One could call 2011 the year of the IWC for me, and in a way, the year of the Ingenieur.
My first IWC was a Spitfire Chronograph (ref. 3706). For some years, it was my everyday watch. It came originally with a strap, and I added the bracelet after a few years.
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Then I began to add more watches to my collection, and the Spitfire Chrono wasn't getting worn as much -- until earlier this year when I decided to go back to the strap for a change of pace. So I ordered a new strap to replace the rather well worn original one, and ordered a deployment clasp as well. That gave my 3706 a new lease on life, and I remembered how very much I appreciated its clean lines and wonderfully legible and somewhat (to my mind) art deco dial.
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And this past August my wife and I made one of our period expeditions from our suburban/rural home to San Francisco. We dropped into a favorite watch dealer/jeweler, and I succumb to a Mark XVI Spitfire.
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I had caught the IWC fever.
Then not long ago, I dropped by another favorite dealer who always has some very nice pre-owned watches. There I found a ref. 3725 Ingenieur Chronograph (titanium for AMG) on a strap. Since I have the car, I had to buy the watch, and I told the story in this thread (www.iwc.com/forum/en/discussion/32419/).
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Later, on the suggestion or UK Greg, I ordered the bracelet.
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But as if all that wasn't enough, I still hadn't satisfied my desire for a Vintage Ingenieur. I had been hoping to find the rose gold.
But a couple of weeks ago my wife and I were back in the City (as we call San Francisco around here), and that dealer happened to have a Laureus in his case. That midnight blue dial is captivating. But I have to say that I wasn't fond of the blue strap. I was won over by his offer of a black IWC strap (and the half bottle of Veuve Cliquot he poured for us didn't hurt). The strap was ordered, and a couple of days ago we were back in the City to pick up my new Vintage Ingenieur Laureus with a black strap (and I have the blue strap as well).
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Now a couple of weeks ago, I had asked the fellow I had bought the AMG Chrono from to look for the companion titanium AMG Ingenieur Automatic (ref. 3227) on a bracelet. Last Friday he called to say he had found one. It was apparently like new. We agreed on a price. I gave him a credit card to charge a deposit, and if the watch was as described, it would be mine. The watch came in, and I paid him a visit last Wednesday. And there it was, a brand new, in box, all complete IWC ref, 3227 AMG Ingenieur Automatic, titanium on a bracelet.
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I don't think I'll be buying any more watches this year. In fact, I think it will be a while before I buy another watch. I'm fairly worn out. (But then I hear that IWC has some changes to the Pilot line coming up...so.....)
BTW, my 3706 went in for [overdue] routine service, so I'll be without it for a while. Nonetheless, I don't think I'll be having any trouble knowing what time it is.
