IWC Ingenieur 666 – Over Ingenieured?

Blomman Mr Blue provocatively asks if modern watches are 'over-engineered,' using the IWC Ingenieur 666 as a touchstone for discussing essential complications. His post invites collectors to reflect on the balance between functional features and the purity of a timepiece's core purpose. This discussion remains pertinent as brands continue to push the boundaries of horological complexity.

Friends,

Do you sometimes get the feeling that the watch companies over “ingenieur” our watches?

That in each watch they try to put as many complications as possible so in the end you don’t even know what your watch are able to do or how it works…?

Or why I got it in the first place…

Well, when you feel that way it’s good to go back to basics: Hours and minutes – that’s it!

That is all you need to be able to tell time.

- But then again, to add something small would it be so bad…  

- Would it?

- A seconds hand is good to have if you want to measure time more exactly?

- Yes…

- Also a very practical feature is date, which might come handy in everyday life, right?

- You are right.

- Unless your name is Vlad, that is…?

- No, my name is not Vlad!

- Do you want to wind your watch each day?

- Na, takes too much time.  

- OK, let’s do the movement automatic!

- Shock protected? Otherwise you risk damaging your watch with less accuracy as a result.

- But, of course…

- Water resistant never killed anybody… Do you want that?

- 100 meters!

- While we are at it, why not make it really special? How about Antimagnetic?

- Maybe…

- Resistant to 1,000 Gauss?

- Yes! That’s it!

….hm, OK I think I know why sometimes it feels like watch companies over “ingenieur” a watch.

It’s really easy to get carried away!

A “back to basics” watch checklist:

But, in the end, what is it that you really want?

Me, all I want is a watch.

And possible a box to put it in when I am not wearing it…

A watch I can wear dressed …

Or naked …

Or just admire from a distance….

So, back to my initial question: do you think the IWC Ingenieur 666 is over Ingenieured?

For me, the answer is NO! The 666 is one of the few vintage IWC I have in my watch box.

The classic design but with an extra volume due to the inner case, a tool watch in a dress watch package!

Antimagnetic, love this theme – Geophysic, Railmaster… One day I would love to add a Rolex and a PP to my list…

The Ingenieur is still present in the IWC catalog today and the latest version is really nice.

Time to start the Original – Re-edition game?

Or maybe go deeper into the 666 reference…?

A black dial, no date, pie-pan would a fantastic find!

While we are dreaming, why not one of each…?

In any metal…?

A boy can dream, right...?

Best

Blomman