A Guide to Three of the Best Coloured Ceramic Watches by IWC

The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph has been offered in many different designs and sizes over the years. Here are some of the best coloured ceramic versions from the Pilot’s Watch series.

IWC has been experimenting with beautiful ceramic colours for some years now. In fact, it was the Top Gun Mohave Desert edition released back in 2019 that marked an industry-first sand-coloured case launched by the aviation watch manufacturer. The case, like all those ceramic editions to follow, had only been offered in matte black and polished black before then. It marked a turning point for the brand in terms of material research and development. As this new chapter unfolded, it enabled enthusiasts to relish the double glance that these watches really deserved. Being housed in ceramic, the watch was guaranteed to maintain its beautiful, pristine appearance for years to come and was achieved by mixing metallic oxides together and heating the compound to around 1500 degrees Celsius. The watch polarised opinions and paved the way for models like the 2023 edition of the "Mojave Desert" from the Chronograph 41 Top Gun series and the Top Gun Edition "Lake Tahoe". Also the “Woodland” Edition – all three of which I’m going to cover today.

The Colors of Top Gun” Collection

Case engineering and advanced materials play a huge role in IWC’s successful portfolio. The ceramic colours of the Top Gun range are associated with stealthy naval aviators and, of course, the brand’s collaboration with Pantone, which allows for several striking colours. IWC Schaffhausen’s ceramic is incredibly robust and long-lasting. The various coloured cases you’ll see while perusing the catalogue, come as a result of a very complex manufacturing process and are combined with other qualities like a sufficient water-resistant rating, sapphire crystal glass and attractive aviation-inspired material straps. Creative specialists at Pantone use specific colour-matching tools and cutting-edge technology to achieve these appealing case shades – each one forming part of the watch’s aviation heritage identity. Let’s look at three of our favourite coloured ceramic models from IWC Schaffhausen.

The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition “Lake Tahoe”

Despite being released two years ago, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition “Lake Tahoe” is still garnering a lot of attention and it’s easy to see why. Its sleek white and black monochrome aesthetic is crisp, daring and playful, all at the same time. The whiteness of the ceramic case is meant to represent the snow around the mountains of the Californian lake, particularly when viewed from a Top Gun fighter jet soaring above the nearby Nevada location. The tactile beauty of this watch case is something that cannot be described. It must simply be experienced by a discerning collector. Neither polished nor matte, it sits somewhere in between, boasting an almost satin-like finish. The simplicity of the white case against a rich black dial is stark and rather striking. Suffice it to say, when you see this watch from a distance, there is no confusing this model and brand for anything else.

The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition “Lake Tahoe” is a 44.5mm size and features a white rubber strap, chronograph counters at 6, 9 and 12 o’clock, a day-date window, 60 meters of water resistance, and the in-house developed Calibre 69380, complete with a 46-hour power reserve.

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Edition “Mojave Desert”

IWC launched the “Mojave” collection back in 2021, which included a Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar watch that dominated the wrist with a broad 46mm diameter. Also offered in the same range was the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Top Gun Chronograph Mojave 44.5mm model, limited to 500 pieces, which landed in 2019. This watch, however, is even better suited to smaller wrists, measuring a 41mm diameter. The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Top Gun Edition “Mojave Desert” extracts all the tool-like capabilities and legibility of the Big Pilot’s Watch and compacts it into smaller case dimensions. The sand-coloured case is an incredibly unusual and eye-catching element of the design, which takes inspiration from the flight suits of naval aviators, as well as the dusty, dry landscape of the desert that surrounds China Lake where the US Navy’s Top Gun flight school resides.

This IWC Pilot’s Watch 41 Chronograph Top Gun Edition “Mohave Desert” features khaki-coloured Arabic numerals set atop a brown dial. You also get lume-filled hands, a durable rubber strap with a textile inlay, a grey titanium caseback, chronograph functions and a column wheel movement. The same Calibre 69380 sits inside this watch, featuring a pawl winding system and an impressive two-day power reserve.

The IWC Pilots Watch Chronograph Top Gun Edition “Woodland”

This “Woodland” edition of the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun series is limited to just 1000 pieces worldwide, making it a particularly appealing collectable for IWC enthusiasts and pilot watch collectors. Although the name and colour looks pretty conservation-themed, this watch is once again inspired by the naval aviator suits worn by those at Top Gun’s fighter weapons school. The model marks IWC’s first-ever dark green ceramic case. It measures a 44.5mm and thanks to the lugs pushing right out the edge of the design, wears large. It features a combination of ceramic, titanium (on the back) and sapphire crystal (on the front). The strap is thick vulcanised rubber that’s going to provide incredible durability for hours of wear. It’s water resistant too, so you can certainly dip into the water with this watch. The 60-meter water-resistant ceramic case is incredibly scratch-resistant thanks to decades of the brand’s experience in crafting with this material.

The pushers for the chronograph are also shouldered for better bracing of impact to the case, and the dial is executed in a stunning granular woodland green dial. The Super-LumiNova coated appliques on the dial are all well-treated for enhanced legibility. Equipped with the same movement, it sits behind a Top Gun engraved motif on the titanium caseback. As well as this being the name of the Navy programme, the logo is also the same one used for the Top Gun movie series.

If you’d like more information on any of these coloured ceramic watches by IWC, you can call and speak to a member of our sales team here at Jura Watches on 01335 453453 or email us a question at help@jurawatches.com.