IWC Ingenieur’s Latest Incarnation Wins Hearts with a Breathtaking Blue Dial

The Ingenieur was introduced in 1955, with IWC's first in-house automatic movement, Pellaton winding, and a soft-iron inner case to guard it against magnetic fields. Despite being a technical milestone, it is almost always referenced alongside Gérald Genta, widely regarded as the most influential watch designer of all time. Genta re-designed the Ingenieur SL in the 1970s, and its bold aesthetic codes and distinct visual character have continued to define the collection. This ingenious tool was specifically designed for professionals who were exposed to powerful magnetic fields in their area of work, such as engineers, technicians, physicists, chemists, and doctors. 

Following a titanium version and three stainless steel editions in black, silver, and aqua blue, IWC has now released Ingenieur Automatic 40 (Ref. IW328907) with a classic blue watch face. In other words, the watchmaker has added the traditional blue colour to the collection while carrying forward the Ingenieur legacy. It may be noted here that IWC re-introduced the Ingenieur Automatic 40 in 2023, reflecting the bold aesthetic codes of Genta’s Ingenieur design.

Blue dials on watches have attracted enthusiasts and collectors for decades. It is a rich, adaptable colour that expresses refinement, and stands out in different lighting conditions, ranging from a deep navy to a vivid azure, depending on the perspective and finish. Because of their versatility, blue dials are a popular choice among watchmakers for expressing originality; sometimes, these are paired with sunburst patterns, enamel finishes or gradient designs. In the case of the latest IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 variant, the blue dial features the distinctive Grid structure, which consists of small lines, offset to each other by 90 degrees, and squares stamped into the soft iron base, using high pressure. Afterwards, the blue colour is applied with a PVD coating. 

The 40 mm watch features a case, bezel, and crown with guards at 3 o’clock, made of stainless steel with polished and satin-finished surfaces. The characteristic round bezel is screwed onto the casing ring with five polygonal screws. The rhodium-plated baton hour, minute and second hands, and the applied metal hour markers on the dial are all filled with a Super-LumiNova® luminescent mass to ensure perfect legibility in all lighting conditions. Matching the colour of the dial is the date window at 3 o’clock with white numerals. 

The watch is powered by IWC-manufactured 32111 calibre, a self-winding automatic movement with an efficient double-pawl winding system. Converting the movements of the wearer’s arm into potential energy for the mainspring, it reliably builds up a power reserve of 120 hours or five days. In keeping with the technical heritage of the Ingenieur, a soft-iron inner case shields the movement from the effects of magnetic fields on the watch’s rate. Turning the watch showcases the closed stainless steel caseback. Finishing the timepiece is an integrated stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp.