Ceramic is a material that is used wherever demands are high and top performance is required
Spelled using the international radio alphabet, the word “ceramic” looks and sounds rather impressive. The story behind the production of ceramic cases at IWC, which began some 26 years ago, is no less interesting than it is impressive. It was back then that the Schaffhausen-based company unveiled its first high-tech case in zirconium dioxide (ZrO2). Zirconium dioxide, often referred to as zirconium oxide or, more simply, zirconia, is a special high-performance ceramic: in other words, a non-metallic, inorganic material that was originally developed for space travel. Back in those days, IWC was in search of the perfect black case as the next stage in the development of its “Da Vinci”, and discovered ceramic. At that time, there were still all kinds of downsides to using steel that had been colored black.
The main problem was ensuring that the surface had the necessary hardness: as a result, a case made of steel that had been colored black would quickly end up with permanent scratches. For the case makers at IWC, expecting customers to tolerate that kind of defect would have been unthinkable. Their search finally led them to the ideal partner in Metoxit, a company specializing in ceramics and located in Thayngen, close to Schaffhausen.
Together, they developed a formula for pitch-black ceramic. In IWC’s Annual Edition of the time, we read the following: “The fact we chose black – the color that absorbs all others – for our first wristwatch in zirconium oxide was in no way a reflection of the way we see the future. On the contrary: it was a veiled allusion to the potentially timeless quality of watches.”
A five-part “introduction” to alchemy in the same Annual Edition also describes the steps involved in the production of a ceramic case. Not only that, but IWC even issued a special brochure entitled “The Da Vinci in ceramic”. If we consider the fact that it had only been possible to use zirconium oxide in this form for commercial and industrial purposes since 1983, it seems no exaggeration to claim here that IWC was not only ahead of its time but also a pioneer in the use of ceramics. If the Da Vinci, Reference 3755, was the cornerstone laid in Schaffhausen, the follow-up came eight years later: the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph, Reference 3705, in ceramic.
Time, once again, for us to refer to IWC’s Annual Edition. “This Pilot’s Chronograph seems destined to cause quite a stir among lovers of unusual timepieces: it is the first one made of zirconium oxide, the high-tech ceramic which, from an aviation point of view, is reminiscent of state-of-the-art stealth technology and has long established itself in space travel. Its claims to exclusivity are uncompromisingly underscored in the matt black surrounds of the watch, the precision of which can be seen in the luminescent white hands and numerals.” The 3705 Pilot’s Chronograph certainly did not go unnoticed: it rapidly established cult status for itself and had countless imitators.
In 2006, with the presentation of the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph in a ceramic case, Reference 3786, limited to 1000 pieces, IWC unveiled the next legendary addition to the series. The ceramic Double Chronograph, which is much sought after by collectors today, the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph Edition Top Gun, Reference 3799, launched in 2007, and the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Automatic Edition Top Gun rolled out a year later, complete the ceramic Pilot’s Watch line-up to date.
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