the new ingenieur...

Nov 12, 2023,02:02 AM
 

I had the pleasure of seeing prototypes of all three dial colors of the new Ingenieur at an IWC boutique yesterday. Despite being called prototypes by the sales associate, all three watches had working mechanisms -- they were for visual/hands-on experience and were not for sale. Interestingly, the green dial variant has polished center links on the prototype whereas the white and black dial variants have brushed center links -- the rest of the bracelet is brushed stainless steel as well.


The watch is lovely indeed. Many interweb comments criticize the choice of crown guards, but to me this is a non-issue.

Based only on photos, I naturally gravitated to the black dial as the most versatile choice amongst the three colors.

But in person, the clear standout to me is the white dial variant.

The green dial pops and is fun, but would not be a choice for color to get the most wear/time on wrist. The black dial has odd reflections in the light for some reason with it's checkboard hatched pattern, so I would not pick that one at all.

The white dial is tops, is the clear standout, and can be dressed up or down, casual to elegant, and is awesome. If I have any nit to pick, since no watch ever seems perfect, the minute track with its relatively smooth surface starkly stands out from inner/main dial with the checkboard hatched pattern. It would be nice if the minute hashmarks could have been put on to the checkerboard dial, which then could be extended all the way to the rehaut.

But for the right price, this would not stop me from purchasing the white dial variant.

Kudos to IWC for this watch. If only they would bring back the script International Watch Co on the dials for ALL their watches -- much more elegant in my opinion!




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One of my favorite releases from any brand over the past few years.

 
By: Horo_Traveler : November 13th, 2023-05:45
Here’s a shot of the version I liked most, although this watch is brilliant in all hues. I had a visceral dislike when I saw the pics, but fell in love when I saw it in real-life. It is thin, has a wonderful case, dial and bracelet with a distinct “techni...