Spitfire 3878 received an downgrade?

Just noted that the new Spitfire chrono seems to sport an ETA similar to the 3777 ... Strange thought process, I would guess they will receive a price cut as well then?
Any thoughts out there?

I think it is a pity this happened, and am glad I got my 3878 on the bracelet: a perfect looking watch. A thought crossed my mind: because of the success of the CF3 IWC might not see a big enough market for a prolonged 3878.

The only pilot's watches with the in-house chrono are the ones with the ceramic-like cases, the 3890 and the 3880. They have the chrono movement 89361, with the hour hand on the counter: apparently the cheaper 89365 without that hour hand has gone.

Kind regards,
Paul

I don't see how the CF3 would influence the market for the 3878. Only around 250 made? I wonder whether this move was known and incorporated in the choice for the CF3 though, seeing this move makes that limited model kind of more special.

I don't know how many regular 3878's were sold. Every product has a life cycle, and if sales of this regular 3878's were already a bit slow, the CF3 would make it even slower: a significant group of potential buyers of the regular one was suddenly serviced. I think the number of 250 pieces is big enough to influence the decision. Somewhere I read that the watches were built in batches of 800 pieces, then the question was whether it was worth while to make another batch. Apparently not.

But it is maybe more likely that the 89365 movement went a bit slow, so it was discontinued, and with it the 3878. Maybe these two possible developments had a strengthening influence on each other, and the final decision.

Kind regards,
Paul

I think it's not the market only that let this decision be made. On the middle run the 7750 will go and the 69xxx will come. Better a step down now and a step up later with the in-house enter-class movement than a step-down than. (Cal. 69xxx is ranked under the 89xxx.) Just pure speculation of course.
BTW: There would be a demand on normal-size chronographs again too... (40-41 mm, Fliegerchrono, Aquatimer chrono etc.)
Best,
Robert

The Spitfire has also had somewhat of an aesthetic downgrade to my mind as well with a loss of the applied markers/numerals.

Still a very nice watch though...

Regards

Peter

Well, is the glass half full or half empty?
Half empty: The wonderful 3878 Spitfire is discontinued. That is sad for me personally, as it was my very first IWC watch.
Half full: The 3878 lives on as the Edition Ju Air, also a beautiful watch. And the classic 3777 got a Spitfire sister. A very nice design at an interesting price point, at least compared to the pricetag of the 3878.

Seeing all the Spitfire has lost, is it still worth the 'Spitfire' label? It is just a pilot chrono with a grey dail.

I also think that the applied numerals have really always belonged to all Spitfire Chronos, from the very beginning, both on the 3706 and 3717 models (silver and black dials) and of course the 3878 (ardoise dial).