Feb
23

IWC Ingenieur and The Northern Lights

In points far north, from Alaska to Canada to Scandinavia, the Northern Lights are an annual phenomenon that draws crowds of onlookers. According to the Edmonton Journal, the Northern Lights have returned, as they do each winter, and are creating quite a spectacle. A beautiful show caused by sun storms and fluctuation in solar energy, the Lights can be anticipated with a variation in local magnetic fields.


It is just such a variation that IWC’s Ingenieur collection of watches was created to withstand, when it was launched in 1955 with the company’s first bidirectional automatic movement. However the technical ingenuity of the Ingenieur has progressed so far as to provide a timepiece built to overcome conditions similar to the Northern Lights.

 While the Ingenieur exudes an unrivaled technical prowess, it sprang from quiet beginnings. When launched in 1955 it was originally created with a soft-iron inner case (which provided the protection from magentic fields). Created for men braving the most dangerous conditions Earth has to offer, the Ingenieur was intended to be similarly humble yet hardy.

In 1976 the timepiece received a significant upgrade, when designer Gerald Genta created what became referred to as the Ingenieur SL (which stood for Safety and Longevity). The enhancements that came with the SL indeed provided both: while the standard for anti-magnetic watches is 4,800 amperes per meter, the SL delivered a watch that kept consistent time within 80,000 amperes per meter. No small feat, and one that stands today. The SL also brought 12 bar water resistance and new design details — both of which also remain.

Today the Ingenieur family continues to expand, with additions such as the Automatic Mission Earth. The name really says it all, but with a black rubber strap or stainless steel bracelet, antireflective glass and a integrated shock absorber, this watch is suited for any perilous adventure and has conquered it.


It is fitting that the lighting bolt is used as a symbol of the Ingenieur family, because like the Northern Lights it is a symbol of something both beautiful and powerful.

Notes

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