logan2z
915
Probably where most criticism will come from?
That's been the bulk of the talk on the Hodinkee Instagram feed since the watch was announced. While it's true that IWC has a history of using ebauches, I think most people took exception to the price given that the watch uses an essentially off the shelf Sellita SW300 - ok, IWC assembled it and maybe tuned it a bit, but it doesn't sound like they really did much of any significance, or you can be sure they would have talked it up
Besides the cost of the watch, IWC just made much of the fact that they were moving away from third-party movements to their own in-house movements in their pilot watches. This was greatly ballyhooed at the recent SIHH. To then release a limited edition pilot with a Sellita movement and a hefty price tag rubbed people the wrong way. Couple that to the fact that the new Spitfire line all have new in-house movements at much lower prices than the LE (the Spitfire chronograph, for example, has an in-house movement and is $5700, compared to $6400 for the three-handed LE) and you have a bit of an uproar. Yes, the Spitfires are steel rather than Ceratanium but I suspect the Hodinkee tax has more to do with the premium than the case material.
All of this said, I do like the watch and the fact that it has a simple, no-date dial that suits this type of watch very well. If IWC releases a version with a steel case and an in-house movement (surely they can remove the date from one of their new in-house movements and the setting position from the crown - Stowa does this on it's $1K pilot watches), then I'd be a buyer.
FYI, the watch is sold out in the Hodinkee shop but pieces are also apparently being made available through select boutiques worldwide. So it may still be possible to get one if one is so inclined.