IWC has been developing and building watches for pilots for 85 years. Originally inspired by cockpit instruments, these wristwatches are still regarded today as robust, precise, functional and reliable. And they have long since ceased to be solely for professional pilots. Rather, its unmistakable appearance makes an IWC Pilot’s Watch a trendy “tool watch,” i.e., a genuinely practical tool, which you can use to master many situations in everyday life.

In 1936, IWC introduced its first Pilot’s Watch. It had a rotating bezel with a tapered hand for marking a departure time. This Pilot’s Watch encased hand-wound Caliber 83, which was equipped with an antimagnetic escapement.

In the late 1930s, IWC developed a professional watch for pilots for the German Air Force with a satin-finished steel case and a diameter of 55 mm. Other features included an easy-grip winding crown, a black dial with luminescent numerals and hands, a stop-seconds function and a long leather strap so the watch could be worn over a flight suit. Each timepiece also had to meet the test conditions of the German naval observatory, which measured the timekeeping in six positions and at three different temperatures. Powered by hand-wound Caliber 52 T.S.C., this timepiece, as well as identical models made by the German watch manufacturers A. Lange & Söhne, Laco, Stowa and Wempe, played a decisive role in shaping the design of the genre of the pilots’ watch.

The Mark 11 debuted in 1948 and soon became a real cult watch. Many aircraft captains relied on this timekeeper, which had a softiron inner case, which protected Caliber 89 against magnetic fields up to an intensity of 80,000 amps per meter. Many subsequent generations of the “Mark” were patterned after this model.

IWC continued its tradition of pilots’ watches in 1988 with a Pilot’s Chronograph based on the ETA/Valjoux’s Caliber 7750, a mass produced, automatic movement that has already proven its mettle in millions of watches. Modified and assembled by the experts in Schaffhausen, this caliber ticked for many years inside IWC Pilot’s Chronographs, including various special editions and models with split-seconds complications. But newly designed manufacture calibers in the 69000 series are now gradually replacing chronograph movements based on the ETA/Valjoux 7750.

New 69000 Caliber Family Replaces the ETA/Valjoux 7750 

The 69000 caliber family was developed over a period of four years and made its debut with Caliber 69375 inside the Chronograph Ingenieur in 2017. Caliber 69380 arrived two years later in the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Spitfire. Now, after another two years, Caliber 69385 powers the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41, which belongs to the Standard Collection and was given this name because there are other unusual models, such as the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition “Antoine de Saint- Exupéry” or the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Ceratanium, that encase Calibers 79320 and 79420. These numbers refer to the corresponding ETA/Valjoux 7750 basic caliber. You can tell the difference immediately with a quick glance at the dial. The ETA/Valjoux 7750-based calibers have their subdial for the seconds at the 9 and the chronograph’s counter for up to 12 elapsed hours at the 6, while the positions of these two indicators are reversed on the dials of watches that encase the calibers in the 69000 series.

A Chronograph Movement Designed To be Robust and Suitable for Everyday Use 

On the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 with green dial, our test watch, the progress of the seconds is shown with a small red hand on a subdial at 6 o’clock. The red color makes it easy to distinguish this seconds hand from the chronograph’s elapsed-time hands. When the chronograph is switched on, the elapsing seconds are shown with a slender steel needle at the center of the dial, while the elapsing minutes are tallied on a subdial at 12 o’clock. The small white hand for the elapsed minutes advances position farther along each time the elapsedseconds hand passes its zero position, i.e., every 60 seconds. As stated earlier, the elapsed hours are counted on a subdial 9 o’clock, where an identical small white hand advances slowly and continuously. This hand’s gradual progress indicates that it is powered by the same basic construction in Caliber 69000 as in ETA/Valjoux’s Caliber 7750. But there are a few differences. After all, the automatic column-wheel chronograph movement is a modern, newly designed caliber.

Manufacture Caliber 69385 inside the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 consists of 231 individual components and, like every IWC Pilot’s Watch, was designed with a focus on robustness, reliability and precision. This is also why the chronograph, which can be used to tally intervals of up to 12 hours’ duration, is controlled by a column wheel. This complex component with two functional levels remains a challenge to manufacture, although modern design and production methods make the processes involved in its fabrication easier today.

