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IWC Ingenieur

by Stephen Foskett (Grail Watch)

Ingenieur is a brand of engineer watch produced by IWC since 1954.

The Original Ingenieur

The Ingenieur brand first appeared in 1954 and has been applied to watches designed for scientific, technical, and exploration usage. Most Ingenieur watches feature water resistance, anti-magnetic capabilities, and precise timing. In this way, the Ingenieur is similar to the Rolex Milgauss and Rolex Explorer. From the beginning, IWC Ingenieur watches have features a logo with “INGENIEUR” in capital letters above a lightning bolt from top left to bottom right.

The first watch to bear the Ingenieur label was the Ref. 666A and 666AD. Designed by Albert Pellaton, they featured Cal. 852 and 8521, respectively, contained inside a soft iron cage to protect from magnetic fields up to 80,000 Amperes per meter. This was launched at the same year as its historic rival, Rolex Milgauss. IWC repurposed the case of the Mark XI pilots watch but were equipped with dauphine hands and an elegant dial with numerals at 12 and 6 and pointed bar markers for the other hours. Ref. 666AD added a date window at 3 00. The original Ingenieur was also water resistant to a depth of 100 Meters. A similar Ref. 766A and 766AD was also produced.

A new movement, Cal. 853/8531, was used starting in 1959. The reference numbers, 666 and 766, remained the same, with a few new references added in later years. This line had many variations over the years, all with a similar 36.6 mm case, but they would be phased out in 1967. During this period, IWC also changed reference numbering system, adding a prefix and suffix to denote case material and movement.

The Ingenieur line was updated in 1967 with more modern styling. Ref. 866 retained the same characteristics, with an anti-magnetic soft iron inner case along with water resistance. This style is the basis of the modern Ingenieur lineup. The case was enlarged slightly to 37 mm and 13.2 mm thick and the movement was again revised to become Cal. 854/8541. Reference numbers were again updated in 1971, so the Ref. 866A became Ref. 1908 while Ref. 866AD became Ref. 1808. These would remain in production through 1976.

Gérald Genta's Ingenieur SL

IWC Ingenieur from the 1970's (click to enlarge!)
IWC Ingenieur from the 1970's
© IWC

The Ingenieur brand was refreshed and advanced in 1976 with the launch of an all-new design penned by famed watch designer, Gérald Genta. This was a cushion case watch like his well-received Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, then a just few years old. It also resembled the contemporary Vacheron Constantin 222 and Omega Constellation, with which it competed. Genta designed three “SL” or “Steel Line” watches, of which only the Ingenieur was presented for sale.

Genta's Ingenieur SL Ref. 1832 featured a tonneau-shaped case with an integrated bracelet. The dial was surrounded by a screwed-in bezel with five “bores” to allow a tool to be attached, a signature styling element similar to the 8 through-screws on the Royal Oak. The guilloche dial had a checkerboard pattern said to resemble graph paper. The 40 mm case was considered extremely large at the time, giving this model the “Jumbo” nickname. Inside was IWC's anti-magnetic Cal. 8541B. At that time, IWC also produced a quartz version of Genta's Ingenieur design, Ref. 3003 with Cal. 2405. These models failed to achieve the success of the Royal Oak, and just 978 examples were produced.

The quartz model was updated in 1980 with the slimmer Cal. 2250, allowing the bulky case to be slimmed down to just 8 mm. This new Ref. 3303 was not much more successful, with only 369 examples sold in steel, gold, and diamond through 1985.

Lady Ingenieur models were also produced starting in 1980, with both 26 mm and 30 mm cases with quartz and automatic (F. Piguet) movements. These remained available through 1989, with a 25 mm titanium and yellow gold version introduced in 1983. A 32 mm titanium/yellow gold version for men was produced from 1984 through 1989.

In 1981, IWC introduced the quartz "Skinny" Ingenieur SL, Ref. 3305, which had a smaller case but still remained true to Genta's design. The 34 mm case was just 8.8 mm thick, bringing the watch down to more contemporary sizing. This was joined in 1983 by a "Skinny" automatic Ref. 3505. Lacking a compact-enough movement, IWC turned to ETA to supply the ETA 2892, finished to IWC specifications and known as Cal. 375.

