Watches and Wonders
Watches and Wonders: IWC Showcases its Ingenuity with a Slate of New Ingenieurs
The Schaffhausen-based brand introduces three 35mm automatics and a 42mm in black ceramic.
By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large
It’s always nice to see brands build out from an existing collection with smaller wrist-friendly watches. What makes IWC Schaffhausen’s new updates on the emblematic Ingenieurs even more admirable is the attention to detail the Manufacture has put into its 2025 launches.
This year, the brand expands its catalog with three 35mm models: one crafted from 18-karat 5N gold and two stainless steel versions. Plus, they’ve launched a 42mm all-black iteration incorporating ceramic with a first-of-its-kind bracelet.
Here are the details.
Heart of Gold, Nerves of Steel
First up, we have the precious metal option crafted from 18-karat 5N gold across the case and bracelet along with a gold-colored dial featuring the Ingenieur’s characteristic checkerboard grid pattern.
There’s a certain alchemy that results from the combination of the rosy and warm satin-finished and polished surfaces with the jazzy texture of the dial. IWC’s design team went to great lengths to preserve the watch’s design cues when they scaled it down. However, at this size, the gold version takes on a more elegant appearance (in my humble opinion). That said, don’t sleep on the stainless-steel models. These come with either a black or silver-plated dial for a slightly edgier appearance.
Both the gold and stainless steel Ingenieur Automatic 35s offer the same enhanced ergonomics and highly detailed finishing as the previous 40mm versions. Each of the three new models employs a combination of satin-finished and polished surfaces that reflect the light and highlight the Ingenieur’s famous features in different ways.
Secured to the case ring with five functional screws, the bezel stands out with a satin-finish and polished outer edge. The H-links of the bracelet are likewise defined by satin-finished with polished edges, contrasted with shiny center links.
Tiny details – from the intricately framed date window to the hand-mounted and Super-LumiNova-filled appliques – add extra interest. The 18-karat 5N gold version features solid gold appliques and gold-plated hands, while the two stainless steel models boast steel appliques and rhodium-plated hands.
All three versions of the Ingenieur Automatic 35 also have the 47110 calibre with automatic winding and a power reserve of 42 hours. Again, attention to detail is everything: this movement has been finished with circular graining and Geneva stripes and features a gold-plated oscillating weight, all of which can be viewed through a see-through sapphire display back.
Black Magic
IWC Schaffhausen also introduces a fourth take on the Ingenieur at Watches and Wonders. For the first time, the Automatic 42 in black ceramic combines the Gérald Genta-derived integrated bracelet design with a full ceramic execution.
We’re big fans of IWC’s ceramic watches because they feel so light and ergonomically correct yet are so hardwearing. The flat visual effect of ceramic is also appealing. That’s why we’re excited to see the brand’s designers pull off such a fun ceramic translation of the emblematic integrated bracelet.
Why is ceramic so cool? Well, for one thing, it’s resistant to extreme temperatures (and summer is coming). It’s also lightweight, and, of course, who wants their wrist weighed down? The Ingenieur Automatic 42 features an innovative multi-part ceramic case construction for improved ergonomics.
The blackness of it all is thrown into high relief by the slim proportions of the case. Here, IWC has opted to use a three-part case construction. The case ring, bezel, and caseback ring are made of pure ceramic. The bezel and the caseback ring are secured to the case ring with functional screws, which requires an inner titanium ring for extra security without additional weight.
This ring also helps hold the movement in place and contributes to the Ingenieur Automatic 42‘s 10-bar water resistance. In addition, the sapphire crystals on the front and back have been pressed directly into the ceramic elements to ensure the same structural integrity and waterproofing as a steel Ingenieur.
The Ingenieur Automatic 42 is truly one of those pieces that you need to handle in the metal (or ceramic) to fully appreciate all its nuances.
Pricing & Availability
IWC’s full lineup of new Ingenieurs is available today. For pricing and more information, head over to the Schaffhausen-based brand’s website.