A traditional rocking pinion alternately couples and uncouples the going-train from the chronograph. The energy, on the other hand, is provided by a modern, double-acting, self-winding system with a pawl. But this is not the winding system that’s named after IWC’s former engineer Albert Pellaton, which is still used in the calibers of the 89000 series. Rather, the bidirectional click winding system installed here results from a recent development within the Richemont Group. This innovative system efficiently converts kinetic energy from the motions of the wearer’s wrist into tension for the mainspring, which provides a 46-hour power reserve when fully wound. This is not an unusually long running autonomy by today’s standards as contemporary chronograph calibers often offer greater power reserves. For example, the ETA/ Valjoux movement, modernized to Caliber A05, offers 60 hours, as does the updated El Primero 3600 or Caliber 9900 in Omega’s Master Chronometer. Breitling’s Caliber B01 offers 70 hours and Heuer’ Calibre 02 provides 80 hours of power autonomy.

The frequency of the balance can be finely adjusted by shifting the position of the regulator. This is a simpler method than turning eccentric screws along the balance’s rim as is done in Caliber 89000, but IWC opted for the less complex variation because the company wanted to add a less expensive caliber to this series. Several thousand dollars separate the prices of models encasing different calibers.

Caliber 69385 keeps time quite respectably. Our wearing test measured an average daily gain of 3.5 seconds. We were pleased to see that neither the rate behavior nor the amplitudes deviated significantly when the chronograph was running. With the stopwatch function activated, the average daily gain was 1.8 seconds and the amplitudes hovered around 285 degrees.

The New Chronograph Maintains IWC’s Pilot’s Watch Heritage 

A gaze through the window of sapphire crystal in the screw-in back of the case, which now resists pressures up to 10 bar (compared to the former pressure resistance of 6 bar), shows the typical features and finishings of IWC’s calibers, for example, circular graining, circular grinding in Geneva-wave style, and satin finishing on the skeletonized rotor with the well-known engraving: “Probus Scafusia.”

This promise of quality, which was used as early as 1903 and means “Proven from Schaffhausen,” is also implemented in the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41, this new addition to IWC’s popular portfolio of established Pilot’s Watches. No matter how you look at this chronograph, it reflects the typical DNA of an IWC Pilot’s Watch. The stainless-steel case, measuring 40.85 mm in diameter and 14.55 mm in height, is mostly satin finished. Only the steep and narrow bezel has a bit of high gloss shine and is the sole exception to the norm that IWC Pilot’s Watches have upheld since the 1930s.

The round chronograph pushers, which run through bushings, and the large threaded crown are unmistakable. Thanks to the crown’s deep knurling, it is easy to to unscrew. The crown slides into its withdrawn positions with secure latching points; a bit of pressure returns it safely to its inserted position. When the crown has been withdrawn to its middle position, the date and the day of the week can be smoothly reset by turning the crown clockwise or counterclockwise. When the watch is running, the calendar indications “creep” toward their next settings between 11:25 p.m. and 12:10 a.m. The day of the week changes first, followed by the date. Both the switching operations and the positioning of the calendar display at the 3 recall the past, when the ETA/Valjoux caliber was used.

A Perfect Pilot, Even with A Green Dial 

Thanks to column-wheel control, the buttons for the chronograph function have secure pressure points and move surprisingly evenly. Triggering the stopwatch function starts the slender elapsedseconds hand, which sweeps smoothly along the bold scale on the edge of the dial. However, while the indexes and Arabic numerals are eye-catching and amply dimensioned, only the three larger markers at the 3, 6 and 9 are luminous, as are the orientation triangle and its two dots at the 12 as well as the lance-like, rhodium-plated hour and minute hands for the main time display from the dial’s center. This matches the typical luminous arrangement on IWC’s other Pilot’s Watches, although the numerous white markers here might lead to the mistaken conclusion that all 12 hour markers glow in the dark.

In daylight, all 12 markers contrast excellently with the currently popular glossy green sunburst dial, which explains why the dial is very easy to read on the whole. Depending on how the light falls, the color of the dial varies from a luminous green to almost black and sometimes only the circular-grained counters appear black, thus creating a contrast with the otherwise green background. The excellent readability that always distinguishes IWC’s Pilot’s Watches is further improved by the slightly domed sapphire crystal, which sometimes gives the impression that it is not there, thanks to antireflective coating on both its upper and its lower surface.

