IWC Pilot "Top Gun" IW326901 ceramic automatic 41 mm Full Set 2022

The short story

Made since 2007, TOP GUN watches from the IWC manufacture owe their name to the U.S. Navy's "Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program." This program trains its best pilots in flying and tactics. The standards are incredibly high in naval aviation. During a sharp turn, for example, both the pilot and the aircraft are subjected to maximum acceleration forces. An engagement of several months on an aircraft carrier is also not without consequences for men and material. That is why TOP GUN watches are specially designed with robust materials such as ceramic and titanium to meet the specific needs of elite pilots. The matte black ceramic case, for example, ensures that pilots will not be disturbed by the reflection of the sun on their watch during a flight. Hard and scratch-resistant, ceramic is perfectly suited for daily use in the confines of a cockpit; it is also capable of withstanding extreme gravitational forces. Finally, ceramic and titanium are particularly resistant to corrosion as well as to moisture and salt-laden sea air.

For the record, IWC is the only watch brand with an official license to design watches for the US NAVY and the Marines - which includes TOP GUN, the Blue Angels Patrol as well as 247 active and 100 inactive squadrons. All IWC squadron watches are exclusively reserved for members - current or former - of the corresponding squadron and are personalized with the engraving of the owner's name and military designator.

Presentation

This IWC "Aviator's Watch Automatic TOP GUN" reference IW326901, was presented at the 2019 SIHH in Geneva and inherits all the know-how of the Manufacture in the design of aviation watches, the true DNA of the Schaffhausen brand!

This watch offers a black ceramic case with a diameter of 41 mm for 11.4 mm thick in the same stylistic line as the Big Pilot's. Its matte black dial is sleek, like all "Pilots watches", with luminescent Arabic numerals, a minute scale on the edge and the famous triangle at 12 o'clock. It's simple, clean and very legible, everything a pilot needs in the fast-paced environment of a fighter jet cockpit, with the added bonus of a date window at three o'clock! The hands are also ultra legible with plenty of luminescent material.

Finally, there is a titanium caseback with the famous TOP GUN logo engraved in the center, which hides the IWC 32110 manufacture caliber, a robust automatic movement that displays a 72-hour power reserve. As for the dial, it is protected by a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides, and the whole thing is dressed with a black NATO strap.

The Package

This 2022 IWC is in near mint condition and will be delivered to you Full Set, with its original case and all of its documents. This IW326901 has been authenticated and checked by our watchmakers and as such benefits from the Lepage Vintage 1 year warranty as well as the IWC warranty.