Table of Contents
Introduction
The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun is among the Pilot’s Watch collection’s most wanted watches, which IWC has released in multiple variants, either with a military livery or a motorsport edition, as exemplified by the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One team collab watches.
With IWC finally introducing the new track-ready Performance Chronograph 41, the Chronograph 41 Top Gun collection is almost exclusively associated with the Top Gun U.S. Navy elite team, which makes sense from a product placement point of view.
The connection with the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School
We seldom highlight IWC’s clever strategy to sign an agreement with the U.S. Navy and the Miramar-based Fighter Weapons School (the elite squadron has ever since moved to Fallon, Nevada) and, despite eagerly awaiting IWC to release a commercial model carrying the official patch logo (currently exclusively reserved to the instructors), the Top Gun logo makes every piece unique in the industry’s scenario and as attractive to lovers of all things military.
The Pilot’s Watch Top Gun Mojave Desert and Oceana
Built on the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph’s latest-gen core 41 mm case, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert and Oceana are essentially the same watch, yet they showcase slightly different identities. The former extends the much-appreciated Mojave collection, whose colours make it a first choice if you’re craving contemporary military-inspired timepieces with U.S. Navy pedigree.
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert
Initially introduced at Watches and Wonders 2021, the Mojave Desert collection hit the market with the Big Pilot’s Watch and the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar.
Equipped with a “soft touch” beige ceramic case, these two Pilot’s Watches hold an unmistakable military DNA and come standard with a very refined rubber and nylon strap with a folding clasp; ceramics help lower the watch’s weight as much as it mitigates their overall size.
The new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert extends the collection and replicates the successful Mojave formula on the more accessible three-register chronograph.
Paired with the ceramic mid-case are titanium pushers, crown and case back, the latter emblazoned with the legendary Top Gun logo. Like it or not, this watch is a unicorn among three-counter sports chronographs.
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Oceana
It’s the same watch, yet with a different colour scheme. The reference IW389404 is a Top Gun Chrono, too, and further builds on the partnership with Pantone, whose collaboration kicked off in 2022 under the “The Colors of TOP GUN” project, aimed at offering the new 41 mm chrono in countless coloured ceramic options.
The Oceana Blue takes inspiration from the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers’ onboard personnel’s suits.
The strap here is a mixture of rubber (on the inside) and denim (on the outside). The Mojave and the Oceana straps sport a small, easy-to-close titanium pin buckle. Such a clasp is a nod to the never-forgotten Flieger Chronograph, too.
The technical specifications
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert IW 389402 and Oceana 389404 share the same technical specs. The case measures 41.9 mm across and 15.5 mm in thickness.
Engineering a ceramic watch requires oversizing the original 41.0 mm and 14.5 mm, which you’ll find on a stock Pilot’s Watch Chrono in steel since the production process and the Performance are different. Ceramic is scratch-proof but less resilient than any metal. The design process is, therefore, delicate, as engineers must address the correct geometry-to-thickness ratio.
The IWC 69385 calibre is powering both watches; it’s a 4 Hz column-wheel equipped with a movement capable of running for 46 hours when fully wound, showcasing Côtes de Genève decorated bridges. It is covered by a solid titanium case back, given the “heavy duty” watch’s allure.
Final thoughts
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert IW 389402 and Oceana 389404 cost 13,000 Euros each and are among the most expensive Pilot’s Watch Chronographs on sale. The ceramic-to-titanium combo and the Top Gun livery make them an exclusive choice.
Also, they will be produced in volumes smaller than their steel counterpart, which makes them even more exclusive.
We’d go for a more vital differentiation factor from a design standpoint by replacing the current day and date window with the aircraft-inspired altimeter-shaped day display window found in the older collection.
(Photo credit: Horbiter®)
Giovanni Di Biase @Horbiter®