The EasX-Change system is new, but has already proven its merits. This innovative solution eliminates the task of fiddling with the wristband’s crosspieces or even taking a trip to the jeweler when you want to change one wristband with another. Applying slight downward pressure on the metal clamps at the reinforced ends of the strap releases the clamps from the crosspieces and makes it easy to remove the two halves of the strap. An audible “click” signals the successful insertion of a new wristband, and that’s all there is to it. Options include calfskin and rubber straps in various colors, as well as a new, slender, stainless-steel bracelet with an integrated system to finely adjust its length. Attached to the familiar brown calfskin strap that tapers slightly about two centimeters beyond the strap lugs and has contrasting colored stitching and an angular pin buckle, the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 with its green dial proves to be a perfect IWC Pilot’s Watch.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Specs:

Manufacturer: IWC Schaffhausen, Baumgartenstrasse 15, 8201 Schaffhausen, Switzerland 

Reference number: IW388103 

Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds subdial, weekday, date, chronograph (central elapsedseconds hand, counters for up to 60 elapsed minutes and 12 elapsed hours) 

Movement: IWC 69385 based on Caliber family 69000, automatic, 28,800 vph, 33 jewels, Incabloc shock absorption, fine adjustment via bipartite regulator, Glucydur balance, 46-hour power reserve, diameter = 30.0 mm, height = 7.90 mm 

Case: Stainless steel with domed sapphire crystal above the dial with anti-reflective coating on both sides and secured against sudden loss of pressure, sapphire crystal in the caseback, water resistant to 100 m 

Strap and clasp: Brown calfskin strap with pin buckle 

Rate results: Deviation in seconds per 24 hours (Fully wound / after 24 hours)

Dimensions: Diameter = 40.85 mm, height = 14.55 mm, weight = 110.0 g 

Variations: With blue dial and calfskin strap (Ref. IW388101, $6,500); with blue dial and stainless-steel bracelet (Ref. IW388102, $7,200); with green dial and stainlesssteel bracelet (IW388104, $7,200)

Scores:

Strap and clasp (max. 10 points): Rustic, high quality, leather strap matches the Pilot’s Watch style, practical system for changing wristbands, various strap options. 9

Case (10): A simple, classic case in IWC’s familiar Pilot’s Watch style, anti-reflective crystals, screw-down crown. 8

Dial and hands (10): Dial in trendy green; the DNA of IWC’s Pilot’s Watches has been preserved in the bold numerals, hands and indexes. 9

Design (15): The watch’s entire design follows IWC’s characteristic Pilot’s Watch style. 14

Legibility (5): Easy to read thanks to the large typeface, strong contrasts and anti-reflective crystal, nighttime luminosity follows the IWC Pilot’s Watch DNA. 5

Operation (5): Easy to use screw-down crown, the pressure points of the push-pieces are very uniform, perfect strap changing system.

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Rattrapante chronographs, also referred to as split-seconds chronographs, are a type of chronograph with two seconds hands that allow for the ability to time multiple simultaneous events, such as runners during a race. It can also time a series of events, such as the laps a single person makes on a track. One of the hands, the so-called “rattrapante” hand, sits either directly on top of or underneath the main chronograph hand. The rattrapante hand is started and returns to zero simultaneously with the main chronograph hand. A special push-piece and an additional mechanism make it possible for the rattrapante hand to be repeatedly stopped (so that split times can be read) and then instantly brought in to renewed synchrony with the main chronograph hand by flying back to catch up with it. (“Rattrapanter” is French for “to catch again” or “to take again.”) All this occurs without affecting the motion of the main chronograph hand. Over the past few years, we’ve seen the split-second chronograph trending upward as more and more brands of all sizes add the complication to their arsenal. Here’s a selection of some noteworthy rattrapante chronographs on the market today.

F.P. Journe Chronograph Monopoussoir Rattrapante

F.P. Journe Chronographe Monopoussoir Rattrapante

At SIHH 2018, F.P. Journe debuted the Chronograph Monopoussoir Rattrapante. You may remember F.P. Journe’s contribution to the Only Watch auction back in November 2017, which was constructed from titanium and sold for CHF 1.15 million (an auction record for an F.P. Journe timepiece). That was the inspiration for this release, with the biggest difference coming from the addition of a big date complication. The watch introduced manual-winding Caliber 1518, a monopusher split-second chronograph movement with a hearty 80-hour power reserve and direct gearing with a rocking pinion to avoid the jumping of the hand when starting the chronograph function. The watches differ from each other thanks to their colorful dials and case materials. Price: CHF 58,000 in titanium; CHF 78,000 in platinum.

