IWC introduces the Ingenieur Automatic 40 at the Watches and Wonders 2023 exhibition in Geneva. All the details, live photos and prices below.
Finally, we have what everybody has been waiting for. Over the last two years, I have constantly heard people asking for the relaunch of the Ingenieur model. Integrated sports watches have been in high demand for years already, yet for some reason, IWC did not introduce this famous Gerard Genta model earlier. But now it’s here and it looks really good.
In the 1970s, IWC Schaffhausen commissioned the renowned Geneva watch designer Gérald Genta to redesign the Ingenieur. The Ingenieur had originally been introduced in 1955. With the first automatic movement developed in Schaffhausen and a soft-iron inner case for magnetic field protection, this watch marked a technical milestone for IWC – also evident in the name Ingenieur, the word used in German and French for Engineer. With his unique artistic signature, Genta succeeded in giving the Ingenieur a new, highly distinctive visual identity. His Ingenieur SL, launched in 1976 as the talking piece of IWC’s SL collection of steel luxury watches, featured bold aesthetic codes such as a screw-on bezel with five recesses, a dial with a unique pattern, and an integrated H-link bracelet. With its innovative and disruptive design, the Ingenieur SL was ahead of its time. Today, Gérald Genta’s creation is a collector’s favourite and one of the most sought-after models from the history of IWC.
“With the new Ingenieur Automatic 40, the steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet returns to our portfolio. While taking inspiration from Gérald Genta’s Ingenieur SL from the 1970s, we invested a lot of time and effort into engineering a new automatic model with perfect case proportions and ergonomics, a high level of detail and finishing, and equipped with modern movement technology. The new Ingenieur Automatic 40 is a versatile luxury sports watch for the 21st century,”
Chris Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen.
The Ingenieur Automatic 40 is made of stainless steel, has a diameter of 40mm, and is available in three versions: with a black dial, a silver-plated dial, or an aqua dial. The lug-to-lug distance of 45.7 millimetres ensures perfect ergonomics and excellent wearability, even on a slender wrist.
One of the most striking changes of the new model is the introduction of functional, polygonal screws on its bezel. For the Ingenieur SL, a bezel with five recesses was screwed onto the case ring. As a result, the recesses ended up in a different position on each watch. With the Ingenieur Automatic 40, five screws secure the bezel to the case. The screws now have a technical function and, as a result, are always in the same position. In addition, the dial features a distinctive “Grid” structure, creating a balance to the technical and very sculptural case design. Consisting of small lines offset by 90 degrees to each other, it is stamped into the soft iron blank before it is galvanised. Finally, appliques with luminescence add additional depth and ensure easy legibility, even at night.
The Ingenieur Automatic 40 is powered by the IWC- manufactured 32111 calibre with an automatic pawl winding system and a power reserve of 72 hours. In keeping with the tradition of the Ingenieur, a soft-iron inner case protects the movement from the effects of magnetic fields on its accuracy. Moreover, the case is water-resistant to 10 bar, making the Ingenieur Automatic 40 a modern and fully versatile sports watch.
The price for the new Ingenieur Automatic 40 is 12,700 eur. All 3 models are available through selected IWC boutiques. Additionally, it is eligible for registration under the My IWC care program, benefitting from a 6-year extension to the standard 2-year International Limited Warranty.
IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40
| Watch | Ref. IW328901: Stainless steel case, black dial, rhodium-plated hands and appliques, integrated stainless steel bracelet with butterfly folding clasp Ref. IW328902: Stainless steel case, silver-plated dial, rhodium-plated hands and appliques, integrated stainless steel bracelet with butterfly folding clasp Ref. IW328903: Stainless steel case, aqua dial, rhodium-plated hands and appliques, integrated stainless steel bracelet with polished centre links and butterfly folding clasp |
Glass | Sapphire, convex, antireflective coating on both sides |
Water-resistant | 10 bar |
Diameter | 40 mm |
Height | 10.8 mm |
| Movement | IWC-manufactured calibre: 32111 Frequency: 28,800 vph / 4 Hz Power reserve: 72 h Winding: Automatic |
| Features | Mechanical movement – Date display – Central hacking seconds – Screw-in crown – Soft-iron inner case for magnetic field protection |
| Price | 12,700 eur |
More details about the new Ingenieur Automatic 40 on www.iwc.com
