IWC Aces Monochromatic Design with the Two New TOP GUN Timepieces

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In fact, IWC’s TOP GUN has been hitting the headlines since 2007. The series gets its name from the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), a programme meant only for the best US Navy pilots, who get trained in flying and developing tactical skills. The manufacturer has created the older TOP GUN generations using titanium, ceramic, and Ceratanium® to withstand supersonic speeds from F/A-18 Hornets during long missions. 

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Pilot’s Watch Timezoner TOP GUN Woodland

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The new timepiece comes in a 46 mm green ceramic case with a black Ceratanium® rotating bezel and an oversized crown at 3 o’clock. Pressing down the bezel allows the wearer to rotate it in both directions, with the hour hand, the 24-hour disc and the date wheel (if needed) moving back and forth accordingly. The ring on the bezel is also made of ceramic, with the cities corresponding to each time zone displayed in a lighter tone of green.

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 The green tone dominates the dial with a green minute track and hour markers. The black hour and minute hands have light green inserts with a luminescent material, and a green central second hand. The arched window from 11 o’clock to 1 o’clock shows a 24-hour ring and there’s a colour-matched date window at 3 o’clock. A break from green is provided by the red marking for UTC or Coordinated Universal Time — the ‘Timezoner’ designation at 6 o’clock.

Powering the watch is the self-winding Calibre 82760 with a power reserve of 60 hours. Turning the watch over showcases the grey-tinted sapphire caseback with an openworked rotor. It makes use of a Pellaton winding system for increased efficiency and reduced wear and tear. Finishing the watch is a green rubber strap with a textile inlay and a Ceratanium® pin buckle.

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Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Mojave Desert

The latest addition to the Mojave Desert family is, basically, a watch with a reduced size. In 2021, IWC unveiled the Mojave Desert in a bold 46 mm case, the size of which was subsequently reduced to 44 mm. The new watch uses the beige ceramic case and shrinks it further to the wrist-friendly 41 mm size of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph. The crown at 3 o’clock and the two pushers provide a two-tone feel, as they are crafted from titanium. The sapphire crystal on top is protected against sudden drops in air pressure and a soft-iron inner case protects the movement against magnetism.

The dark brown dial gets a brown minute track and Arabic hour markers. The beige hour and minute hands also have light brown inserts with a luminescent material; one can also spot a brown central second hand and a colour-matched date-day window at 3 o’clock. The watch gets a 30-minute counter at 12 o’clock, a 60-second counter at 6 o’clock, and a 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock; all discs match the rest of the dial in terms of colour.

Powering this 41 mm model is the same Calibre 69380 as that found on the 44 mm edition of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Mojave Desert, offering 46 hours of power reserve. This automatic column-wheel chronograph movement is covered by a titanium caseback. The rotor is fitted with a pawl-winding system, which winds the movement in both directions. The watch is finished on a beige rubber strap with a textile inlay and a titanium pin buckle.