IWC Portugieser Rattrapante Chronograph

IWC Portugieser Rattrapante Chronograph “Boutique Geneva”

In 2017, IWC released a series of limited-edition Portugieser Rattrapante Chronographs to be sold exclusively at a selection of its boutique locations around the world. These locations included Geneva, Munich, Paris, Milan and Toronto/Vancouver, with each watch featuring a specific aesthetic to appeal to its targeted audience. Our favorite of these models during their initial release was the “Boutique Genève” edition (Ref. IW371221) that was limited to 50 total pieces and included an engraving of the title of Geneva’s 1602 anthem, Cé qu’è lainô, on its caseback. IWC introduced its first rattrapante chronograph to the Portugieser collection in 1995 when Richard Habring developed a split-seconds module for the iconic Valjoux 7750 movement. It uses a push-button at 10 o’clock to control the movement of the upper hand, while the lower hand is managed by the pusher at 2 o’clock. More recently, IWC released the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Ceratanium in the lead-up to SIHH 2019.

Breitling Navitimer B03 Rattrapante Chronograph

Breitling Navitimer 1 B03 Rattrapante-45 Boutique Edition

Breitling introduced its Navitimer 1 B03 Rattrapante 45, outfitted with the brand’s first in-house split-seconds chronograph movement, in 2017. At 2018’s Breitling Summit in London, the brand unveiled a new limited version with a “Stratos Gray” dial, available for sale exclusively at the brand’s 70 boutiques worldwide. The timepiece’s boldly proportioned, 45-mm case is made of stainless steel and is outfitted with a convex, double-nonreflective-coated sapphire crystal over the dial. The three dark gray-toned subdials (30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock, 12-hour chronograph counter at 6 o’clock, and small seconds at 9 o’clock) pop against the sleek background of the main dial. The split-seconds pusher is embedded in the 3 o’clock crown. Caliber B03’s modular architecture is built upon the base Caliber B01, Breitling’s first manufacture movement, which is equipped with automatic winding, date indication, an integrated 1/4- second chronograph function, and a 70-hour power reserve. The split-seconds module added to this high-performance horological engine is comprised of only 28 parts, and is fitted between the mainplate and calendar mechanism. Limited to just 250 pieces, the Navitimer 1 B03 Rattrapante 45 Boutique Edition in Stratos Gray is priced at $12,000.

Patek Philippe Ref. 5372P Grand Complication

Patek Philippe Ref. 5372P Grand Complication

The Patek Philippe Ref. 5372P Grand Complication in platinum was an evolutive release for the legendary independent watchmaking firm when it was announced in 2017. It represented the next phase of the brand’s iconic range of split-seconds chronographs, last updated in 2012 with the contemporary classic Ref. 5204. The 5372P maintains the complementary perpetual calendar functionality, while heightening the complexity of the rattrapante mechanism by making it into a monopusher. The layout of the dial is transformed as well with the chronograph counters at 3 and 9 o’clock flanked by apertures showing the month and day of week, respectively. The date wheel is placed in a subdial at 6 o’clock while the moon-phase has been relocated to 12 o’clock. Small windows on both sides of the date wheel indicate leap year and day/night. The diameter shrinks slightly as well, now coming in at 38.2 mm compared to 40.2 mm for the Ref. 5204. The dial comes in either blue sunburst with gold applied numerals or in vertically satin-finished rose gold. Price upon request.

A. Lange & Söhne Triple Split

A. Lange & Sohne Triple Split

As it often does, A. Lange & Söhne delivered one of SIHH 2018’s most-discussed novelties with the release of the Triple Split, the world’s first mechanical split-seconds chronograph that can perform multi-hour comparative time measurements. The watch’s ability to measure both additive and comparative times up to an astounding 12 hours is achieved by additional rattrapante hands on both the minutes and hours-totalizing subdials. In its switched-off mode, the chronograph’s hand pairs – sweep seconds, minute- and hour-counter hands – are superposed. When the chronograph is activated via its pusher, all these hands start running simultaneously until the rattrapante pusher (on the opposite side of the case) is pressed to freeze intermediate time measurements. Limited to 100 pieces and housed in an 18k white-gold case, the Triple Split is also equipped with a flyback function, one that uses all three hand pairs. Price: approximately $147,000.

How water resistant should a dive watch be?
Some manufacturers say that their watches with a water-resistance rating of 300 meters or more are suitable for recreational scuba diving. Others say the watch need have a rating of just 200     meters; still others say it can be 200 meters as long as it is specifically labeled as a dive watch. The International Standards Organization (ISO), on the other hand, stipulates that a dive watch must be water resistant to 100 meters.

All these depth ratings are significantly higher (or lower, if you will) than the depths to which a non-professional diver can dive. Recreational divers don’t go deeper than 40 meters (130 feet). Beyond that, they enter the realm of technical diving, which requires extensive training, special mixed gases to breathe, long decompression stops and special equipment.

