Grande Ingenieur

Platinum and Rose Gold Refine the Big Ingenieur

Big Ingenieur in platinum and rose gold  

True greatness from within has been an intrinsic feature of the Big Ingenieur ever since its premiere. It was therefore an obvious step to accommodate its monumental seven-day automatic movement in a platinum case and in a rose gold case. After all, the refined appearance reflects the extremely attractive internal workings which, incidentally, are a trait shared by the entire Ingenieur family from IWC. The Big Ingenieur belongs – if you will pardon the expression – to the class of high-profile men's watches from Schaffhausen. It is simply impossible for its diameter to be less than 45 mm, for it accommodates IWC's largest automatic movement in the form of the 51113 calibre. And ultimately, this unique horological feat of engineering is what it is all about. It is supplied with energy in a highly efficient manner via the pawl winding mechanism invented by IWC more than 50 years ago. The seven-day movement of the Big Ingenieur also stores this kinetic energy in a particularly ingenious way for an unusually long period: it builds up a mechanical power reserve for a full week. As every engineer knows, however, energy alone is not everything; it must also be made available in the correct quantity at the point of use. In this respect, too, the 51113 calibre exudes the spirit of superior technology: the time machine switches itself off mechanically after 168 hours' continuous operation without the input of any energy, although it is still theoretically capable of running for almost two days more. From this angle, the engineers at IWC are once again primarily traditional watchmakers. For physics tells us that the decreasing end torque of any spring could lead to a situation in which sufficient power no longer finds its way into the mechanical escapement, causing the watch to run slow as a result. This in turn would contravene a fundamental principle of the Schaffhausen manufactory, which could be summarized as follows in a watchmaker's maxim: “No wearer of an IWC should ever arrive late because of his watch.” This working philosophy has characterized the company for precisely 140 years. The Big Ingenieur is therefore also a statement of mechanical quality at the highest level, a fact that may be aptly displayed through the choice of its external appearance, too. Accordingly, the watch is now also available in a case made of platinum – in a limited edition of 500 – and in a rose gold case in unlimited numbers. Both have a silvered dial, the platinum variant with strongly contrasting dark hands and indices, and the variant in rose gold with rose goldplated hands and indices. A sapphire glass, back and front, and the screw-in crown ensure that this Ingenieur likewise has a water-resistance tested to 12 bar. The crocodile leather straps in black or brown provide high wearing comfort. While we are on the subject, because IWC considers continuous improvement of the specification to be an all-encompassing task, two Ingenieur models will also be immediately available on request with perfectly integrated metal bracelets. These are the Big Ingenieur in stain- less steel and the Ingenieur Automatic 44 mm in stainless steel with a black ceramic bezel. The screwless IWC bracelet system with a folding clasp, which can be readily lengthened or shortened by the customer, is used in both cases. The distinctive bracelet geometry broadens towards the lugs and forms a perfect ensemble with the case. All the links are satin-finished, and the facets are polished.