March 29, 2024
IWC Automatic 36 aviation watch

In this year’s SIHH, IWC had recreated an interesting reiteration of the Pilot’s Watch: the Automatic 36.

As its nomenclature suggests, this particular Pilot’s watch is fitted with a 36mm case. This is similar to the Pilot’s Watches that IWC had produced in the past, such as the likes of Mark XI and XII. In fact, the entire watch is a reminiscence of the earlier iterations of the Mark collection, with its timeless and clean aesthetics that were so popular with collectors and military users alike. However, before we continue to drone on and on about those classic IWC Pilot’s Watches, we shall put that aside and instead focus on the star of the show today.IWC Automatic 36 aviation watch

The Automatic 36, at the first glance, reminds us of either a reduced version of the Mark XVIII, or a modern version of the Mark XI or XII. It retains the classic, timeless design that has been featured on countless IWC Pilot’s Watches over the years. Interestingly, it does not look outdated, despite sharing similar aesthetics to watches that have been around for a good half a century. This perhaps can be attributed to the fact that it is a simple design, and one that will not go out of style or fashion. In fact, we think that such classic watches will retain the same looks many years down the road, as it was a few decades back.

The hands, notably, are similar to the ones that were fitted to the Mark XVIII. It is nice and definitely legible, but we feel that it would been a tad more fascinating if they had fitted the watch with rectangular hours hand and thin sword-like minutes hand that were similar to the ones that we have seen in the earlier iterations of the Mark series.Side of IWC Automatic 36 aviation watch 02

The watch comes with a few different dial variants, of which we actually prefer the grey dial version. It gives the watch a suave appearance, and we feel that the contrast is really beautiful on this one. Additionally, we think that the sunburst effect looks better on the grey dial as well.

The watch is powered by the Calibre 35111, which is based upon the Sellita SW300. The movement features a date indicator, and it boasts a decent power reserve of around 42 hours. It also features a central hacking seconds to ensure accuracy during adjustments.Side of IWC Automatic 36 aviation watch

The IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36 is an incredibly stunning watch, no doubts about that. We like its size, and the classic design that will remain in fashion in time to come. It is seemingly perfect, especially when the watch is paired with a nice suit.