SJX Watches
IWC Introduces the Ingenieur Automatic 40
After years in the doldrums – and several unsuccessful reboots – the Ingenieur has been given a much-needed refresh inside and out. The IWC Ingenieur 40 emulates many of the best characteristics of the original Ingenieur SL from 1976 that was famously designed by Gérald Genta, but adds a proprietary automatic movement into the mix. Initial Thoughts While there was nothing wrong with the outgoing Ingenieur ref. IW3570, it was uninspired and lacked the charisma found in the original 1976 designs. Unsurprisingly, it failed to resonate with buyers who increasingly favoured sports watches with integrated bracelets. The ref. IW328903 features an aqua dial and a bracelet with polished center links The resulting surge in demand for integrated-bracelet sports watches was a trend that IWC missed out on since the last Ingenieur with an integrated bracelet was the ref. IW3239 discontinued in 2017. With everyone else launching an integrated-bracelet sports watch, it seemed inevitable that IWC would eventually refresh the Ingenieur and bring back the original design. In this context, the launch of the Ingenieur 40 is welcome, even if it does feel slightly anti-climactic. The Ingenieur ref. IW328902 in steel with a silver-plated dial The new Ingenieur is essentially a blend of the 1976 original and the more recent integrated-bracelet models. The design appears thoughtful. For example, the bezel with five notches from the original returns, but with a twist (no pun intended). Whi...
