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When IWC launched an updated version of their Ingenieur at Watches & Wonders 2023, it was a moment that many observers of the brand had been anticipating for years. After years spent building up their Pilot collection, there was a sense in the community that some of their sportier offerings were being ignored. It was only a matter of time, we all assumed, before the Ingenieur or perhaps the Aquatimer received an overhaul and the same type of years-long collection rehab as the beloved Pilot. It’s a little curious, then, that things in the Ingenieur collection have been somewhat quiet for so long. No additional complications, case materials, or even dial variants have been launched outside of the core lineup until the announcement of the new blue Ingenieur this week.
The new dial in blue paired with a stainless steel case and bracelet joins the black, silver, and “Aqua” dials as well as the still rarely seen gray titanium version. It fills out the collection nicely and you would be forgiven for thinking it already existed. It’s not a revolutionary update or anything as these things go, but merely provides collectors with another option – a fundamentally good thing in our view.
It’s interesting to consider the place of the Ingenieur in today’s watch world over a year removed from its reintroduction. This watch is a fascinating case study in the “it’s too expensive” climate of hot takes about literally any new watch that’s introduced. It’s become something of a joke among many of us that no watch, no matter the price point, is considered too expensive by someone upon release, usually an anonymous commenter on Instagram posting from a private profile. The Ingenieur, in a lot of ways, feels like ground zero for this phenomenon, with a simple movement, stamped dial, and a five figure price tag that puts it both well above and significantly under many obvious comps.
I am not an Ingenieur owner, but I’ve spent enough time with them since their release to get a pretty decent sense of the overall quality of the watch. Here’s what I’ll say: I’ve never heard anyone who cares a lot about the quality of a bracelet tell me that the Ingenieur is too expensive. It’s completely fair, in my view, to say that you might not be getting your money’s worth on the originality of the design, the dial, and most certainly the movement, but IWC has built a world class bracelet for this Ingenieur, and I don’t think there’s much room for debate on that point. The finishing, articulation, and overall comfort (assuming you can get it dialed in for your wrist size) are all second to none.
That said, if you’re not really a bracelet person (and an integrated bracelet person at that) it’s easy to see how a look at the Ingenieur, on paper, could leave you scratching your head, or leaving comments on Instagram posts with the “money flying away” emoji. And I’ll be upfront and admit that this isn’t a watch that holds much appeal to me, personally, either. But it’s an undeniably well made thing, and now there’s another version for prospective owners who prefer a more lively color palette. Too expensive? If you’re cross shopping it with your idea of a “generic lower five figure sports watch” it might be. But comparison is the thief of joy, and I don’t think any other integrated bracelet sports watch offers exactly what the Ingenieur does, anyway.
You will not be surprised to learn that the specs of the blue dialed Ingenieur match those of the other variants exactly, which means you get a 40mm case, caliber 32111 (with five days of power reserve) and water resistance up to 100 meters. The blue coloring on the dial is achieved through a PVD process, and the movement is covered by a soft iron inner case that shields it from the effects of magnetic fields (the movement is also made with components bearing anti-magnetic properties).
The retail price is also unchanged from the stainless steel examples, and sits at $11,700. IWC
