Matt Clymo 
IWC has long been known for their use of ceramics, and it was only a matter of time before the iconic Ingenieur received the ceramic treatment.
The year was 1986. Ceramics had been around for almost 25 years as the first Tungsten Carbide, (a form of ceramic), watch was released in 1962, but the material wasn’t widely used due to the complexity and delicacy of producing it, and not at all in any colours than the ceramic colour itself. However, in 1986, IWC produced the first wristwatch made with a black zirconium oxide ceramic case – the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 3755. It was the first step into a now almost 40-year-long obsession with ceramics, and since then, IWC has become one of the best in the business at working with ceramic and composite forms of it – like their proprietary Ceratanium that fuses the strength and lightness of both ceramic and titanium, or Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC), that is found on the Big Pilot’s Watch AMG G 63 (Ref. IW506201).
So it stands to reason that their iconic sports watch, the Ingenieur, would at long last get the ceramic treatment, and I can say having spent some time with the watch, they’ve done a great job with it. Introducing the new IWC Ingenieur Automatic 42 Black Ceramic.
IWC has crafted this piece from black zirconium oxide ceramic, an extremely hard and scratch-resistant ceramic that is sintered at high temperatures over two phases to ensure the ceramic is hard and flawless. IWC has then finished the Ingenieur off in a beautiful satin-brushed finish that gives the entire watch an almost glossy look without being high polished. The effect makes the ceramic silky to touch as well, which adds to the luxury of the piece. They’ve achieved this by satin-brushing the ceramic case, then sand-blasting it to give the brushing that smooth glossy effect. The edges are then polished, with the same techniques applied to the bracelet and link edges so both the case and bracelet play with the light.
The watch has been enlarged slightly, from the conventional 40mm. Now sized at 42mm and according to IWC, done in perfect proportions, the entire watch is 5% larger than its steel counterpart in every aspect, so the ratios are all in sync and retain the classic look and feel on the wrist you come to expect from the Ingenieur. But don’t let the size increase fool you. Due to the lightness of the ceramic, and as well know black is slimming, this piece doesn’t feel any larger on the wrist than the 40mm steel model. You need to compare them side by side to really see it.
From a construction standpoint, as mentioned, this Ingenieur ceramic is in exact proportions as the 40mm, and to achieve this, IWC has constructed the case in three parts – the case back, case ring (middle) and bezel all in ceramic are fitted together and secured with screws from both the back and the front. On top of this, Instead of being held by a titanium ring, the sapphire crystals on the front and the back are pressed directly into the ceramic parts which assists in the watch being in perfect proportions.
Inside the watch beats the IWC-manufactured 82110 calibre. This calibre is slightly different to the 32111 Calibre found in the 40mm as IWC has elected to not drop the current smaller-sized movement into the larger case. Instead, they have used the 82110 which is similar to the 82100 found in the Big Pilot 43mm but with the date functionality added at 3 o’clock for the Ingenieur, and the same calibre used in some Aquatimer models. The core difference is the power reserve, which in this model is 60 hours compared to the 120 hours in the Ingenieur 40. While this does sound like a back step somewhat, 60 hours is still plenty for you to take off and not wear for a couple of days and only an issue if you’ve a decent collection where you only will wear it occasionally, or don’t have a watch winder.
However, what the watch may lack in power, it makes up for in looks. IWC has given the ceramic treatment to the movement as well with the automatic wheel and the clicks are made of black ceramic, while the rotor bearing is made of white ceramic to eliminate wear. The Calibre 82110 beats at 4Hz / 28,800 VpH and has the Pellaton winding system which allows the rotor to deliver power to the barrel in each direction.
Initial Thoughts
As I mentioned at the start, the move from IWC in making the Ingenieur a ceramic is a good move. It adds to the 2025 releases and the collection that is now building out. The 42mm, while enhanced from 40mm may not be to some people’s liking, but I’ll say from my experience with the piece, it wears smaller than the paper specs suggest. This is enhanced by the case thickness at 11.6mm and the lightness of the ceramic case.
The finishing is something of note here. The combination of the satin brushing, sandblasting and high polish really makes this piece come to life, and while it is a very monochromatic watch, the light play makes it anything but “just a black watch”. It will look new for many years to come thanks to the zirconium oxide ceramic and for now, I’m wondering, is this just the start of a new era for the Ingenieur? I hope so!
Reference: IW338903
Specifications:
- Dimensions: 42mm case diameter x 11.6mm thick
- Case Material: Satin brushed, sandblasted and polished ceramic
- Dial: Black with a checkerboard pattern
- Water resistance: 100m (10 Bar)
- Movement: Automatic Cal. 82110 movement, beating at 4Hz (28,800 VpH) and pivoting on 22 jewels
- Power reserve: 60 hours
- Bracelet: Satin brushed, sandblasted and polished ceramic with butterfly clasp
