The IWC Mark XVI 3255: Something different.

Good evening to all, with the news that circuit breaker is going to be lifted in phases on June the 2nd, I for one, have grown a particular sub-character of hermit-life and hikiko-mori. Staying couped up at home has really benefitted me. A flurry of new ideas for the design part of the blog will be coming up shortly and feeling a sense of personal-development is what I will be saying if someone asked me about my time when I get back to school. I cannot say the same for my health though. For tonight, I will be reviewing this IWC Mark XVI 'spitifre' , a beauty in its own right but really not being able to fit in anywhere in the 21st century for watch collecting and I'll explain why. But for now, just sit back and relax as I try my best to drain this mug of coffee dry and make this interesting.

The IWC Mark XVI (16) reference 3255-01 is a 39 millimetre 'pilots' watch. It features Arabic numerals and a triangular lume plot at the 12 O'clock with a beautiful almost sunburst-like black dial that produces a stunning blue hue at certain angles. Of course nowadays, real pilots do not use mechanical watches due to the advances of avionics and Global-positioning systems (GPS) that in essence, allow the plane to fly itself. Not to downplay a pilots job, one of the reasons why they get a hefty paycheck because the passengers lives are in their hands. However, this watch is a direct descendant of the watches that German pilots would wear over the skies of Europe, in battles of epic proportions like Battle Of Britain. If you'd just neglect the fact that they where under Nazi fascist rule, these pilots had to rely on shear skill and work with the information they got from their watches and other analog instruments in order to be lethal and effective against their enemy, making them true professionals of their craft but, I digress.

The watch is coupled with an added-on IWC original riveted pilot strap, giving it an elevated historic-vintage feel. Being surprisingly light on my wrist even though it is an automatic watch with a rotor makes it a great daily-wear. The crocodile strap is rigid but will get flexible and forms around the shape of your wrist after a while. Being derived from past pilot watches, the case has the iconic military vibe, with its instantly recognizable lug shapes and functional design. This creates a holistic package of a product that focuses on the key needs of the user, to read the time quickly and be inconspicuous. The contrast of white indices with the black background creates a sharp and crisp image, with the relatively large numerals removing the need for the user to use precious milliseconds to figure out the time. The date window is border-less and seamlessly integrates into the dial itself, creating a sense of unity that will not mislead. With the triangular lume plots and lume-filled hands, legibility in low-light conditions are possible. Hence, in essence, the dial is uncluttered and straight to the point, a testament to IWC's objectives of following its roots and style that it is well-known for.

As for the inconspicuous theme, the casing's brushed stainless steel produces a matte finish fitting excellently well with the sapphire crystal that has been treated with anti-reflective coating , creating an ominous looking timepiece that might shock some who do not know the brand or its iconic design. With the omission of a bracelet and low-profile silhouette, this IWC creates a pure WW2 watch look, akin to those of the Dirty Dozen, where the grit and straight-forward nature takes over the elegance of the movement and craftsmanship. Staying true to the aesthetic is very prevalent in IWC watches and it is their way of saying how can we make sure that people understand our heritage through our new watches. In essence, IWC watches of the 21st century are more of homages to themselves of the past. Their newest watches now have in-house movements but it is clear to everyone that IWC is trying their very best to cater to cater to a specific group of watch enthusiast with their newest Spitfire watch being loaded with foetina and an Olive drab NATO strap. This new direction of heritage that emulates from iconic planes are just the few ways that IWC is wrinkling its towel of all their marketing ideas from their own understanding of their customers.

However, all this is just the sad truth that IWC's relevancy is slowly shrinking due to its uncommon place in today’s watch buying public. With a watch like an IWC, one must try to categorize it into the plethora of other watches (diver, dress, etc) and try to fit it into the grand scheme of things which is an individuals life. Frankly, as watch design evolves to the likes of Ming Watches and Richard Mille that integrate many aspects of futurism and innovation in their design, IWC will soon become old-fashioned and a fragment of its former self. This can be clearly seen by the drop in demand for IWC watches in recent years in resale or boutique, their astronomical price tag for reissued designs becoming less appealing and almost unfathomable when other alternatives can perform as well. The Mark XVI is the last of the few 'spitfire' variant watches that really retains a certain charm, the charm of balancing the iconic 'throwback' design but not overdoing the vintage aura. This truly is a unique watch.