistant. In 1980 IWC partners with Porsche Design and revealed the first wristwatch with the case and the bracelet made entirely in titanium. Later, in 1986 IWC released another premier, the IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar, a watch that had the case made of black zirconium oxide ceramic.
So, what is Ceratanium? It is a new material, developed from zero, by mixing the titanium and the ceramic. The Ceratanium is a material that is scratch resistant, light and robust.
For 2022 IWC presents the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Ceratanium Ref. IW 388106, which is the first watch in their 41 mm Chronograph collection using Ceratanium for the case, crown and pushers.
The watch has a matte black colour, which IWC and Pantone called it “IWC Ceratanium”. To obtain this beautiful colour it is a unique manufacturing process. When you put the material in the kiln and baked it at a precise temperature, you obtain this unique matte black colour. The watch has a black dial with shaded white print and also black hands.
Under the sapphire glass case black, you can see the in house movement, IWC 69385. This is the IWC manufactured calibre which has replaced the ETA 7750 that have powered manny of the IWC chronographs.
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium comes with a beautiful black rubber strap with textile inlay to complete the all-black design of the watch.
The other black watch released by IWC at W&W 2022 is the Big Pilot’s Watch 43 TOP GUN Ref. IW329801. This is the first time you can find a Big Pilot’s Watch in black ceramic in 43 mm case.
The case of the watch is realised of black zirconium oxide ceramic, offering a height protection against scratches. If the colour for the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium is named “IWC Ceratanium”, for this watch, IWC and Pantone named this black ceramic colour “IWC Jet Black”.
The dial and the hands of the watch are also all black. Under the titanium case back you can find the in-house movement IWC 82100. The Pellaton winding system of the movement is endowed with pieces that are virtually wear free ceramic. The power reserve of the movement is 60 hours. To protect the movement from the magnetic fields, the watch is built with a soft iron inner case.
The watch is pair with a green textile strap with folding clasp. The integrated EasX-Change offers you the comfort to exchange the strap very easy.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium
Technical specifications:
Reference: IW388106
Features: Mechanical movement – Chronograph function for hours, minutes and seconds – Date and day display – Small hacking seconds – Screw-in crown – Glass secured against displacement by drops in air pressure – See-through sapphire glass back
Case:
· Diameter: 41.1 mm
· Height: 14,5 mm
· Material: Ceratanium, also for the crown and the pushers
· Dial and Hands: Black
· Glass: Sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides
· Water resistant: 100 m (10 bar)
Movement:
· Calibre: IWC 69385, Automatic movement
· Frequency: 28,800 vibration per hour (4 Hz)
· Jewels: 33
· Power reserve: 46 hours
Strap: Black rubber strap with textile inlay and a Ceratanium pin buckle
The price for the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Ceratanium Ref. IW388106 is Euro 13,400.
IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 TOP GUN
Technical specifications:
Reference: IW329801
Features: Mechanical movement – Pellaton automatic winding system – Central hacking seconds – Screw-in crown – Glass secured against displacement by drops in air pressure – Soft-iron inner case for magnetic field protection
Case:
· Diameter: 43.8 mm
· Height: 13.9 mm
· Materials: Ceramic case, titanium crown, titanium case back
· Dial and Hands: Black
· Glass: Sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides
· Water resistant: 100 meters (10 bar)
· Diameter: 43.8 mm
· Height: 13.9 mm
Movement:
· Calibre: IWC 82100, Automatic movement
· Frequency: 28,800 vph / 4 Hz
· Jewels: 22
· Power reserve: 60 hours
Strap: green textile strap with folding clasp
The price for the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 TOP GUN Ref. IW329801 is Euro 10,900.
