The watchmakers from Schaffhausen are presenting the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe” and “Woodland”. The two models appear in cases made of coloured ceramic, inspired by the surroundings of the famous US Navy flight school. Not only is the production of coloured ceramics notoriously difficult, but IWC also had to transfer the exact shade to various other materials in order to achieve a harmonious result. The new chronographs appear on matching rubber straps and are available now.
The design of this model is inspired by the winter landscape around Lake Tahoe on the border between California and Nevada. The chronograph has a 44.5 x 15.7 mm case made of ceramic. The watchmakers call the newly developed colour “Lake Tahoe White”. The pushers and crown, however, are made of stainless steel and the solid case back of titanium. The latter bears the TOP GUN emblem to match. Elsewhere, a convex sapphire crystal protects the front. The water resistance is 6 bar or 60 metres.
The dial of the TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe” is pitch black. The minute track and the numerals, which are coated with luminous material, appear in stark contrast. In addition, there are black hands that also glow in the dark. Furthermore, there are sub-dials for the small seconds and the 30-minute and 12-hour counters. At 3 o’clock, the Pilot’s Watch also displays the current day and the corresponding date.
The colouring of this piece goes back to the flight suits of the naval aviators. The case has the same dimensions of 44.5 mm in diameter and 15.7 mm in height. The ceramic comes here in the tone “Woodland Green”. The pushers and the case back are made of the company’s own Ceratanium, a material that is supposed to combine the lightness of titanium with the hardness of ceramic. The TOP GUN emblem is also found on the case back.
The dial here is the same colour as the case, but the printed indices and numerals are a brighter shade. The main hands are black and have luminous material. The subdials are also present, but here in green. Even the day and date discs have been adapted to the colour concept.
Both Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition are powered by the manufacture calibre 69380, which is self-winding and has a power reserve of 46 hours. It also integrates a chronograph that features a column wheel. At the same time, the escapement operates at a frequency of 4 hertz. The mechanism also offers a stop-second function. Protection against magnetism is provided by a soft-iron ring around the movement. The manufacture also decorates its movement with Geneva stripes and perlage.
The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph TOP GUN Edition “Lake Tahoe” has a white strap made of rubber that stays on the wrist with a folding clasp. The “Woodland”, on the other hand, has a green rubber and textile strap that comes with a pin buckle. The annual production is capped at 1000 pieces each. The price for both models is 11,200 euros.
