IWC Ingenieur Automatic Carbon Performance Ref. 3224

Carbon Fiber. We already took a look at IWC's Ingenieur Automatic AMG Black Series Ceramic which takes its inspiration from the ceramic disk brakes used in Mercedes-Benz AMG sports cars. IWC has released a at SIHH 2013 a similar watch for Formula One fans, the IWC Ingenieur Automatic Carbon Performance. Instead of a ceramic case this one has a high-tech carbon fiber case. Rather the the combination of steel and aluminum you find in street cars, Formula One cars use carbon fibre, carbon fiber is the result of combining carbon (or what some of you might more familiarly identify as graphite) with a plastic resin. The result is a stiff material with high tensile strength, low weight and easily molded into various shapes. This material actually is already making it way in the higher end sports cars and even being used for aftermarket parts to customize more humble cars. The purpose for using carbon fiber in cars is to reduce weight, and thus increase the power to weight ratio.

IWC Ingenieur Automatic Carbon Performance. The IWC Ingenieur Automatic Carbon Performance is a basic time and date watch which comes in a large 46 mm carbon fiber case. Ceramic is used for the screw heads, crown and crown guards and titanium for the case back. All-in-all this watch combines most of the high tech material used is watchmaking.

The dial is also made from carbon fiber. A small date display is found at the 3 o'clock position. The movement is a Calibre 80110 movement has a shock absorption system built in. The movement can be viewed through a sapphire crystal case back.

Two version of the watch are available, which differ in the color of the minute markers on the dial and the thread use to stick the strap. You have a choice of yellow or red.

If you fancy one of these watches, well I would try to reserve one now. Only 100, yup just one of each version is being made. That is a very, very limited edition release.

About IWC. IWC or the the "International Watch Co. Schaffhausen" was founded by an American engineer from Boston, Florentine Ariosto Jones, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in the year 1868. IWC Schaffhausen is notable for being the only major Swiss watch factory located in eastern Switzerland, as the majority of the well-known Swiss watch manufacturers are located in western Switzerland.