Introduction
We know how much Gérald Genta’s influence changed the watch industry in the seventies. IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 is the re-edition of one of the masterpieces created in that period by the master of design, the man who essentially invented the steel sports watch and a series of models that today cover the largest share of collectors’ interest and enthusiasts. It was the crisis of that historical period of watchmaking that gave birth to a new category of watches, of which IWC Replica Ingenieur became a noble representative.
The first Ingenieur debuted in 1955, as the brand’s first antimagnetic watch, equipped with a soft iron case inserted around the movement to protect it as much as possible from the influence of magnetic fields. Although the reference 666 is the forerunner of the collection, only in 1976 did the Ingenieur become part of the small group of luxury steel sportsmen and this last reference remained forever imprinted in our imagination.
The reference 1832 SL was introduced in 1976 and, although it received a lukewarm welcome, like other sports watches designed by Genta in their embryonic commercial phase, time has taken its course and it is today one of the most desired vintage sports watches with prices approaching 40,000 euros. The Ingenieur 1832 SL model is still highly sought after and it is from this example that the designers were inspired to officially return to the segment of sports watches with integrated bracelet, a category that in our opinion they have left uncovered for too long.
The Ingenieur Automatic 40 mm collection
The re-edition operation confirms a broad project within the manufacture; the 40 mm size is back in vogue in Schaffhausen as demonstrated by the recent presentation of the Portofino Perpetual Calendar and reverses a trend that has understandably seen IWC focus on models from the Pilot’s Watches collection and on generally larger sizes. The new IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 brings the center of gravity back to an era more in line with the vision brought by the great Günter Blümlein and to a more classic watchmaking which we hope will permanently fill the brand’s catalogues.
The designers have reinterpreted the original 1832 SL in a very faithful way, creating a watch with clean lines, perfectly unisex, with an H-shaped link and bracelet integrated into the case. In redesigning it, designers and technicians did not commit excessive nostalgia although they could have given the exceptional relevance of the original lines; rather they dressed the watch with decidedly modern features such as the crown protection shoulders, already present on relatively recent editions such as Ingenieur Mission Earth, for example.
In the same way, the edge of the case rotated towards the bracelet in the area of the lugs has been preserved, an aesthetic motif whose objective is to enhance the best possible adhesion to the wrist. If we exclude these references to the most recent creations, the new IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 aim to recover the spirit of the famous progenitor, which is clearly perceived, with some further updating.
The screws on the bezel are no longer an aesthetic feature but play a functional role, now helping to secure the bezel to the case, and they are all perfectly oriented. The grid motif or “damier” if you prefer (it is the term that best describes it in our opinion) returns and in a more evident geometry than in the past. There are three colors available: white, black (like the original) and a new shade called Aqua, which recalls the AMG Petronas colors, and which we only saw in images before the fair. It’s our favorite at the moment.