IWC. There is hardly anyone interested in watches for whom these 3 letters mean nothing. The brand, created in 1868 by American engineer and watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones in Switzerland, with the goal of producing high-quality watches for the American market, managed and acquired in 1880 by the Rauschenbach family, owned and managed by 4 generations of the family until 1955. The brand that was one of the first (as early as the end of the 19th Century) to start producing wristwatches. The undisputed founder of the so-called "pilot's watches," the first to use titanium for the cases of its chronographs and to produce unique works of horological art such as the representatives of the Portuguese and Ingenieur series. It is certain that for everyone interested in watches, this abbreviation means something.
We do not know if it is the same for others, but for us, the term "pilot's watch" automatically leads to "IWC". Perhaps the reason for this is that IWC is known mainly for the production of pilot's watches, or because the brand developed its production especially during the Second World War, but most likely the main role in this was played by the fact that the brand supplied its products to both sides of the conflict, and both during and after the war, the countries involved in the conflict were already very familiar with the brand's quality, which provided it with several important advantages in the race for the customer – recognizability, image, reputation.
The model was offered between 1994 and 2005 and immediately ranked among the sought-after and desired pilot models of the brand, and today's example is from the last ones before the model was discontinued and has a card dated 2005.
The legibility of the watch is one of the best of all the watches we have seen.
It all began back in 1936 with the launch of the famous Mark IX – which can safely be called the progenitor of the IWC pilot series, and perhaps of pilot's watches in general.
The Top Gun series is named in honor of one of the most famous and important squadrons of the US Navy, which was immortalized in two films with the well-known Maverick – Tom Cruise. The color of the dial is matte black, and the shape of its hands is reminiscent of the blades of an airplane propeller. The most striking thing about this model is certainly the sparkling white case and strap, inspired by the official uniforms of the US Navy, as well as the winter landscapes around Lake Tahoe. This unconventional design solution by IWC guarantees that your wrist will gather glances everywhere. The strong contrast between the two colors also guarantees one of the best legibilities on the entire watch market. The watch is quite large – 44.5 mm, but is almost unnoticeable on the wrist, due to the ceramic case, which provides comfort and lightness. The pushers and crown are made of Ceratanium – a material developed and patented by the brand, combining the lightness and strength of titanium with the hardness and scratch resistance of ceramic.
The purity of the "Day-Date" window's design is just as unique. We know that nowadays we would hardly rely on a watch to learn the date and day, but the very fact that we can find out this information with a quick glance at the wrist, personally makes us somehow calmer and more secure.
The luminescence is one of the strongest for pilot's watches in general. The large Arabic numerals are well-depicted and positioned, and the abundant coating on the hands, which are in the shape of an airplane propeller, completes this truly unique composition!
The white rubber strap adds to the wearing comfort, but also perfectly matches the design of the watch.
In the heart of the watch beats Caliber 69380, the brand's automatic movement with 33 jewels, working at 28,800 vibrations and offering a power reserve of 48 hours. The Top Gun logo is engraved on the back of the watch, which again reminds to whom the model is dedicated.
