By John Galt
I’m sure you all know about the Only Watch auction happening in November, 42 unique watches being auctioned off to raise funds for the research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and here is IWC’s offering. IWC is participating for the 6th time in this bi-annual auction and come to the party this year with a tribute to one of their main ambassadors Nico Rosberg, let’s take a look. At first glance you would be forgiven to think this is just another Ingenieur, you would be wrong as this is very special and unique.
The 46mm case with its integrated lugs and round bezel with the signature 5 screws is pure Ingenieur, easily recognizable as a desirable sports watch, but the case is the unique point to this one-off. It’s made from solid boron carbide, a material that is normally used for bulletproof vest and tank armour and it’s the world’s first use of it in the watchmaking industry. To give you an idea of the type of resistance this ceramic can take, diamonds have a Mohs hardness rating of 10 where solid boron carbide is very close behind with a rating of 9.497 so you can be sure you will be able to keep this safe for years to come.
With the case being the main focal point for this one-off, the rest of it is a classic IWC Ingenieur look with its beautiful carbon fibre dial, brilliant white indexes and coloured tip to the black seconds hand.
Turning the piece over you are greeted with an exhibition case back showing off the in-house calibre 80110 self-winding movement with the infamous and extremely efficient pellaton automatic winding system fitted with a blackened rotor in the shape of engine pistons. It is said to be one of the most rugged and solid movements made by IWC and boasts a power reserve of 44-hours.
Finishing off this one of a kind piece is a rubber strap with a dinamica inlay accented and green quilted stitching, the same innovative microfibre used in the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT sports car.
The piece will be sold during the Only Watch charity auction in Geneva on 7th November.
Conclusion
This is still a unique entry to the auction with IWC using this special ceramic, will we see future IWC watches made with this ceramic? I’m not sure, only time will tell. For more info, please visit iwc.com
JOHN GALT – CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
John Galt caught the horology bug back in 2010 on his first visit to a London watch show and has snowballed since; John has become an avid writer and blogger of timepieces of all kinds, from everyday timepieces to modern Luxury HauteHorology, his favorite brands being HYT and GreubelForsey that push the boundaries of modern watch-making. John keeps a keen interest in the UK watch scene with their many emerging brands and timepieces. John Galt currently contributes watch related articles for online publications in the UK and USA. You can follow John on Twitter @johng73 Read his articles here.
