The first 41-millimeter Pilot’s Chronograph with sand-colored ceramic case
The watches in the IWC Pilot’s Watch Top Gun series are undoubtedly among the best-known timepieces from the luxury watch manufacturer founded in 1868 in the small Swiss town of Schaffhausen as the International Watch Company. Since their introduction in 2007, the chronographs with the iconic name of the United States Navy Fighter Weapons School from Miramar, California, better known as Top Gun Fightertown, have been available in a wide variety of designs, variants and reissues. In October 2023, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert was launched on the market. What makes it special: It is the first 41-millimeter Pilot’s Chronograph from IWC with a case made of sand-colored ceramic.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert
The Design
With the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert, IWC adds another 41-millimetre chronograph to its portfolio. New to this model: the case is made of sand-colored ceramic for the first time. Dubbed Mojave Desert, the earth tone with shades of beige and khaki is inspired by the pilot overalls worn by naval aviators as well as the desert landscape around China Lake – home base of the famous US Navy Top Gun flying school. The dark brown dial, hands, printing as well as luminous elements and rubber strap with textile inlay harmonize perfectly with the attractive ceramic case.
The case
The ceramic case of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert is lightweight, scratch-resistant and resistant to corrosion. It has a diameter of 41.9 millimeters, a height of 15.5 millimeters, a screw-down crown and is water resistant to a depth of 100 meters. The chronograph pushers, crown and case back are presented in matte gray titanium. The back is adorned with an engraving of the Top Gun logo known from the blockbuster movie of the same name. The sapphire crystal is domed, anti-reflective on both sides and specially secured against a sudden drop in pressure.
IWC Schaffhausen is a pioneer in the processing of ceramics for watch cases.
IWC Schaffhausen
The movement
Inside the case works the IWC manufacture caliber 69380. This extremely robust chronograph movement in classic column wheel design consists of 242 individual parts. In IWC’s characteristic vertical dial arrangement, the stopped minutes are displayed directly at 12 o’clock for better readability. Efficient and bilaterally winding, the pawl winding system uses the movements of the rotor in both directions to build up a power reserve of 46 hours in the mainspring. An inner case made of soft iron protects the movement from the effects of magnetic fields.
Ceramic timepieces
The production of ceramic cases for mechanical watches is considered an engineering feat. Lighter and harder than steel, absolutely scratch-resistant, mirror-smooth and at the same time pleasantly soft on the skin – thanks to these unique properties, ceramics have become the ideal material for the cases of high-end watches in recent years. The Swiss luxury watch brand IWC Schaffhausen was quick to recognize the advantages of ceramics as a material and has been considered a pioneer in the production of ceramic cases since the mid-1980s.
Short and sweet
- Pilot watch: IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert (Ref. IW389402)
- Case: ceramic, ⌀ 41.9 millimeters, sapphire crystal, water-resistant to 10 bar
- Movement: automatic, caliber 69380, 46 hours power reserve
- Functions: Date and day of the week display, small second with stop mechanism, stop function hour, minute and second
- Strap: Rubber with textile inlay
- Price: 12,700 Euro
- Year: 2023
More information at iwc.com
