The Top Gun watches, which IWC has been producing since 2007, take their name from the Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program in the U.S. Navy. This training programme provides the best Navy pilots with flying and tactical training. Naval aviation requires extreme skill. When manoeuvring in tight curves, for example, both the pilots and the aircraft are subjected to maximum acceleration forces. Spending months at a time on aircraft carriers also takes its toll on personnel and material.

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The Top Gun watches are therefore specially designed with robust materials, such as ceramic and titanium, to meet the specific requirements of elite jet pilots. The matte black ceramic case, for example, ensures that pilots are not distracted by sunlight reflecting off their watches during the flight. The hard and scratch- resistant ceramic is perfectly suited to daily use in a confined aircraft cockpit and can also withstand extreme G-forces. Ceramic and titanium are also extremely corrosion-resistant and can withstand humid, salty sea air.

The new Top Gun line sees IWC make use of the innovative new material Ceratanium for the first time in a Pilot’s Watch; and in the shape of the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium (ref. IW371815), the company is bringing to market its first ever pilot's watch to be completely jet black.

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Developed by IWC, Ceratanium is a material thatcombines the advantages of titanium and ceramic in a groundbreaking new composition. The patented material is as lightweight and unbreakable as titanium and at the same time as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic. It is also characterised by its excellent skin compatibility, its high degree of corrosion-resistance and its matte black colour. This has enabled IWC to create the first completely black design, without a coating, including all watch components such as push-buttons or pin buckles.

The double chronograph has an integrated split-seconds hand mechanism for simultaneously measuring short periods of time. It is powered by the 79230 calibre with self-winding mechanism and boasts a power reserve of 44 hours. The watch, with its black dial and black hands, sits on a rubber strap and textile inlay.

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IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium

Technical specifications:

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Ref. IW371815

Features: Mechanical chronograph movement – Date and day display – Chronograph function for hours, minutes and seconds – Split-seconds hand for intermediate timing – Small hacking seconds – Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields – Screw-in crown – Glass secured against displacement by drops in air pressure

Movement:

·      IWC manufacture caliber: 79230

·      Frequency: 28,800 vph / 4 Hz

·      Jewels: 29

·      Power reserve: 44 H

·      Winding: Automatic

Watch:

·      Materials: Ceratanium case, black ceramic, black dial, black hands, rubber strap and textile inlay

·      Crystal: Sapphire, arched edge, anti-reflective coating on both sides

·      Water-resistance: 6 Bar

·      Diameter: 44 mm

·      Height: 16.8 mm

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The price for the IWC Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium is around $15,000, but at SIHH 2019 we will have the exact price.

For more information visit IWC Online.