Introducing: The IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph Reference IW377724

April 18, 2018

IWC has just announced a new, e-commerce only version of its Pilot's Watch Chronograph, and it's a very interesting one indeed C the design is an almost exact reproduction of the much-loved original ref. 3706 pilot's chronograph, from 1994. This in turn was based on the famous 1993 Double Chronograph, with its Richard Habring-designed split seconds complication (a highly modified Valjoux 7750). The 3706 came in both a stainless steel case, and a ceramic case (we looked at the history behind the ceramic version, ref. 3705, right here).? This is sure to be a much-discussed new chronograph from IWC, and in that light, it's quite intriguing how it's been launched, and is being offered. It will not be available at IWC boutiques; instead, this timepiece is currently available exclusively on IWC's own e-commerce platform. And perhaps most fascinating was the announcement C there was no standard press release; instead, it was officially announced on the Instagram of IWC CEO Chris Grainger-Herr. The IWC site says that this period of exclusivity will last until October.? Initial Thoughts The IWC Pilot's Chronograph has been in company's product lineup since 1993, in one form or another, and since then, it's appeared in a very wide range of models, with the hands and arrangement of the date display changing noticeably from one reference to the next. With this new model, IWC's returned to many, if not most, of the design elements of the original. The position of the date indications and subregisters are identical, but the thing that ought to really make IWC fans sit up and take notice is the return of the Mark 11 style hands. And, as with the original, there's a soft iron antimagnetic inner case. There are some significant differences between this model and the original 3705 C the two most notable are the concentric circles stamped on the subdials of the new reference (the 3705 had none) and the size. IWC 3705/6 was 39mm in diameter, and the new model is 43mm in diameter.? The ceramic-cased ref. 3705 Fliegerchronograph. Of course, one other difference is the lume C the new model has beige lume on the markers and hands, which replicates the appearance of aged tritium on the original references 3705/6.? It's pretty remarkable that that yesterday's launch happened in such a soft way C especially considering the amount of buzz this is liable to generate. IWC broke with the usual industry practice; there was no conventional press release announcing its arrival. The whole launch consisted of an announcement on social media. It may prove to have been a smart move, though. I am writing this post right now, after all. The Basics Brand: IWCModel: Pilot's Watch ChronographReference Number: IW377724Diameter: 43mmThickness: 15.3mmCase Material: Stainless steelDial Color: BlackIndexes: Arabic numeralsLume: Yes, on hands and cardinal markersWater Resistance: 60 metersStrap/Bracelet: Green fabric strap The Movement Caliber: IWC 79320 (Valjoux 7750 base)Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, day, date, chronographPower Reserve: 44 hoursWinding: AutomaticFrequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)Jewels: 25 jewels Pricing & Availability Price: $4,950Availability: Immediately, but only via IWC's own e-commerce platform until October.