By Jovan K
IWC has flung open the hangar doors once again with a pair of Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 models, this time soaked in a peculiar light blue hue dubbed TOP GUN Miramar. One arrives in ceramic, the other in stainless steel, both riffing off the kind of sky hued T-shirts worn by TOP GUN instructors beneath their flight suits.
The ceramic variant, reference IW389409 measures 41.9mm x 15.5mm with a full ceramic case rendered in that aforementioned powdery blue. Zirconium oxide forms the backbone here, carefully meddled with metallic oxides to conjure up this off-kilter tone. Matching that same shade across different materials isn’t exactly a walk in the park either and it shows. Meanwhile the steel model IW388117 sticks to more familiar territory at 41mm x 14.5mm.
On the dial front, both keep things vertical with IWC’s typical layout that pegs stopped minutes at 12 o’clock. The ceramic version is committed to one color all around, with dial and strap painted in light blue and matching hands laced with Super-LumiNova. The steel model opts for rhodium-plated hands against that same Miramar blue dial, all tucked under a domed sapphire with double sided AR coating.
Inside, you’re looking at IWC’s in-house column wheel calibres. The ceramic version gets the 69380, the steel model the 69385. Both tick away at 4 Hz, serve up a 46 hour power reserve and are shielded from magnetism thanks to a soft iron inner case.
Each model is kitted out with a rubber strap that matches the dial color and both are fitted with the brand’s EasX CHANGE system for quick swaps. Water resistance is 10 bar. Price-wise, the ceramic IW389409 lands at 13,500 USD and is limited to 1,000 pieces. The stainless steel IW388117 comes in at 7,200 USD. Both are available now via IWC’s channels.
