IWC famously pioneered the use of both titanium and ceramics as watchmaking materials as early as the 1980s. In 2017, the Schaffhausen-based watchmaker melded the most desirable attributes of both materials in a new, proprietary substance called Ceratanium, debuting it on a model from its Aquatimer dive watch family. Since then, IWC has expanded the use of Ceratanium throughout its portfolio, most recently and most notably in its flagship Pilot’s Watches. The latest two examples hail from the “performance-oriented” Top Gun sub-family of the Pilot’s Watch collection, and each represents a first for the brand. Here is the lowdown on the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Ceratanium and Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Top Gun Ceratanium.
This Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Ceratanium represents the first use of the innovative Timezoner complication in a watch from IWC’s Top Gun range. The case, of course, is made of Ceratanium, the proprietary lightweight material that boasts the structural integrity of titanium along with the exceptional scratch-resistance of ceramic and offers a matte, jet-black surface color suitable for the “tactical” design of the Top Gun family. The case measures 46 mm in diameter and 15.1 mm thick, with a ceramic city ring with 24 cities (one for each of the world’s primary time zones) and a black dial with gray-printed numerals. The case?s screw-down crown helps ensure a 60-meter water...