First IWC Pilot’s Watch Made From Certanium

The new Top Gun line sees IWC make use of the innovative new material Ceratanium for the first time in a Pilot’s Watch, company’s first ever pilot’s watch to be completely jet black

Text: IWC Schaffhausen Photo: IWC Schaffhausen

The Top Gun watches, which IWC Schaffhausen has been producing since 2007, take their name from the Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program in the U.S. Navy. This training programm provides the best Navy pilots with flying and tactical training.

Naval aviation requires extreme skill. When manoeuvre in tight curves, for example, both the pilots and the aircraft are subjected to maximum acceleration forces. Spending months at a time on aircraft carriers also takes its toll on personnel and material.

The Top Gun watches are therefore specially designed with robust materials, such as ceramic and titanium, to meet the specific requirements of elite jet pilots. The matte black ceramic case, for example, ensures that pilots are not distracted by sunlight reflecting off their watches during the flight. The hard and scratch-resistant ceramic is perfectly suited to daily use in a confined aircraft cockpit and can also withstand extreme G-forces. Ceramic and titanium are also extremely corrosion-resistant and can withstand humid, salty sea air.

IW371815_Pilot's Watch Double Chronograph TOP GUN Ceratanium

Developed by IWC, Ceratanium is a material that combines the advantages of titanium and ceramic in a groundbreaking new composition. The patented material is as lightweight and unbreakable as titanium and at the same time as hard and scratch-resistant as ceramic. It is also characterised by its excellent skin compatibility, its high degree of corrosion-resistance and its matte black colour. This has enabled IWC to create their first completely black design, without a coating, including all watch components such as push-buttons or pin buckles. The double chronograph has an integrated split-seconds hand mechanism for simultaneously measuring short periods of time. It is powered by the 79230 calibre with self-winding mechanism and boasts a power reserve of 44 hours. The watch, with its black dial and black hands, sits on a rubber strap and textile inlay.

IW371815_Pilot's Watch Double Chronograph TOP GUN Ceratanium back

IWC Schaffhausen Pilot's Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium

REFERENCE NUMBER
IW371815

FEATURES
Mechanical chronograph movement – Date and day display – Chronograph function for hours, minutes and seconds – Split-seconds hand for intermediate timing – Small hacking seconds – Soft-iron inner case for protection against magnetic fields – Screw-in crown – Glass secured against displacement by drops in air pressure

MOVEMENT
IWC manufacture calibre 79230 Frequency 28,800 vph / 4 Hz Jewels 29 Power reserve 44 h Winding Automatic

WATCH
Materials Ceratanium case, black ceramic, black dial, black hands, rubber strap and textile inlay Crystal Sapphire, arched edge, anti-reflective coating on both sides Water-resistance 6 bar Diameter 44 mm Height 16.8 mm

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