IWC Pilot Watch Mark XVIII Ceratanium Collaborations

reintitan · 2019-02-08T13:52:02Z

Explore IWC's 2019 Pilot Watch collaborations with The Rake & Revolution and Hodinkee, featuring Ceratanium and a Selitta movement. Discussion on pricing and design.

reintitan

WPS member · IWC forum

22 replies7886 views4 photos

Reintitan highlights 2019 as the 'Year of the IWC Pilot Watch Collaboration,' showcasing limited editions with The Rake & Revolution and Hodinkee. Both watches feature IWC's innovative Ceratanium material and a Selitta-based movement, sparking community discussion on movement choice and pricing strategy.

22 collectors discussing this on the WatchProSite forumJoin the Conversation →

First in January at the SIHH we had the IWC x Rake x Revolution collaboration: "The IWC Pilot's Watch Automatic 36mm Special Edition for the Rake and Revolution" an LE of 150 pieces. (Click Here)

And released earlier this week is the IWC x Hodinkee collaboration: "The IWC Pilot's Watch Mark XVIII for Hodinkee" an LE of 500 pieces.

Both limited editions are sold out.

The case, crown, caseback, and strap buckle are made of IWC's new proprietary material called "Ceratanium" which is a titanium alloy which consists of zirconium oxide. When heated to a certain temperature the zirconium oxide turns black in color and hardens into ceramic that permeates throughout the titanium. So you supposedly get the lightness of titanium and the scratch and wear resistance of ceramic without the fragility. This is not a coating like PVD as the entire material is made of this alloy.

IMHO, this is a great pilot watch design taking the best design codes of the original IWC Mark 11 (35.5 mm Ø) and putting it into a modern case and size (39 mm Ø). The movement for both of these LEs is the same Selitta no-date caliber (IWC calls it cal.35100) which is probably where most criticism will come from, however, IWC has a history of using ebauche calibers in their pilot watches (eg. base ETA 2892-2 used in the Mark XV or the JLC caliber used in the Mark XII) and no one really complained then.

Hodinkee also stated that they wanted to recreate the look and feel of IWC's ref. 3705 ceramic pilot chronograph from the 1990s (see their comparison photo below).

I particulary like the minimal dial text. No "Automatic" text on the dial is something you don't usually see in Richemont brands.

I find it ironic that it takes watch and fashion blogs to design watches for the manufactures that watch aficionados really want. Maybe the brands' inhouse designers need to take notes.

photo credit: Hodinkee

About the IWC Portuguese Chronograph Ref. 3705

The IWC Portuguese Chronograph reference 3705 represents the brand's approach to classical chronograph complications within the Portuguese collection. This reference features a black dial configuration, distinguishing it from other colorway options within the Portuguese Chronograph range.

The 40.9mm stainless steel case houses an automatic movement and incorporates sapphire crystal protection. Water resistance extends to 30 meters with a fixed bezel construction. The black dial provides the primary visual character for this particular reference within the series.

Reference 3705 appeals to collectors seeking a Portuguese Chronograph in stainless steel with the contrast offered by the black dial. This reference serves collectors who prefer darker dial configurations within IWC's Portuguese chronograph offerings, providing an alternative to lighter dial variants in the same case size and material combination.

Specifications

Caliber: 79350

Case: Stainless steel

Diameter: 40.9 mm

Dial: Black

Water Resist.: 30m

Crystal: Sapphire

Key Points from the Discussion

The use of an off-the-shelf Sellita SW300 movement in a high-priced limited edition IWC watch, especially after IWC's emphasis on moving to in-house movements, generated significant criticism.
Ceratanium is a proprietary titanium alloy with zirconium oxide that, when heated, hardens into a ceramic throughout the material, offering lightness, scratch resistance, and a matte black finish without being a coating.
Historically, IWC has used ebauche calibers in its pilot watches (e.g., ETA 2892 in Mark XV, JLC in Mark XII, Valjoux 7750 in ceramic 3705), suggesting that the use of third-party movements is not unprecedented for the brand.
The pricing strategy for these limited editions might be influenced by the strong secondary market performance of other IWC and Richemont LE pieces, factoring in the broad appeal of Mark Pilot watches.
Despite movement concerns, the aesthetic design of these collaboration watches, particularly the Hodinkee edition, is widely praised for its cool factor and adherence to classic Mark 11 codes.
Some collectors hope for a mass-produced, steel version of the Mark XVIII with these design specs at a lower price point, potentially around $3.5K, to make the design more accessible.

The Discussion

geross

Feb 8, 2019

My IWC mk xv is quite accurate at 38mm it fits just right on my wrist.

And the lumes just right. At 36mm I think it's great. Thanks for sharing. Cool watch and post Reintitan. 😎 Cheers 🍻

reintitan

Feb 8, 2019

Nice Spitfire model geross! [nt]

VMM

Feb 8, 2019

Very nice, I like it. [nt]

Thanks for the pics. Vte

amanico

Feb 8, 2019

Nice one. Really nice. The PVD case was not necessary, though... [nt]

JohnFM

Feb 8, 2019

Agree regarding the case

The technology sounds interesting and the light weight is nice. But it wouldn't be too heavy in steel. I also think $6,400 is a bit steep, especially with the Selitta movement. Those criticisms aside, it is a handsome watch!

YpJ

Feb 8, 2019

I've been hoping for this...

throwback design for the Mark series. I wish IWC would release a steel version with these exact specs but mass produce them and drop the price to where it should be - around $3.5K-ish? 38mm would be even cooler and they can even throw the Mark XIX text on there since the Roman Numeral looks cool Anyway, I'll go back to hoping.