A unique pilot's watch review that reaffirms the power of the long-established brand IWC

The watch I tested this time was the new IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph Top Gun "Lake Tahoe," with its eye-catching white ceramic case. With a diameter of 44.5mm, it's a large watch that seems like it would suit a muscular man, but I have slender wrists, so how did it look to me?

The biggest feature is the white ceramic case

　The white of the US Navy's Service Dress White (SDW) uniforms and Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in the United States, located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, whose peaks are capped with snow in winter, are the inspiration for the name of the Pilot's Watch Chronograph Top Gun "Lake Tahoe," with its white ceramic case. Paired with a white rubber strap, it creates an eye-catching and impactful appearance. The Lake Tahoe area is a famous ski resort in the United States, and those living in the US will likely associate it with that resort.

　In fact, IWC's Pilot's Watch Chronograph, which features a white ceramic case, is a limited edition model called "Polaris Dawn" Ref. IW389111, of which only four were produced in 2022. This model is a chronograph watch with a blue dial, measuring 44.5mm in size and 15.7mm thick. It is equipped with the Cal. 69380 movement and is a special model with the Polaris Dawn mission logo printed on the small second circle. Based on the case size and movement, the model worn here, "Lake Tahoe," could be interpreted as a different specification from this limited edition model.

　The "white" of the case itself is a slightly creamy matte white, and the color of the rubber strap is tuned to match, creating a sense of unity. Rubber generally has a matte finish, so this may have been intended to create a consistent texture. Watches with white cases are less common than those with metallic colors like gold or stainless steel, and I haven't heard much discussion about their "whiteness." However, it's easy to imagine that this color was carefully considered when it was put into production.

　Apparently, there are hundreds of different "white" car exterior colors, all with color coding, but what about "white" for watch cases? It's difficult to imagine a luxury watch case of this caliber being finished with paint or made of organic materials like colored plastic, so ceramics are the only viable material available at present. The first watch that comes to mind is Chanel's "J12." The J12's lustrous, smooth exterior and this pilot's watch case have very different textures. At first glance, the exterior material of this watch even looks like resin, but when you actually hold it in your hand, the temperature and hardness feel clearly different from resin.

　As if to echo this matte white, the dial and hands are entirely matte black. In fact, perhaps the correct order was to use a matte white case as well, since the dial and hands are the traditional matte black of a pilot's watch. The fine white tampo printing and the application of luminous paint are all examples of skilled craftsmanship, and even when viewed individually, the high level of perfection is truly IWC. As a result, this watch is almost "achromatic," and the impression remains almost the same even in black and white photographs.

　The crown and push buttons are made of polished stainless steel, which is what initially struck me as odd. On the other hand, the aforementioned J12 features a silver metallic design on the dial and hands, so I don't think it feels out of place. Apart from the buckle, everything about this watch is matte except for the crown and push buttons. If you don't mind the polished silver crown and push buttons sticking out from the matte white case side, it's just the way it is, but when it feels out of place, it's hard to help but notice. However, even if these stainless steel parts were replaced with white ceramic, ensuring water resistance at the expense of the cost, some people would still find it odd. I did think that perhaps a blasted stainless steel finish would blend in better, but there's no 100% correct answer; it's a matter of personal preference.

　A few words about the ceramic case material. While ceramics is a general term, there are actually many different types, including alumina, zirconium oxide, silicon carbide, and aluminum nitride. Compared to metals such as stainless steel, ceramics are harder, but they are also more brittle and prone to fracture. This white model, as well as its variation models, the black ceramic Ref. IW389101 and the green "Woodland" Ref. IW389106, are all made from zirconium oxide.

　For reference, comparing the physical properties of zirconium oxide and SUS316, the coefficient of thermal expansion of SUS is about 1.6 times higher, but the specific heat capacity is roughly the same. Zirconium oxide is one order of magnitude harder, and conversely, its fracture toughness is considerably lower than SUS, but is still relatively high among fine ceramics.

　As a side note, the ceramic models of Chanel's J12 and Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak also use zirconium oxide.

　Fine ceramics go through the process of powder molding, debinding, and sintering to become products, and typically shrink by 20-30% before and after sintering. Because they exhibit extremely high hardness after sintering and are not easy to machine, it likely requires considerable know-how to finish them into the precise shape and size required for a wristwatch.

Digging deeper into details other than just being ceramic

　Let's go back to the topic and dig a little deeper into the details of this watch. The case shape is a typical cylindrical case with very standard lugs. The sapphire crystal is not flat, but rather slightly domed upon closer inspection. This is a detail, but IWC is known for not compromising even on such a shaped difference. The crystal also has an anti-reflective coating on both sides, which works well, making the matte dial look very attractive. The reflected light has a slight bluish cast, which is particularly appealing when set against a black dial.

　The six hands are all matte black, creating a uniform look. Like the Portugieser, the dial features a small underside to the hands, creating a sense of luxury. The fonts and indices are perfectly shaped, and no user would have any complaints. The case back is made of titanium, prominently engraved with "TOPGUN," creating a sophisticated finish.