The reason for the discrepancy: when tested for water resistance in the factory, the watch is in an artificial environment that is much different from what the watch will face during an actual dive. For the test, the watch is perfectly stationary, the gaskets brand new, and the case newly assembled, so that nothing will compromise its water resistance. The testing machinery does not account for such phenomena as additional pressure from the impact of the wearer’s jumping or diving into the water; or for temperature and pressure changes as the diver ascends and descends, which can cause the case to shrink or expand. Furthermore, a watch’s water resistance will be lessened by aging of the watch’s gaskets. Knocks and other rough treatment can cause the case’s components to fit together less tightly than they did when the watch was brand new. All these imponderables cause the companies to provide a rather large cushion of safety so that customers will not hold them responsible if their watches leak.

A screw-in crown is essential to a watch’s water resistance.

What features make a watch impermeable enough for diving?
Several features are required to make a watch impermeable enough to wear diving. In nearly all dive watches, the case has a screw-in back and crown. O-rings are used to seal the crown, caseback and crystal. The case and crystal are thicker than in a non-dive watch. Watches designed for very deep diving often have additional pressure-defying features such as domed crystals, or a steel ring for reinforcing the case (as on the Rolex Deepsea).

What are the other features of a dive watch?
Most dive watches have a rotating bezel for measuring elapsed time. They also have luminous hands and markers that can be read underwater. ISO standard 6425 requires a dive watch to have a “time-preselecting device” (a rotating bezel satisfies this requirement) and a dial that can be read in the dark at a distance of 25 cm. The ISO also says the watch must have an indicator that shows at a glance if the watch is still running. A seconds hand satisfies this requirement. Most dive watches have a steel or titanium bracelet or rubber strap, although some straps are made of nylon or various composite materials. Some dive bracelets and straps are equipped with an extension device that  enables the watch to fit over a dive-suit sleeve. Some dive watches have a helium valve and/or a depth sensor.

A bracelet with a divers’ extension can be lengthened to fit over a wetsuit.

What is a helium valve?
A device for equalizing the pressure inside and outside the watch case when the watch is worn in a diving chamber. Inside the chamber, divers breathe a gas mixture that contains helium. The helium molecules are extremely small and are hence able to penetrate the watch case, building up inside it. In the process of decompression, the pressure inside the chamber decreases more rapidly than the pressure inside the case. This can cause the watch crystal to pop off. To prevent that, some watches have a valve on the side of the case that allows helium to escape from the case during decompression, making the pressure inside and outside the case the same.

Do many dive watches have helium valves?
Most dive watches do not have helium valves because they are of use only in saturation diving, when a diver spends time in a diving chamber.

A helium valve prevents the watch crystal from popping off when the diver is in a decompression chamber.

Why do the rotating bezels on most dive watches turn in only one direction?
Most dive bezels turn in one direction only, counterclockwise, so that the bezel cannot be accidentally knocked off position in the clockwise direction and thus understate the elapsed time (usually the total dive time) being measured. Some watches solve this problem by using inner rotating bezels that cannot be rotated accidentally.

Many bezels have only the first 15 minutes marked individually. Why?
This is a dive-watch convention that goes back to the mid-1950s (it probably started with the Rolex Submariner). It is unclear what purpose the markers were originally meant to serve. An early Submariner advertisement shows a diver setting the bezel to measure total dive time, then using the minutes markers for a precise reading of his descent time. Why this information is useful is not explained (and standard diving procedures don’t require it).

An oft-tendered explanation for the markers is that they are used to time decompression stops, but this explanation is problematic. The diver would have to reset the bezel at the beginning of each stop. The bezel could not therefore be used to measure total dive time, the main purpose of the bezel.

One possible explanation for the markers: 15 minutes is the approximate amount of time a diver can spend at 130 feet, the maximum depth for recreational diving, without making decompression stops. The markers might have been intended to alert him to that limit and help him read his remaining bottom time precisely. This theory is supported by some versions of the Omega Seamaster, which had gradations for the first 20 minutes (a diver can spend about 20 minutes at 110 feet, close to the depth limit). On the Seamaster 200, the 20-minute segment was painted fire-engine red, possibly to warn the diver of the hazard of staying deep for too long.

Dive watches have luminous hands and markers that can be read under water.

