Messages: 3005 Location: Bangkok
Registered: November 2003
Santa got all technical this year. He brought me an Ingenieur.
Tue, 25 December 2012 09:20
My watch fund is usually depleted by the third quarter when the year's releases begin to arrive at the boutiques or dealers. This year is pretty much the same for me. After taking delivery of two watches in April and September, the logical side of my brain said I've had enough. The other side, however, was full of the tendency to indulge. Besides, people said the world might end so why not add one more watch to the collection before anything could happen!
I have always liked the Ingenieur Mission Earth ever since its introduction. Collection stories aside, I was mostly drawn to how the "I" patterned dial of Ingenieur 3227 with only "12" and "6" numerals are matched with the red accented minute chapter of the titanium AMG version. The reason I did not buy the watch previously was the 46 mm. case size. I have tried the watch on several times to the conclusion that I am too skinny for the watch.
So I sat patiently, waiting for 2013 or a year when IWC will refresh the Ingenieur collection and perhaps downsize it a little bit to my comfort zone of 42-44 mm. Now it is clear the downsizing will be a tad too much for my liking at 40 mm. And I am quite sure I cannot be interested in the other 2013 models (save for the Dual Time perhaps) so I decided to grab the Mission Earth while it is still available.
Inspecting the watch up close through the macro lens, I asked myself why I waited for so long.
The addition of the crown guard is also welcome by me as I think it is nicely executed and serves a practical purpose.
I usually have a weak spot for fine brush finishing on the metalม especially when it is used in alternate with mirror finishing.
This is the only bracelet system in the world I can operate with confidence.
I really like how the watch hugs the wrist, as opposed to the GST Aquatimer I owned for a few years where the caseback was very thick. More importantly, with the bracelet properly sized, I no longer have that hesitation about the large size of the watch on my 6.5" wrist.
Please allow me to close with this family photo with my one and only other IWC watch I still own. One watch on bracelet. One watch on strap. I think I am pretty much covered here.
The problem now is the world didn't end and I will have to figure out very quickly how to pay my credit card debt. Time to go back to work then.
- Ruckdee