IWC stick to its strategy to update each year a product line of its collection and has released the first info about the new range of the Aquatimer that will be officially unveiled at the SIHH 2014, later this month. The Aquatimer is the flagship of IWC watches in the world of professional diving and, with the new range, has been relaunched and dramatically upgraded. Three models are presented in this preview from the maison: the Aquatimer Automatic 2000, the Aquatimer Chronograph Edition "Galapagos Islands", the Aquatimer Chronograph Edition "Expedition Charles Darwin":
plus the “entry level” model 42mm wide in stainless steel and other versions of chronograph, not all in a limited series. Four are in our opinion the guidelines that have inspired the project Aquatimer 2014. Design: simpler, more high-tech and oriented towards professional diving, the source of inspiration is clearly the IWC Ocean 2000 by Porsche Design, a watch that made the recent history of diving watches, highly sought after by collectors:
that finds in the new IWC Aquatimer Automatic 2000 its natural successor. Tradition: the come-back of the Aquatimer series launched in 2004, with titanium for the case and scale placed on the inner flange (activated by rotating the bezel counterclockwise).
Manufacture: the progressive integration in the product range of in-house calibers, for both the non-complicated models or the top of the range. The IWC Aquatimer Automatic 2000 for example is powered by the caliber 80110 made in-house, with Pellaton winding system.
Whilst the Aquatimer Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month is the equivalent in the range of the ultra-complicated Aquatimer to the Ingenieur or the Pilot, powered by 89801 caliber with perpetual calendar and digital indication of day and month. Materials: for the first time ever, bronze is used for the case of a Aquatimer. Already used by sister company Panerai for an equally limited run of its Submersible, bronze has the feature to oxidize with time, and as it does so in a different manner from watch to watch, it makes each Aquatimer Chronograph Edition" Charles Darwin Expedition"…unique!
Looking forward to photo-shooting them live at the SIHH 2014 in late January.
(Photo credit: Google, courtesy of IWC)
Gaetano C. @Horbiter®
@Gaetano Cimmino
