As the Watches and Wonders exhibition opens in Geneva, IWC Schaffhausen unveils two new Top Gun chronographs in coloured ceramic in the Pilot’s Watches family.
A double chronograph with a black zirconium oxide ceramic case and titanium case back marked the birth of the Top Gun line in IWC’s Pilot’s Watches family in 2007. Since then, advanced materials have been the hallmark of Top Gun, lending these timepieces their distinctive technical look. In 2019, IWC introduced the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition “Mojave Desert”, the first Top Gun model in sand-colored ceramic.
IWC completes the collection with two new chronographs in white and green ceramic. Located between California and Nevada, Lake Tahoe is a mountainous area frequently flown over by the U.S Navy TOPGUN School pilots. The winter landscape around this freshwater lake and white uniforms have influenced the design of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition “Lake Tahoe” (Ref. IW389105).
The chronograph features a 44.5-millimetre white ceramic case, a pitch-black dial, and black hands coated with luminescent material. IWC and Pantone have specified the ceramic color as “IWC Lake Tahoe”. The pushers and crown are made of stainless steel, the case back of titanium. The matching white rubber strap with a distinctive embossing accentuates the eye-catching design.
The flight suits of naval aviators have inspired the distinctive shade of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition “Woodland” (Ref. IW389106). The newly developed “IWC Woodland” green is used for the ceramic case and the dial, while the numerals and hour markers are printed in a lighter hue. The pushers and the case back are made of matte black Ceratanium ® .
Developed by IWC, this material combines titanium’s lightness and structural integrity with a hardness and scratch-resistance similar to ceramic. A matching green rubber strap with textile inlay completes the design. Both timepieces are powered by the IWC-manufactured 69380 calibre, a robust and reliable chronograph with a column-wheel design.
In addition, they feature soft- iron inner cases to protect their movements from the effects of magnetic fields. The front glasses are specially secured to withstand sudden drops in air pressure. Both watches are water-resistant to 6 bars and feature the iconic Top Gun logo as an engraving on the case back.
So which one is your favourite? Lake Tahoe or Woodland? For more information about our IWC watches, visit The Time Place boutique.