The first complicated Ingenieur was introduced in 1985 A perpetual calendar module was added to become Cal. 3757 for the Ref. 9240 Ingenieur Perpetual. It used a 34.5 mm case similar to the “Skinny” model with a movement similar to the groundbreaking IWC Da Vinci. This model lasted, with some revisions to the movement and reference numbers, through 1992.

Another complication appeared in 1988, the Ref. 3734 Ingenieur Chronograph. This model used a petite 30 mm case, making it unisex for the time, thanks to the “Mechaquartz” Cal. 633 from Jaeger-LeCoultre. Versions would be produced for only a short time, with sales stopped by 1993.

Another major advance for the line came in 1989 with the introduction of an Ingenieur capable of withstanding 500,000 A/m without a soft iron cage. Instead Ref. 3508 had an escapement, balance wheel, and hairspring constructed of anti-magnetic materials like niobium-zirconium 25. Although advanced, these materials proved difficult to produce reliably. Just 3,000 examples of this petite 34 mm Ingenieur were made through 1992.

Most existing Ingenieur models were phased out starting in 1990, with a single model making up the bulk of the range for the next decade. IWC again turned to Jaeger-LeCoultre for a movement, equipping the new Ingenieur Officially Certified Chronometer Ref. 3521 with Cal. 889/2 between 1993 and 2000. The case was again 34 mm and 8.8 mm thick, the same dimensions as the “Skinny” Ingenieur of the previous decade.

The Ingenieur Chrono Alarm Ref. 3805 was the only other Ingenieur model available in the 1990s. Introduced in 1991, it used the Jaeger-LeCoultre Mechaquartz movement from the short-lived Ingenieur Chronograph but fitted in a more masculine 34 mm case. The wedge-shaped push buttons at 2 00 and 4 00 would become the form for future Ingenieur Chronograph watches in coming decades.

Big Ingenieurs

IWC Ingenieur Automatic (click to enlarge!)
IWC Ingenieur Automatic
© IWC

The Ingenieur line was refreshed in 2005 with an in-house movement, Cal. 80110. This Ingenieur Automatic, Ref. 3227 strongly recalled Genta's Ingenieur SL but was an all-new design in a 42.5 mm case. The stainless steel model, Ref. IW322701, was joined by a titanium-cased co-branded Mercedes AMG model, Ref. IW322702/IW322703. IWC also launched a smaller Ingenieur model that year, the "Midsize" Ref. 4515. It housed an ETA 2892A2-based Cal. 30110 inside a 34 mm by 10 mm case reminiscent of the “Skinny” Ingenieur of two decades earlier. Rounding out the new lineup was a next-generation Ingenieur Chronograph, Ref. 3725. The case was massively enlarged to 42.5 mm with large wedge-shaped pushbuttons to operate the Valjoux 7750-based Cal. 79350. The steel Ref. IW372501 was joined by titanium AMG models, Ref. IW372503/IW372503.

The titanium AMG models were a hit, as was the new angular Chronograph case. So IWC began launching larger and sportier pieces. The most important was the Ref. 5005 "Big" Ingenieur with its massive 45.5 mm case and 8-day Cal. 51113. This was joined by a "Big" Chronograph, Ref. 3784, with the in-house Cal. 89361. These fit the “big watch” trend of the time and began moving the line away from Genta's 1970's design. 2009's Ref. 3236 "Mission Earth" was even larger, with a bulky case but no extra complications.

Clearly the Ingenieur SL look was on the way out. So it came as no surprise when IWC replaced the primary Ingenieur Automatic model with something entirely different just three years after the big update. In 2008, IWC's Vintage series included a new Ingenieur Automatic, Ref. 3233 without a hint of Genta's design.

IWC Ingenieur Automatic Vintage 1955 (click to enlarge!)
IWC Ingenieur Automatic Vintage 1955
© IWC

Ceramic was in, as seen in Ref. 3234 with its ceramic bezel. But the 2011 Ref. 3765 Ingenieur Double Chronograph was the real breakthrough design. Gone was Genta's screw-down bezel, replaced by a 5-screw attachment system. This would be used on seven other references over the following years.