How do depth-gauge watches work?
In most, there is a sensor (typically a membrane or diaphragm) on the side of the case that is distorted by water pressure. The degree of distortion is then converted into feet or meters of depth and displayed by hands on the watch face. Oris, in its Aquis model, uses another type of depth gauge: it has a tubule around the perimeter of the crystal with a tiny opening to the outside. More or less water enters the tubule, depending on the depth, and the diver can read the depth in meters on the scale next to the tubule.

How many mechanical dive watches have depth gauges?
Just a handful. Aside from the aforementioned Oris Aquis Depth Gauge, other mechanical watches with depth gauges include the Blancpain X Fathoms, the IWC Aquatimer Deep Three, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Diving Pro Geographic and the Panerai Luminor 1950 Pangaea Depth Gauge (which  despite its mechanical movement has an electronic depth gauge).

Some watch depth gauges record the deepest point of a dive. Why?
There are three reasons. First, for safety’s sake, the dive-time limits prescribed by dive tables assume the diver spends his entire dive time at the deepest point of the dive. To use the dive table, the  diver must therefore know his deepest point. Second, it is a generally accepted rule of diving that the diver should do the deepest part of the dive first. This gives him the maximum amount of time to off-gas the relatively high amount of nitrogen he absorbed at the bottom of the dive (the lower you go, the more nitrogen dissolves in your blood). Third, many diving experts recommend that, even in no-decompression diving, which doesn’t require decompression stops, the diver make a so-called “safety” stop of one minute halfway between the lowest point of the dive and the surface in order to off-gas nitrogen.

A handful of mechanical dive watches, like the IWC Aquatimer Deep Three (above) and Blancpain X Fathoms (below), offer a special extra feature: a depth gauge.

Which mechanical watch has the deepest water-resistance rating?
The CX Swiss Military 20,000 feet. The watch, made of titanium, is nearly 3 cm thick; the crystal alone is 1 cm thick.

In this age of dive computers, are dive watches necessary?
Not really. Divers sometimes take them as backups to their dive computers, should the computers run out of power during a dive, but now that wrist-worn dive computers are widely available and reasonably priced, some divers use these as backups to their console-style computers (or wear two wristwatch-style computers). If a diver does use a watch as a backup, he also needs other backup equipment that supplies information  given by a dive computer: a depth gauge, pressure gauge and dive tables.

Then why do so many people buy dive watches?
For several reasons. Many people like the sense of security that a high water-resistance rating provides. If a watch is safe to wear on a deep dive, they reason, surely it is guaranteed to survive a swim or a snorkeling excursion. Others like a dive watch’s other features, such as a rotating bezel or highly luminous hands and markers. For many dive-watch wearers, looks are the main draw: sporty, technical-looking watches are all the rage.

Dive watches have luminous hands and markers that can be read under water.

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JAEGER-LECOULTRE POLARIS MEMOVOX

The Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Memovox (above) and the original Memovox Polaris from 1968 (below)

A sporty and elegant wristwatch is a good choice to wear on a trendy beach. And the alarm function assures that a night owl won’t forget an evening rendezvous. The alarm also functioned underwater on the original watch, which Jaeger-LeCoultre premiered in 1965. A variation with a sporty design (left) debuted three years later. It served as the inspiration for the new model, which arrived in 2018. Stainless steel, 42 mm, manufacture Caliber 956, automatic, limited series of 1,000 watches, $12,600.

BREITLING NAVITIMER

The Breitling Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph 46 (above) and the original Navitimer from 1952 (below)

The Navitimer enjoys cult status not only among pilots, but also with their earthbound counterparts. Introduced in 1952, this watch also represents an epoch when increasing air traffic revolutionized travel. Numerous new versions without a slide rule on the bezel and even without a stopwatch function debuted in 2018. But classical model variations with both of these functions, such as the Navitimer 1 B01 Chronograph 46 (shown), are still available for Breitling fans. They differ from the original Navitimer mainly due to their larger size and contrasting-colored subdials. Stainless steel, 46 mm, manufacture Caliber B01, automatic, chronometer, $8,215.

ROLEX GMT-MASTER II

Rolex GMT-Master II in Oystersteel (above) and the original Rolex GMT-Master from 1955 (below)

Thanks to an additional 24-hour hand and its corresponding rotatable bezel, this Rolex model is the epitome of a traveler’s watch. The main hour hand wasn’t separately adjustable until the debut of the GMT-Master II in 1982. The two hour hands were inseparably linked when the original model premiered in 1955, which meant that if the wearer wanted his watch to show the time in a second zone, he had to turn the rotatable bezel until it matched the additional hour hand. Nicknamed “Pepsi,” the coveted steel version with its blue-and-red bezel celebrated its comeback in 2018. Stainless steel, ceramic bezel, 40 mm, manufacture Caliber 3285, automatic, chronometer, $9,250.

