Watches and Wonders currently underway, which means a collection of covetable timepieces is set to debut over the week-long watch and jewelry tradeshow in Geneva. The event is practically in IWC Schaffhausen’s backyard, making an ideal time and place for the brand to launch two new ceramic versions of the Pilot’s Chronograph 41 Top Gun.
The original IWC Top Gun, named for the U.S. Navy’s Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program, debuted in 2007 with official approval from the elite fighter jet squad, which was earned following field testing by Top Gun instructors. Multiple iterations have debuted since, including these tie-ins to 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick.
The IWC Top Gun range expands with these particularly wearable 41mm entries, offered for the first time with ceramic cases. An “Oceana” renders the case in a specific shade of blue inspired by the uniform overalls worn U.S. Navy pilots while carrying out various tasks aboard aircraft carriers. The color-matched rubber strap also nods to the Navy workwear with a denim finish textile inlay.
Meanwhile, a “Jet Black” version’s shade nods to “the technical components of supersonic jets.” The black dial and rubber strap complement the pitch-black ceramic case, and all contrast brilliantly with the luminescent elements of the hands and indices.
Both feature numerous components designed to endure the extreme forces of high-speed flight. The IWC-manufactured 69380 movement is enclosed in a magnetic field-blocking, soft-iron inner case, and the front glasses secured to withstand sudden drops in air pressure. With water resistance of 10 bar/100 meters, the watches are also suited to swimming or snorkeling.
Priced at $11,700 for “Oceana” and $8,750 for “Jet Black,” the IWC Pilot’s Chronograph 41 Top Gun is available to purchase now.
