Borna Bosnjak
A year after its release, IWC introduces a blue-dialled, steel-cased Ingenieur.The 40mm model is based on the Genta design cues established by the Ingenieur SL in the 1970s.It sports a Baumatic-derived 32111 movement with a five-day power reserve, priced at US$11,700.The likelihood of a brand launching an integrated bracelet watch complete with a blue dial is fairly high these days, and was even more so a few years ago when their popularity was at its peak. IWC, however, didn’t go that route when debuting the new Genta-inspired Ingenieur, instead going for a greyscale trio accented by a turquoise pop. Well, they’ve finally decided to put things right with all of those who found it missing with a blue, steel Ingenieur Automatic 40.This expansion of the collection is purely limited to the new dial colour, retaining the pleasantly executed cross-hatching pattern contrasted against by high-polish silver hands and indices. The look isn’t as bold as, say, the titanium Ingenieur with its black index outlines, but I can certainly commend IWC for staying true to its efforts to match the date wheel to the dial regardless of what colour it is. Finally, it’s also refreshing to see a dial without superfluous specs, though I’m sure printing “120 hours” or “5 days” was tantalising in this case. This may seem a minor thing, but way too many modern watches suffer from lengthy spec sheets cluttering the dial. The lightning bolt Ingenieur logo is the perfect choice here.The look is very much that of an evolved Ingenieur SL, and beefed up a little to match the toughness its anti-magnetic properties hint at. The 40mm case is a respectable 10.8mm in height, with a compact 45.7mm lug-to-lug, though that does flare out somewhat due to the limited articulation of the first bracelet link. You’ll also notice that the screws on the bezel are perfectly aligned here – something that cannot be said for the Ingenieur SL, which often had them askew due to a different design.An H-link integrated bracelet and solid, screw-down caseback complete the look, the latter allowing for the use of a soft iron inner cage to help the aforementioned anti-magnetism, though IWC doesn’t state exact figures. Inside, you’ll find the IWC 32111 movement, a ValFleurier, five-day automatic that’s used across the brand’s range. In fact, it has its reaches throughout Richemont’s offering as well, with its base architecture derived from the Baume & Mercier Baumatic, complete with a 4Hz beat rate and excellent five-day power reserve.IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 blue dial pricing and availabilityThe IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 in blue is now available. Price: US$11,700, A$17,300BrandIWCModelIngenieur Automatic 40ReferenceIW328907Case Dimensions40mm (D) x 10.8mm (T) x 45.7mm (LTL)Case MaterialStainless steelWater Resistance100 metresCrystal(s)Sapphire frontDialPVD blueBracelet and strapIntegrated H-link steel bracelet, butterfly claspMovementIWC 32111, ValFleurier Baumatic base, automatic, soft iron cagePower Reserve120 hours (5 days)FunctionsHours, minutes, seconds, dateAvailabilityNowPriceUS$11,700
02.12.24