IWC Schaffhausen has dedicated 2022 to the year of the TOP GUN and to celebrate the collection’s military associations, the watchmaker has released two coloured ceramic Chronograph 41 watches from the series in green and white, a black Ceratanium Chronograph 41 version (a proprietary material made by IWC that unites the toughness of ceramic with the lightweight attributes of titanium), and a sleek black Big Pilot’s 43 TOP GUN watch in black ceramic. Let’s take a look at the new IWC Schaffhausen watch releases that mark this year’s Watches and Wonders 2022 event in Geneva.
The IWC Big Pilot’s 43 TOP GUN
If you’ve been a fan of the IWC Pilot’s Watch TOP GUN series since 2007, you’re sure to be impressed by the new Pilot’s Watch 43 Top Gun watch for 2022, clad in a jet black hue and inspired by the technical coatings of modern jets. Carrying the DNA of the TOP GUN watch, this model features a black ceramic case with a legible black dial and a titanium caseback with an accompanying titanium crown. Taking their name from the Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program in the U.S Navy, IWC TOP GUN watches have always proven successful with professional pilots, pioneers of the aviation industry, military personnel and, of course, collectors of IWC’s signature pilot watch styles.
This new IWC Big Pilot’s Watch 43 TOP GUN features the company’s hallmark black zirconium oxide ceramic, specified by IWC and Pantone® as a “Jet Black” shade. The high-tech material has been used in the Pilot’s Watches collection by IWC since as early as 1994. To achieve the robust and scratch-resistant case, a complex manufacturing process must take place, involving the mixing of powdered raw materials with minerals and silicates shaped and sintered at incredibly high temperatures in a kiln. But that’s not where IWC Schaffhausen’s use of ceramic finishes. The Calibre 82100 that powers the new IWC Big Pilot’s 43 TOP GUN Jet Black watch is equipped with a Pellaton winding system that incorporates components rendered in ceramic, combining this material with a rotor that moves in both directions and an impressive power reserve of 60 hours.
The new IWC Big Pilot’s 43 TOP GUN watch, as its name suggests, measures a 43.8mm diameter and features a black dial equipped with striking white Arabic numerals and leaf-shaped central hour and minute hands that have been treated with luminous material to assist with timekeeping at night. The case of the watch is also integrated with 100-meter water resistance and has been topped with a convex scratch-resistant and anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass that has been secured against displacement caused by drops in air pressure. The movement of the new IWC Big Pilot’s 43 TOP GUN watch is protected within a soft-iron inner case to protect it against the damaging effects of magnetic fields. It completes its military-inspired look on a stylish green textile strap.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe”
The bright white ceramic case of the new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe” watch is one of the most talked-about topics surrounding IWC’s new Watches and Wonders 2022 releases. Its shade is inspired by white US Navy uniforms, as well as the captivating winter landscape that forms a backdrop around Lake Tahoe used by the Navy Fighter Weapons school. Its muted white shade gives off a mysterious shimmer across the surface of the ceramic case, contrasting beautifully against the richness of the watch’s legible black dial. The model’s white ceramic 44mm case has a caseback once against crafted from titanium, but with push pieces crafted from stainless steel.
IWC Schaffhausen began experimenting with coloured ceramic during the 1980s after releasing its first watch case crafted from black zirconium oxide ceramic. Up until the sand-coloured “Mojave Desert” Edition of the Big Pilot’s TOP GUN watch was released, the series had always been instantly recognised for its slick black ceramic cases. This new white coloured ceramic watch creates a whole new take on the brand’s popular TOP GUN watch, featuring a black dial with white Arabic numeral hour markers and a case colour that has been achieved by mixing metallic oxides at high temperatures with zirconium oxide.
The 69380 Calibre that powers the new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe” measures stop times up to 12 hours at 9 o’clock, along with a 30-minute chronograph counter at 12 o’clock and a small second sub-counter at 6 o’clock. In addition to this, the dial’s Arabic numeral hour track and central hands are treated with luminous material. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe” watch by IWC is fitted on a white rubber strap to complete its clean, modern look.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Woodland”
Similar in design to the “Lake Tahoe” Edition of the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph model, the “Woodland” Edition adds yet another innovative colour to the TOP GUN series. The green-coloured ceramic case of this chronograph watch from one of IWC’s most popular pilot’s watch collections is achieved once again using a highly complex manufacturing process and features a shade of green inspired by the flight suits and uniform worn by elite pilots of the TOP GUN flight school, as well as the rich green forest-filled landscapes that the flight school flies above whilst training.
The IWC “Woodland” watch shares characteristics with the “Lake Tahoe” edition, including its day-date feature clearly displayed at 3 o’clock and the trio of chronograph counters placed in the 6-9-12 format. The central hands and hour markers represented in Arabic numerals illuminate in a rich glow during nighttime hours – a clear view enabled by a glare-free sapphire crystal glass front that has been secured against displacement caused by drops in air pressure. Its monochromatic design is made possible by an elaborate colour engineering process that takes into consideration other components of the Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Woodland”, like the hands on the dial and the matching green rubber strap.
The Calibre 69380, like the “Lake Tahoe” iteration, boasts a column wheel design that was engineered with robustness, precision and reliability in mind. Its individual components are all hand-assembled at IWC’s manufacturing house in Schaffhausen. The movement also offers a 46-hour power reserve and has been executed with Cotes de Geneve decoration.
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Ceratanium
The key features of the new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Ceratanium are executed in an all-black design. The tactical pilot’s watch is matte in finish, just like the technical components of supersonic jets from which it takes its inspiration. The uniquely engineered material is the result of a sophisticated engineering process specialised in colour by IWC and Pantone®. The 41mm model features a case, crown and push-pieces made from Ceratanium® with a dial finished in luminescence that can be admired through a tinted sapphire crystal glass front. The tone-on-tone dial design features the same layout as the other two Chronograph TOP GUN watches, yet the model is powered by the 69385 calibre movement – an in-house developed chronograph with a column -wheel design that is this time exposed through a sapphire-backed exhibition feature.
The case of the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Ceratanium watch is where this watch differs even more. Titanium is combined with a scratch resistance and hardness similar to ceramic and has been developed by experts at IWC Schaffhausen, enhanced with a matte black colour that creates a distinct military-inspired aesthetic.
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