IWC Teamed Up With Pantone to Perfect the Summer Watch

Ever since the debut of the Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar Chronograph in the 1980s, the International Watch Company has been at the forefront of materials development in the watchmaking space. From 1994’s Ceramic Fliegerchronograph ref. 3705 to 2019’s Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium, IWC continues to innovate and develop technically advanced materials and produce them in-house. The results are incredible tool watches in all manner of unexpected colors, from blinding white to forest green. And the clincher? These watches aren’t coated using PVD or any other process — rather, materials such as the brand’s proprietary Ceratanium are colored during a firing process, resulting in a surface that won’t chip or scratch.

It was startling enough when IWC teased its first sand-colored pilot’s watch toward the end of 2018, a color they dubbed Mojave Desert. Since then, however, the brand has released its flieger models — a specific class of pilot’s watches — in all manner of wild shades that don’t exactly meld into the background.

Its latest piece, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Miramar, might just be better for the beach volleyball scene in Top Gun than the actual combat sequences. Housed in a 41.9mm ceramic case, it features a cool light-blue color developed in concert with Pantone. To achieve it, IWC mixes zirconium oxide with different metallic oxides in a specially defined ratio and then fires it in a kiln, during which it develops its remarkable shade.

The resulting hue is far from random. Inspired by the shade of blue worn by U.S. Navy Top Gun instructors, the watch is named after the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, which housed the fighter pilot program before its transfer to Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada. In addition to the blue case itself, the watch’s dial and rubber strap are executed in the same shade.

The case is a picture of military-inspired legibility. Featuring an outer minute track in white with luminous rectangular and triangular indices, it also boasts a triple-register chronograph layout with a 30-minute totalizer at 12 o’clock; a 12-hour totalizer at 9 o’clock; and a running seconds indicator at 6 o’clock, plus a day-date display at 3 o’clock. Its sword-shaped handset is also coated amply in Super-LumiNova for nighttime readability.

The Best Pilot’s Watches at Every Budget

They’re bold, legible and extremely versatile. And you don’t have to be a pilot to rock one.

Whereas IWC flieger watches were once powered by off-the-shelf Swiss movements from the likes of Valjoux, this model, the ref. IW389409, is powered by IWC’s automatic in-house cal. 69380 with column wheel, soft inner case for increased resistance to magnetism, and 46 hours of power reserve. The titanium caseback is inscribed with the Top Gun fighter pilot program logo and the watch’s limited-edition number out of 1,000 pieces.

At 41.9mm in diameter and 15.5mm tall, the Miramar is by no means a small watch, but with its bright blue color, 100m of water resistance, rubber strap and useful timing features, it’s perfect for summertime wear. Extra points to those who wear it while flying an F-18, of course.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Miramar

Diameter: 41.9mm
Movement: IWC cal. 69380 automatic
Water Resistance: 100m

Learn More : $13,500

Meet your guide

Oren Hartov

Oren Hartov writes about watches — and occasionally menswear, design, travel and other things — for InsideHook and other publications. He tries to blend his deep love of history with a fascination with horology, focusing on military watches, tool watches and the beautiful dress watches of the mid-20th century. A gigging musician, SCUBA diver and military veteran, he has a particular love for purpose-built timepieces such as the Rolex Submariner or Omega Speedmaster — but feels just at home writing about an elegant Patek Philippe Calatrava.