IWC have recently been promoting their ‘Colours of Top Gun’ concept whereby they take some of their signature watches and reimagine them in ceramic cases of various colours. Interestingly IWC cite this project as starting in 2022 with the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Lake Tahoe and Woodland Green, but actually they’ve been doing this for a lot longer than that. Back in 2021 they released the brown ceramic Top Gun Mojave Desert Big Pilot’s Watch and Perpetual Calendar and it’s this colourway that they’re revisiting today with the new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert.
The case is much as you’d expect it to be if you’ve come across any of IWC’s colourful ceramic watches in the past. The Chronograph 41 Mojave Desert has a lovely matte finish that gives it an incredible smoothness and the colour is even across the entire surface. Speaking of colour, it’s khaki brown inspired by the desert environment that gives the watch its name and the desert fatigues worn by military personnel. Another thing to note with the case is that it measures 41.9mm in diameter, which is not that common of a size in IWC’s ceramic chronographs. In fact, it’s only the third one.
The dial is very reminiscent of those previous Mojave editions. A dark brown base provides a background for the khaki numerals, scales and hands. While it’s not so high contrast as a traditional white on black pilot’s watch display, it’s still very legible and it’s easy to read the chronograph subdials – those subdials are a 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock, a 12-hour counter at 9 and small seconds at 6. The chronograph complication itself is controlled by the duo of ceratanium pushers flanking the ceratanium crown.
Beneath the desert-y surface of the watch is housed the IWC-manufactured Calibre 69380. It’s an automatic piece with a 46-hour power reserve that’s protected from magnetic fields by the watch’s soft-iron inner case, just what you want in a pilot’s watch.
It’s priced at £10,500, which is the same as the Lake Tahoe and Woodland Green despite those watches being larger and is also the same price as the other ceramic Chronograph 41 models. It’s a solid addition to the “Colours of Top Gun” range and nice to see that the Mojave Desert colourway hasn’t been forgotten about.
Price and Specs:
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Mojave Desert
IW389402
41.9mm diameter x 15.5mm thickness, beige ceramic case
Brown
100m (10 bar)
IWC calibre 69380, automatic, 33 jewels
28,800 vph (4 Hz)
46h
Hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph
Beige rubber with textile inlay and titanium pin buckle
£10,500
More details at IWC.
Oracle Time