IWC PORTUGIESER

The IWC Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition “150 Years” (above) and the original Portugieser from 1939 (below)

Elegance spanning generations: IWC celebrated a milestone anniversary in 2018 with the latest version of this icon. The new Portugieser Hand-Wound Eight Days Edition “150 Years” is inspired by the large, straightforward, steel watches that IWC delivered to Portuguese importers in 1939. The elegant 41.5-mm case surrounded various dial options. Rose gold, 43 mm, manufacture Caliber 59215 with power-reserve display on the back, hand-wound, $18,800.

SEIKO 1968 AUTOMATIC DIVER’S RE-CREATION LIMITED EDITION

Seiko Automatic Diver’s Re-Creation Limited Edition (Ref. SLA025, above) and the original model from 1968 (below)

Fifty years after the debut of its first divers’ watch with a high-frequency caliber, this Japanese manufacturer pays homage to the timepiece with the release of Reference SLA025. The manufacture caliber completes 36,000 semi-oscillations per hour. The fast-paced movement and the water-tightness to 300 meters are as exciting as the new design: it’s nearly identical to the styling of the original. Hardened stainless steel, 44.8 mm, manufacture Caliber 8L55, automatic, limited edition of 1,500 watches, $5,400.

TUDOR PELAGOS

The Tudor Pelagos (above) and the Tudor Oyster Prince Submariner from 1969 (below)

The styling of this instrument for professional divers traces its ancestry directly to the Oyster Prince Submariner from 1969. This model premiered the so-called “snowflake” hands with their eye-catching rectangles, which assured that the hour hand wouldn’t be mistaken for the minutes hand. Meanwhile, the steady progress of the luminous rectangle on the seconds hand instantly reassured a diver that his watch was still running in the dark depths. The Pelagos remains watertight to 500 meters, is equipped with a helium valve, and lets divers choose between a rubber strap and a titanium bracelet. Titanium, ceramic bezel, 42 mm, manufacture Caliber MT5612, automatic, chronometer, $4,400.

The new IWC Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph is a watch you can wear with confidence anywhere at the marina. A first glance shows that the third generation of the sportiest Portugieser model, our test watch, is designed to be both a nautical timepiece and a luxury accessory. The first impression is confirmed upon closer inspection of its polished and satin-finish case, sunburst blue dial and brightly polished hands. Every component is flawlessly finished and worthy to be part of the supremely elegant Portugieser collection.

For the first time in its 10-plus-year history, this Portugieser Yacht Club boasts a steel bracelet rather than a rubber or leather strap — a sturdy but elegant IWC steel bracelet with brushed outer links and polished inner links. Shortening the bracelet involves simply pressing a button on the back of each row of sturdy links to remove it. Unlike simpler bracelet designs, using screws or hammering is not needed.

Inside the safety folding clasp, there is also a quick extension piece that quickly and easily lengthens the bracelet by up to 7 mm. Pressing the polished “IWC” button on the outer bar of the clasp extends the bracelet in seven increments — without ever removing the watch from your wrist. Two safety buttons round out the sturdy and well-designed folding clasp.

Detailed Modifications
In addition to the bracelet, the dial has also been updated. The central chronograph hand is now steel-gray instead of red, and the date window has been shifted from the 3 o’clock position to the small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. Both changes enhance the elegance of the Yacht Club and were well received by our editorial staff.

The elegant impression is diminished, however, by the enlargement of the already considerable stainless-steel case from 43.5 mm to 44.6 mm. Our editorial staff admitted that no one among them had a wrist to match its substantial dimensions.

Even so, the large, heavy watch is quite comfortable to wear thanks to ergonomically shaped sloping lugs and a supple steel bracelet. Unfortunately, the flexibility and adjustability of the IWC’s bracelet results in relatively large gaps between the links, which can catch and pull hair.

