As you can see from a comparison (above, the 2015 version on the left, the 2010 version on the right), the new reference IW3776 presented at SIHH in January by IWC Schaffhausen is not all that different from the previous version. The movement is the same 79091 calibre used in the 2010 Reference IW3774. The design changes include curved strap spring bars, eliminating the space between strap and space and enhancing the shape of the watch, blue hands for the chronograph functions, and the elimination of the globe pattern at the centre of the dial with lines of latitude and longitude. The strap is now made by Santoni, stitched with red gold or platinum thread according to the two watch versions (red gold or platinum case). The case is 45 mm in diameter, 16.5 mm thick, with 30 metres water resistance.
Perpetually complicated
The perpetual calendar keeps track of day, date, months and leap years, requiring correction only in 2100, 2200 and 2300, which would normally be leap years but in actual fact will only have 28 days in February. The century slide has the numbers permitting the correct year to be shown in full until 2499. The moon phase is a very good approximation and is accurate to 1 day every 122 years. All perpetual calendar adjustments are performed using the crown.
Minute repeater
The minute repeater functions conventionally, with two gongs, the lower gong chiming the hours, then the quarters sounded on both with double strikes, and lastly the minutes sounded on the higher-pitched gong. The repeater is activated using the slide on the left-hand side of the watch. Below, movement assembly, a photo (courtesy IWC) showing the two gongs.
Chronograph
The third function needed to give a watch the “grand complication” accolade is in this case the chronograph, measuring seconds with the central-sweep seconds hand, minutes on the 30-minute subdial at 12 o’clock, and up to 12 hours on the subdial at 6 o’clock. The three chronograph hands are in blued steel. The chronograph is controlled by the customary pushers, at 2 o’clock for start and stop, at 4 o’clock for reset.
Versions, price and availability
Reference IW377601 has a platinum case with black alligator strap, £189,000; reference IW377602 has a red gold case with brown alligator strap, £165,000. The calibre 79091 movement has 659 components, runs at 28,800 vph (4 Hertz) and is automatic, with a power reserve of 44 hours.
The watches are currently available from boutiques.Find boutiques at http://www.iwc.com/
Below, the watch has a solid caseback:
