IWC Schaffhausen Expands Its TOP GUN Series with the Introduction of Two New Colorful Ceramic Variants
Introduced in 2022, IWC Schaffhausen’s “Colors of TOP GUN” line featured an array of Pilot’s Watches in unique ceramic colours such as Woodland and Lake Tahoe, mirroring the hues prevalent in naval aviation and created in partnership with Pantone®. The Swiss high-end watchmaker is now expanding this palette with two novel models.
The Pilot’s Watch Timezoner TOP GUN Woodland (Ref. IW395601) dons a Woodland green ceramic shell, an homage to the garments of TOPGUN aviators and the forests they navigate above. The colours of the dial, hands, rubber strap, and luminescent elements are carefully aligned with the case’s colour. All the components mentioned made the final result a meticulous engineering feat. The watch’s case ring and crown are crafted from matte black Ceratanium®, a unique blend by IWC that marries the lightness of titanium with ceramic’s scratch-resistance.
The Timezoner® feature allows for easy time zone adjustments, shifting the hour hand, 24-hour display, and date in one-hour increments, even across the International Date Line, without losing a second. A green ceramic city ring encircles the outer Ceratanium® bezel, listing 24 world city names for each time zone. The 82760 caliber, an IWC in-house movement with a Pellaton winding mechanism fortified with ceramic parts, ensures a 60-hour power reserve, viewable through a tinted sapphire case back.
As for the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Mojave Desert (Ref. IW389402), it’s the third 41mm ceramic chronograph to join IWC’s collection, boasting a case in Mojave Desert ceramic. This tone, evocative of naval aviator gear and the surrounding desert of China Lake, blends seamlessly with the dark brown dial, hands, print, and luminescent components, tied together with a rubber strap featuring a textile overlay. For those unaware, the China Lake is home to the U.S. Navy’s famous TOPGUN flight school. The crown, pushers, and case back are composed of matte grey titanium. Within lies the 69380 caliber, a durable IWC in-house chronograph movement with a column-wheel design, comprising 242 pieces. Its unique dial layout improves readability, while its double pawl winding system builds a 46-hour power reserve. A soft iron inner case shields the movement from magnetic fields, and the glass is engineered to endure sudden air pressure fluctuations.
A frontrunner in ceramic utilization for watch casings, IWC made history in 1986 with the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph (Ref. 3755), the first-ever wristwatch encased in black zirconium oxide ceramic. The brand has consistently been at the forefront of introducing a spectrum of ceramic colors like white, blue, and green. Crafting a watch case in colored ceramic involves blending zirconium oxide with various metallic oxides, achieving the final hue through precise control of the raw materials’ mix and the sintering process parameters.
The Pilot’s Watch Timezoner TOP GUN Woodland and the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Mojave Desert can be acquired at select IWC boutiques and come with eligibility for the My IWC care program, extending the standard 2-year International Limited Warranty by an additional 6 years.
Learn more about the Top Gun collection here.