Mercedes-AMG

In 2013, IWC redesigned the entire Ingenieur line around the renewed Mercedes-AMG partnership, making all models up to the 2017 refresh technically part of this line. Although this partnership dated to 2004 the emergence of the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team created an opportunity for IWC, which was now a technical development partner of the team.

The main offering was now a less-expensive and smaller Ingenieur Automatic, Ref. 3239. The case was reduced to 40 mm but wedge-shaped crown guards reminiscent of the Big Ingenieur added to the visual bulk. Inside was IWC's Cal. 30110, a re-worked ETA 2892, since IWC still lacked a compact in-house movement. This was also the only anti-magnetic Ingenieur model of the era.

Like the F1 team, AMG introduced many models with exotic materials and design, including the Ref. 3224 Carbon Performance Ceramic, Ref. 3225 AMG Black Series Ceramic, and Ref. 3246 AMG GT. The complex Ref. 3792 Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month also included ceramic parts and reflected the racing/technical character, as did the new Ref. 3264 Dual Time Titanium and refreshed Ref. 3865 Double Chronograph Titanium. All of these featured the 5-screw bezel design first introduced in the Double Chronograph.

The crowning piece of the era was the Ref. 5900 Ingenieur Constant-Force Tourbillon. Not only was it the most complex (and expensive) Ingenieur ever, it was also the first hand-winding model to wear the name. Although it still had a 5-bore bezel and tonneau case like the Ingenieur SL, the Tourbillon no longer had a three-piece case. It would prove to be one of the last models to resemble Genta's signature design.

The Modern Ingenieur

The Ingenieur lineup was wiped clean again in 2017 with five new models introduced, none of which featured the Genta-style cushion case and five-bore bezel or the wedge-shaped crown guards and pushers of the Big Ingenieur. Gone too were the ceramic and titanium models that had been an Ingenieur hallmark since the 1980s. The Mercedes-AMG focus was almost entirely eliminated, with the partnership set to expire after 2018. Arabic numerals were also excised, with twin-bar markers placed around the dial instead. Even the Ingenieur name and logo disappeared from the faces of all but two models.

The new Ingenieurs resemble the 1967 Ref. 866 and 2008 Vintage model, with a round body and distinct tapered lugs. These elements were previewed a year earlier in the IWC Ingenieur Chronograph Edition 'Rudolf Caracciola' which also introduced the new Cal. 69370, versions of which would be used in all chronograph models.

The basic Ingenieur model is the Ingenieur Automatic, Ref. 3570 with a 40 mm case and Sellita SW 300-based Cal. 35111. This model was even less expensive than the cost-reduced Ref. 3239 of five years earlier, a reflection of the troubles facing the industry.

Three chronograph models were also produced. The Ingenieur Chronograph, Ref. 3808 with a 42.3 mm case and Cal. 69375 is the basic model, while the fancier Ingenieur Chronograph Sport, Ref. 3809 and Ref. 3812 feature a larger 44.3 mm case and Cal. 89361 and 69380.

The Ingenieur range is anchored at the top by the new Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month, Ref. 3817 with a 45 mm gold case, Cal. 89801, and price tag over $46,000.

Historic References

Note that every Ingenieur watch ever produced used either an automatic or quartz movement apart from the Ref. 5900 Ingenieur Constant-Force Tourbillon of 2013. Therefore, every Ingenieur watch could be called “Ingenieur Automatic” or “Ingenieur Quartz”. Despite this, the company has specifically applied these names to certain models and not to others.

Historic and modern Ingenieur watches have traditional watch cases with an integrated bezel. The 1976 Ref. 1832 Ingenieur SL introduced a screwed bezel with five distinctive “bores”, and this feature would be used on many models through 2012. In 2011 a new case was introduced with a bezel affixed with five screws. This was used for the Ref. 3765 Ingenieur Double Chronograph as well as the following other references 3224, 3225, 3246, 3264, 3765, 3792, 3796, 3865.

Simple Models

Complicated Models

Perpetual Calendar

Chronograph

Dual Time

Tourbillon

Current References

IWC's current Ingenieur line consists of a simple automatic model, a trio of chronographs, and a perpetual calendar model. None are styled like Genta's classic Ingenieur SL.

See Also

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