Proven Technology
Components taken from earlier generations of the Yacht Club include the sturdy and powerful in-house movement, Caliber 89361, with many excellent features like a 68-hour power reserve; a traditional column-wheel control mechanism; the brand’s own exceptionally efficient Pellaton dual-pawl winding system; a free-sprung, temperature-resistant Glucydur balance wheel; and a flyback function for the direct restarting of the running chronograph. It can also show off beautiful decorative finishes, gold-enhanced engraving and a gold IWC medallion on the skeletonized oscillating rotor. Another feature of the in-house movement is the combined 12-hour and 60-minute counter in the upper half of the dial, which is intended to show elapsed time intuitively, as on a clock. The combined counter is too small for everyday use, however, and its markings are too fine to read elapsed time to the minute quickly and easily. The chronograph seconds track around the dial is also extremely fine, and the central chronograph seconds hand is insufficiently long to fully reach it. In sum, it’s a mixed bag, with clearly legible time and date, and elapsed time that is much more difficult to read.

Accurate Rate
Our rate test revealed more about the Swiss movement. The electronic timing machine showed a negligibly small daily rate of +0.8 seconds, a maximum deviation between the positions of only 4 seconds and almost the same values when the chronograph is engaged. A two-week wearing test confirmed the small daily deviation with values between zero and +2 seconds — making our test watch a reliable partner for everyday use.

In addition to the movement, another feature of the Yacht Club that hasn’t changed arouses mixed feelings — the pressure resistance of six bar that corresponds to water pressure at a depth of 60 meters. Although this may sound like a lot at first, the water resistance as it is tested under laboratory conditions is rather low for a nautical luxury sports watch linked to the world of sailing. Coming in contact with spray or waves means a watch should be resistant to at least 10 bar or 100 meters to ensure a certain degree of security in a variety of different environments. And even though this still isn’t a lot, it is the current standard for any water sports watch not explicitly designed for diving.

Advice for boat owners is simply this: it’s better to wear this watch in the evening, below deck, or to dinner at the marina, and either take it easy onboard during the day or rely on a sports watch that is clearly defined as such. The new Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph is well equipped for normal everyday wear and light sports activities — and is the perfect gentleman sailor for social events on or below deck.

SPECS:
Manufacturer: IWC Schaffhausen, Baumgartenstrasse 15, 8201 Schaffhausen, Switzerland
Reference number: IW390701
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, flyback chronograph with combined 60-minute and 12-hour counter, date
Movement: In-house Caliber 89361, automatic, 28,800 vph, 38 jewels, hack mechanism, quick date adjustment, Incabloc shock absorber, column wheel, fine regulator with screw weights, Glucydur balance, 68-hour power reserve, diameter = 30 mm, height = 7.5 mm
Case: Stainless steel, domed sapphire crystal with anti-glare coating on both sides, screw-down crown, threaded caseback with sapphire crystal viewing window, water resistant to 60 m
Bracelet and cla­­sp: Stainless-steel bracelet with safety folding clasp and quick extension
Rate results (deviation in seconds per 24 hours, with chronograph switched off/on):
Dial up 0 / +1
Dial down +3 / +2
Crown up -1 / -2
Crown down +2 / +2
Crown left +2 / +3
Crown right -1 / -3
Greatest deviation 4 / 6
Average deviation +0.8 / +0.5
Average amplitude:
Flat positions 287° / 273°
Hanging positions 257° / 236°
Dimensions: Diameter = 44.6 mm, height = 14.3 mm, weight = 170 grams
Variations: With silver dial (Ref. IW390702, $13,100); with stainless-steel and rose-gold case and bracelet (Ref. IW390703, $19,900)
Price: $13,100

SCORES:
Strap and clasp (max. 10 points): Very attractive, highly functional stainless-steel bracelet with safety folding clasp and quick extension. Large gaps between links. 9
­­­Operation (5): Generously sized, smoothly operating pushers are easier to use than the screw-down crown. The large crown is easy to turn but needs some force to pull out. The chronograph has a flyback function for direct restart of an ongoing timing sequence. 4
Case (10): The case is beautifully finished but is rather simple and water resistant to only 60 meters. 8
Design (15): Attractive combination of sportiness and elegance. The superior quality of every component is easily apparent. 14
Legibility (5): The time and date are both easy to read, but elapsed time presents more difficulty. Bright luminous material. 4
Wearing comfort (10): The heavy watch lies comfortably on the wrist, but the metal bracelet catches fine wrist hair. 7
Movement (20): The in-house caliber stands out with its column wheel, Glucydur balance, fine regulation, extended power reserve, efficient dual-pawl winding mechanism and attractive decorations. 17
Rate results (10): The watch can boast absolute reliability with an average daily gain of 0.8 seconds and a maximum deviation between the positions of 4 seconds. Individual values are similar even when the chronograph is engaged. 9
Overall value (15): IWC has created a luxury chronograph at a high price, but it has a lot to offer. 11
Total: 83 POINTS