Watches and Wonders
IWC Bets on Blue, Green, and Gold at Watches and Wonders 2025 with Three New Ingenieur Models
At the brand’s Watches and Wonders presentations, timepieces with ties to celebrity designer Gérald Genta and actor Brad Pitt had real star power.
By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large
It may surprise some people to hear this, but Watches and Wonders is never just about the watches. This year, the halls of the Palexpo also served as an Easter Egg-style hunt for race cars.
Look up, and you could spot a Red Bull car poking out from the second-story balcony of the Tudor booth. Across the way, TAG Heuer displayed not one but two F1 vehicles, including a McLaren driven by Ayrton Senna in the 1988 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Over on the Richemont side, IWC Schaffhausen, which is sponsoring the upcoming movie F1, not only had a car but a whole camera rig used to capture the on-screen adrenaline.
This got us thinking about how racing, celebrity, and watchmaking converge.
The Green-Dial IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40
Like a book that’s been adapted into a movie, the green-dialed IWC Automatic 40 ($12,900) is an IRL watch inspired by the prop watch worn by the fictional character Sonny Hayes (played by Brad Pitt) in the movie F1 (2025).
We all know Pitt is a watch guy, so it’s no surprise that he had a hand in creating the unique, on-screen piece. Although based on a version of the Ingenieur SL Reference 1832, the prop watch features a green dial done in the character’s signature green color and is the result of a collaboration between IWC Schaffhausen, Brad Pitt, and Cloister Watch Company, a design studio that specializes in creating bespoke timepieces from vintage watches.
Luckily, fans can now get their hands on a special edition stainless-steel Ingenieur Automatic 40 (Ref. IW328908), which, while limited to 1,000 pieces, features a “grid”-patterned green dial with gold appliques – just like the one worn by Pitt’s character in the film.
With golden hands and markers filled with Super-LumiNova, this ride-or-die piece is also exceptionally comfortable on the wrist, thanks to an integrated bracelet with a butterfly folding clasp that attaches to the case via its middle links. And, like all Ingenieur Automatic 40s, this version is powered by the IWC-manufactured 32111 calibre, with a power reserve of 120 hours and 10 bar water resistance.
Of course, at events like Watches and Wonders, designers like the legendary Gérald Genta hold just as much star power as celebrities like Brad Pitt.
The IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 in 18-Karat 5N Gold
Introduced in 2023, the Ingenieur Automatic 40 reflects the bold aesthetic codes of the Ingenieur SL (a.k.a. The Jumbo) Reference 1832, designed by Gérald Genta in the 1970s. This year, IWC presented the Ingenieur Automatic 40 in 18-karat 5N gold ($46,600).
Not only does the 40mm precious metal case and bracelet redefine the sports-chic nature of the Ingenieur Automatic 40, but the warmth of the yellow gold frames also totally sets off the black “grid” dial.
Oh! Did we mention that the combination of gold and the watch’s ergonomic design just feels right on the wrist, making the wearer feel like a leading man or woman?
If that’s not enough gold for you, the Ingenieur Automatic 40 in 18-karat 5N features a see-through sapphire glass case back to display the IWC-manufactured 32111 calibre with a double pawl winding system and a power reserve of 120 hours. This mechanism is finished with circular Geneva stripes, blued screws, and a gold-plated oscillating weight.
The IWC Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41
IWC Schaffhausen also raised the curtain on a new Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41 ($36,900) at Watches and Wonders.
This handsome QP is another kind of collaboration, marking the first stainless steel model to combine the Genta-inspired Ingenieur design with the perpetual calendar developed by horological grandmaster Kurt Klaus.
Klaus, who designed the Da Vinci Perpetual Chronograph in 1985, is such a star that in 2024, the brand celebrated his 90th birthday with the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar “Rodeo Drive” Special Edition. This year, the legacy of the King of Calendars has been manifested in an elaborately satin-finished and polished 41mm case, bezel, and bracelet.
The blue dial features the Ingenieur’s signature “grid” dial, with three sub-dials displaying the date, day of the week, month, and perpetual moon phase.
Interestingly, the moon phase display will only deviate by one day after 577.5 years, thanks to a reduction gear train employing two intermediate wheels. Meanwhile, the high precision, IWC-manufactured 82600 calibre with an automatic Pellaton winding system and ceramic components can be viewed through the sapphire glass caseback.
Finally, in addition to the day of the week, the sub-dial at 9 o’clock also features a small leap year indicator, which counts down the years to the next leap year. For more information, check out the IWC website.