Last year, IWC resurrected the Ingenieur sports watch in its most recognizable guise.
The Ingenieur had been around since 1955, originally as an antimagnetic watch for scientists and engineers. It was a pioneer in this space, even predating the similar Rolex Milgauss (1956) and Omega Railmaster (1957).
Twenty years after its inception, the Ingenieur received a makeover at the hands of legendary designer Gerald Genta in 1976. His Ingenieur SL ref. 1832 is considered part of the “Big Three” integrated sports watches conceived by Genta in the decade, alongside the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus.
But unlike those two icons, Genta’s take on the Ingenieur wasn’t an instant hit. Only around 1,000 examples of his original version were produced, and his design influence waned on the model line with each new version of the watch that IWC produced. Earlier in the 21st century, IWC did away with the integrated style altogether, reverting the Ingenieur back to a traditional watch shape.
That all changed last year when IWC finally launched a new Ingenieur in the style of Genta’s 1976 design, albeit modernized to better suit modern trends. The watch became instantly popular — despite some criticism that it was overpriced — but there was still something missing from the release: A blue dial.
