This year if you are going to follow along at SIHH, you may have noted the Pilot’s Watch Double Chronograph TOP GUN is made of the new material Ceratanium®, which possesses the lightweight feel of titanium and the scratch resistance of ceramic. In a sense, it sits at the very top of the IWC pilot’s line. Actually it’s five years that took IWC to develop, and it’s been the proprietary completely. 
Originally Ceratanium® is a unique titanium alloy that contains zirconium oxide, which is then cut and milled into finished replica watch components – after they’re shaped, brushed, and polished, the almost finished parts go into a special oven. This is where the transformation takes place. Once the outermost parts of the metal reach a certain temperature, the zirconium oxide hardens into ceramic, which is distributed throughout the metal itself. The color turns matte black and the finish is exceedingly resistant to scratches and wear. What should be mentioned is the material, totally different from a coating such as PVD, the whole material is Ceratanium® from start to finish. Therefore, a tough-as-nails, light-as-a-feather 39mm case is rather comfortable for wearing. You can’t believe how light it is.
Let’s take a look at the dial. we keep it simple and pay a tribute to the IWC in the past with painted white Arabic numerals with stick indexes at three, six, and nine o’clock. While the characteristic arrow at 12 o’clock can be seen on old pilot’s watches. The handset with center seconds matches the luminous stick and arrow indexes. General the dial is legible and reminiscent of the vintage pilot’s watches that we are very fond of. The strap is a durable olive green embossed calfskin strap with Ceratanium® pin buckle. In reality, the crown, buckle, and caseback are all made of Ceratanium®, which can’t be possible made by ceramic. Few people would notice that, right?
The IWC caliber 35100 is the movement inside the IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition “HODINKEE”, which is a no-date automatic movement with a 42-hour power reserve. On the back you’ll see a no fuss solid caseback as usual but with far less text relative to the existing pilot’s collection.
You can imagine how comfortable, lightweight, and easy while you putting this timepiece on your wrist. One of the most delightful things about this tag heuer watch is the texture of the Ceratanium® – a soft finish that’s not too harsh on the skin. Anyway, the 39mm case is the perfect size for us, big enough to be present and legible, but small enough to wear comfortably under a cuff. But the thing about this watch is that it just works. It’s subtle and thoughtful without being fussy, and the matte black case matching the olive green strap looks really wonderful.
The limited production of The IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition “HODINKEE” is only 500 pieces and them are available sold in both the HODINKEE Shop and select IWC Schaffhausen boutiques. Each caseback is numbered out of 500. The retail price is $6,400 and all replica watches are in stock and ready for delivery promptly. What’s more, you get the same perks that you always get when purchasing a watch through the HODINKEE Shop. In addition to expedited worldwide delivery, digital paperwork storage, and an extra year warranty are special for our honest customers. You can click here to know more.
