Did IWC Just Release the Perfect Summer Watch?

This white ceramic version of the Top Gun Pilot’s Watch is a vacation accessory of the highest caliber.

close up of a white watch with a black dial

Published April 16, 2025

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Updated April 16, 2025

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“Summer watch” has certain connotations. It often implies a simple dial, bright or white color case, lightweight strap and ample water resistance. Above all, a summer watch should be something fun to wear with casual outfits.

IWC looked at those specifications and said, “Hold my pinã colada.” Then it turned the Top Gun edition of the Pilot’s Watch into a warm weather masterpiece with its white-out Lake Tahoe treatment.

a white watch with a black dial — The Pilot’s Watch Top Gun Lake Tahoe has a ceramic case and woven rubber strap.

Based on the Mark XX Pilot’s Watch, the newest addition to IWC’s Lake Tahoe lineup of white ceramic watches is the smallest and least complicated, leaning instead into simplicity and playfulness.

For those with the budget to graduate past classic summer beaters from affordable favorites like Timex and Casio, the Pilot’s Watch Top Gun Lake Tahoe offers the same vibe and aesthetic with top-tier performance.

A chilled out Mark XX

IWC’s Pilot’s Watch dates back to the 1930s and features the numeric Mark naming system noted in Roman numerals. The Mark XI became a hit in 1948 after being adopted by the RAF, and the line has evolved aesthetically from there.

the case back of an IWC Top Gun pilot's watch — The Pilot’s Watch Top Gun Lake Tahoe is signed with the fictional Top Gun flight school logo on the case back.

The Mark XX was introduced in 2022 with a 40mm steel case and the in-house caliber 32111 automatic movement. Since then, it has been the marquee small watch for the typically wide-dialed watchmaker.

Although it has been looped into the Top Gun branding, carried on from 2022’s Top Gun: Maverick, this monotone Pilot’s Watch is a Mark XX with a paint job.

the back of a white IWC watch — The rubber strap has a faux woven texture and a titanium pin buckle.

The movement has been updated slightly to the next-generation IWC caliber 32112 automatic, with an impressive five-day power reserve. This allows it to be stashed away during the work week and will still be ticking away at 5:00 on Friday.

The Lake Tahoe treatment comes with a white zirconium oxide ceramic case, a titanium screw-down case back, an AR-coated sapphire crystal and a textured rubber strap with a titanium pin-buckle. Compared to the standard steel Mark XX, this version is one millimeter wider, measuring 41mm.

Inside the case wall, a soft-iron layer shields the movement against magnetic fields, and a shock-absorbing layer protects against impact damage. Add in the 100m water resistance, and the Pilot’s Watch Top Gun Lake Tahoe can handle anything summer throws at it.