IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40: The Big Blue

Let’s start with the basics. It’s the latest evolution of Gérald Genta’s 1970s vision of a stainless steel luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet. If you’re a watch enthusiast, you already know that means serious pedigree. If you’re not, just know that Genta is basically the rock star of watch design, and his work has shaped some of the most iconic timepieces in history.

At 40mm in diameter and 10.8mm thick, the new Ingenieur Automatic 40 is incredibly comfortable on the wrist. Thanks to meticulous re-engineering of the bracelet and case ergonomics, this one won’t be slipping around awkwardly or feeling like a wrist weight during daily wear. It’s as refined as it is robust.

Speaking of robust, let’s talk about that stainless steel case and integrated H-link bracelet. The brushed and polished surfaces play with the light in all the right ways, and the five polygonal screws securing the bezel? Those aren’t just for show – they’re functional, adding both structural integrity and a bit of that industrial-chic aesthetic that makes this watch unmistakably Ingenieur.

And then there’s the dial. That dial. A deep blue with a signature grid structure, stamped into the soft iron base under high pressure before being coated in PVD. The result? A texture that looks as good up close as it does from across the room. The rhodium-plated baton hands and applied markers filled with Super-LumiNova ensure you’ll have perfect legibility day or night – whether you’re checking the time in a boardroom or on a late-night drive down the coast.

Underneath all that good-looking design is some serious watchmaking muscle. The IWC-manufactured 32111 automatic calibre boasts 120 hours of power reserve and a soft-iron anti-magnetic inner case.

With a water resistance of 10 bar, this isn’t a watch that needs babying. And with a convex sapphire crystal with antireflective coating on both sides, you’ll always get a clear view of that stunning blue dial – no matter how bright the sun or how moody the lighting.