IWC Presents A Plethora Of New Ingenieur Watches In Black Ceramic, 5N Gold, And Steel — Including A Perpetual Calendar
Two years ago, IWC introduced the new iteration of the Ingenieur as a capsule collection. Three steel and one Grade 5 titanium creation debuted, resembling the 1976 Ingenieur SL ref. 1832, an original Gérald Genta design. A blue-dial version was missing from the original lineup, but it came eventually. For this year’s Watches and Wonders, IWC presents a plethora of new Ingenieur watches. Get ready to discover a black ceramic model, a luxurious take in 5N gold, a complicated perpetual calendar, a 40mm steel reference with a dark green dial, plus two 35mm variations in steel and one in gold.
With these seven new Ingenieur models, the total now comes to 12. It’s safe to say this is not a capsule collection anymore. Some might lament that a string of new variations on a strong classic theme waters down the essence and, thus, the appeal. On the other hand, IWC is a commercial entity trying to sell as many watches as it can by catering to the needs of (potential) consumers. With that in mind, launching 35mm versions, a black ceramic iteration, and a complicated perpetual calendar that functions as a flagship for the Ingenieur collection makes (commercial) sense.
IWC’s new Ingenieur watches — Starting with black ceramic
The new Ingenieur Automatic 42 (ref. IW338903) in ceramic makes total sense. IWC has been pioneering the scratch-resistant non-alloy since the 1980s, and in today’s catalog, a wide range of ceramic watches are available. This sinister full-black Ingenieur has a 42mm case, and before you say it’s too big and should be 40mm just like the steel versions, black wears smaller, you know. I tried it on before “W and W,” and it honestly does. Although it’s not a featherweight, the watch is light enough to feel very good on the wrist, and its 11.6mm thickness also helps in that regard. Is that too thick for a high-end sports watch with an integrated bracelet, and does it deserve sub-10mm Haute Horlogerie slimness? Please let me know in the comments, but first, find out more about this new very black Ingenieur.
Almost everything you see on this watch is executed in black zirconium oxide ceramic. Not just the case, bracelet, and bezel but also the crown and its protectors are made of ceramic. Staying with the dark theme, the dial is also black and shows the geometric “grid” structure, a characteristic feature of the Ingenieur. The black hands and metal indexes create a ton-sur-ton look, but the Super-LumiNova does enlightening work in the dark.
You would expect this watch to run on IWC’s caliber 32111, which beats inside the Ingenieur Automatic 40, but you get something else. The 42mm version uses the IWC-manufactured caliber 82110 outfitted with a Pellaton winding system. This movement brings a 60-hour power reserve and various components of the winding system made of virtually wear-free zirconium oxide ceramic. The 4Hz movement also shows a black finish with a few gold details through the tinted display case back.
The full-black-full-ceramic Ingenieur Automatic 42 has a price of €21,500.
The most festive version — The full-gold Ingenieur Automatic 40
The most luxurious and, price-wise, seemingly most prestigious of the reborn Ingenieurs is the Automatic 40 (ref. IW328702) with a case and bracelet in 18K 5N gold. FYI, 5N is a reddish type of gold made of 75% pure gold and 25% copper. The watch measures 40mm wide by 10.4mm thick and 45.7mm from lug to lug. It combines a retro shape with a more contemporary shade of red gold. Yellow gold would have made more historical sense, but there’s not a single yellow gold watch in the current IWC collection, so maybe that’s why 5N gold is the precious metal of choice for the €51,400 Ingenieur Automatic 40.
Inside the 100m-water-resistant case is the same automatic 4Hz caliber 32111 with a 120-hour power reserve as the other 40mm models. It beats underneath a black dial featuring 5N gold applied indexes and a convex sapphire crystal with an antireflective coating on both sides.
Complicating things — Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41 in steel
The first new-generation Ingenieur with a complication is here! The Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41 (ref. IW344903 / €40,900) features a steel 41.6 × 13.4mm case and has reworked proportions adapted to accommodate the perpetual calendar movement without sacrificing ergonomics. Inside the 100m-water-resistant case beats the automatic caliber 82600 that IWC also puts inside the 42mm Portugieser Perpetual Calendar. This movement measures 30mm in diameter, features 46 jewels, and provides 60 hours of power reserve. The Pellaton winding system provides the “juice” for the perpetual calendar with displays for the date, day, month, leap year, and perpetual moon phases. It also features the hours, minutes, and hacking central seconds.
The new watch comes in steel, is larger, and looks quite contemporary, but it is nevertheless connected to the 35mm yellow gold Ingenieur Jumbo Perpetual Calendar Moonphase ref. IW9240 from the 1990s.
This Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar’s dial is another notable feature. Its intricate grid pattern shows tiny lines and squares and reflects the light. The sub-dials have a contrasting sunray finish with outer boundaries showcasing azurage. Completing the classic calendar look is the moonphase display at 6 o’clock. To ensure the watch is also of use in the dark, the applied indexes and the hour and minute hands received a dose of Super-LumiNova.
The delicate Ingenieur Automatic 35
Don’t call it a ladies’ watch, but the new Ingenieur Automatic 35 (ref. IW324901 /€11,300) will fit nicely on a smaller wrist. Having said that, in the 1990s, IWC launched an Ingenieur with a perpetual calendar in a 35mm size, as you read before. Anyway, the original SL Ingenieurs had a 38 × 12.5mm cushion-shaped case, and in the 1980s, the 34 × 8.8mm “skinny Ingenieur” ref. 3505 debuted. The new 35mm × 9.4mm Ingenieur that arrived at Fratello HQ contained a silver-plated dial showing the characteristic Ingenieur pattern. The watch comes on an integrated stainless steel bracelet (what else?!) outfitted with a butterfly folding clasp.
The Ingenieur Automatic has a display case back showcasing IWC’s caliber 47110. This 4Hz automatic movement has a power reserve of 42 hours. For your viewing pleasure, IWC decorated the movement with perlage, circular Geneva stripes, and a gold-plated rotor,
Two other 35mm models and a limited-edition Ingenieur Automatic 40 with a dark green dial
Three of the new Ingenieur watches didn’t arrive at Fratello HQ, but they are debuting at Watches and Wonders 2025. They do need a quick mention for the sake of completeness, right? To start, there’s the suave Ingenieur Automatic 35 in 18K 5N gold (ref. IW324903 / €41,800). There’s also a steel version with a black dial (ref. IW324906 / €11,300) in the 35mm lineup.
For those who want to be like Brad, here’s your chance. Brad Pitt’s character, race car driver Sonny Hayes, wears a vintage customized version of the Ingenieur SL ref. 1832 with a dark green dial in the upcoming film F1. IWC created a limited edition of 1,000 40mm Ingenieurs that pay homage to the movie watch. The Ingenieur Automatic APX (ref. IW328908 / €14,200) comes in a steel case housing a green grid-patterned dial with rose-gold-plated applied indexes. Completing the luxurious retro look is a set of three rose-gold-plated hands.
What do you think of these seven new Ingenieur watches? Did you see one that’s to your liking, and if so, which is it? Let me know in the comments below.