　The buckle, one of the few metal parts, is also extremely well made. This watch has few metal surfaces when viewed as a whole, so it is this part that draws the eye. The sides and top of the buckle are not strictly hairlined, but rather have a satin finish that appears to be marks made with a grinding wheel. The 45-degree beveled edge is well polished, creating a beautiful contrast with the satin surface.

　Regarding the movement, IWC has traditionally used an improved version of the ETA 7750, but in light of ETA's decision to stop supplying the movement to companies outside the Swatch Group, in 2019 they developed their own in-house designed Cal. 69000 series, which can be considered a replacement for the ETA 7750.

　This model is equipped with the Caliber 69380 and boasts the same specifications as the ETA7750, measuring 30mm in diameter and 7.9mm thick. The biggest difference, however, is the placement of the subdial, with the perpetual second hand at 6 o'clock, a position that many enthusiasts find particularly appealing. The Portugieser Chronograph achieved this by eliminating the calendar mechanism and adding a gear train to a modified ETA7750, a move that is perhaps in keeping with IWC's aesthetic. Other differences include a change from a cam-operated to a column-wheel-operated chronograph, a change from unidirectional winding to bidirectional (Magic Click) winding, a change from a Triovis to an Etachron regulator, and a slightly shorter power reserve of approximately 46 hours, down from approximately 48 hours. Both models use a swing pinion clutch. The IWC Caliber 69380 features a day-date function, while the Caliber 69370 only features a date function. These movements are now standard in IWC's chronograph models, used in multiple models. The push buttons that operate the chronograph have a certain amount of resistance as you'd expect from a column wheel watch, and have a solid feel, which I personally would describe as "neutral" in terms of likes and dislikes.

When a large watch is reviewed by someone with a "15cm thin wrist," the imagination begins to run wild!

　Again, the case of this watch is 44.5mm in diameter and 15.7mm thick. The largest watch I've ever owned is the Bell & Ross BR01-92, which measures 46mm long and 46mm wide, but this watch is considerably thicker than that, making it feel like I'm wearing one of the largest watches ever. The strap holes are at their smallest diameter, making it barely wearable, and the rubber strap is relatively thick. When I measured the circumference of the watch while wearing it, it was about 22cm.

　So how and when do you wear this giant white watch? That is the biggest question in this article, and it's the part where I'll delve into my impressions. The rest of this article is a lengthy description of the author's thoughts on the question, "When would you wear this watch?", so if you're not interested, feel free to skip ahead.

　To write this article, I wore this watch not only on the weekends but also during my workdays. I usually wear suits, but this watch doesn't fit at all in the cuffs of my dress shirts. My favorite shirt shop determines shirt cuff size by adding 5cm to the actual wrist measurement. Many men wear watches on a slightly larger wrist. My wrist is just 15cm, and since I mainly wear dress watches, I add 0.5cm to get a standard cuff size of 20.5cm on my left hand and 20cm on my right. The shirt I ordered from a certain Ginza P store, where I have my suits made, was also exactly 20cm, so I think adding 5cm to the actual wrist measurement to determine cuff size is not too far off for a general cuff size.

　As I mentioned earlier, the outer diameter of the "Lake Tahoe" watch when worn is 22cm. This is wider than the cuff size of a shirt, so if I put on the watch after putting on a shirt, it would remain visible on my wrist, closer to the cuff. If I were to reverse the process and put on the shirt after the watch, it would remain hidden until I took off the shirt. In the end, I ended up wearing a pre-made double-cuff shirt, which was too tight, but there was no way I could enjoy wearing a watch in that condition. It was obvious that a dress shirt would be out of the question, and the very striking white color made it impossible to wear with a weekday suit. In other words, I'll probably only be able to enjoy this watch on the weekends, and if its true value is to wear it in a conspicuous manner, then the short-sleeved season would be the best.

　Now, when I look at the Service Dress White, the watch that inspired this one, I notice a contradiction: the cuff shape is rather tapered, and if the cuff size is just right, it probably won't be able to be worn with a dress shirt. So, "Lake Tahoe" comes to mind. It might look good at a famous ski resort, but I'm not sure whether I'd wear short sleeves during the regular snow season. If I were to force myself to find the best situation for this watch, I would conclude that it would look great in a warm, heated lounge at a luxury snow resort. That's terrible.

It may look like a novelty item, but it actually covers the basics and is easy to use.

　Based on my limited experience and imagination, I could only imagine the poor situations mentioned above, but as I continued to use it, I realized that this watch is easy to use without any worries.

　The reason is,
1. This watch is accurate, maintaining a daily rate of +2 to +5 seconds during the impressions period. Even with the chronograph running continuously, the daily rate was +2 seconds, which is quite impressive.
②The ceramic exterior makes it far less susceptible to minor scratches than stainless steel, making it easy to handle.
3) It must be designed to be waterproof and anti-magnetic.
And so on.

　I thought that its resistance to small scratches would make it suitable for people purchasing a luxury watch for the first time, but I think this is more of a watch that would be chosen by people who own multiple watches.

　Overall, this watch is a perfect pilot's watch from IWC, with no particular flaws, a scratch-resistant, highly accurate, and easy-to-use chronograph. The only thing left to consider is whether you have the right amount of muscle to wear this eye-catching, large watch, and whether you can even imagine a situation where it would suit you.

　It is true that I felt a little lonely when I returned this "Lake Tahoe."