Behold the new IWC Ingenieur Carbon Performance replica limited edition (Ref. 3224) watch. If you keep an eye on fresh products from IWC and are also a fan of the world’s most popular racing series, you probably know that the Swiss watchmaker sponsors the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team and have probably noticed the gorgeous, cool as Arctic ice IWC Ingenieur Racer Automatic Chronograph that was announced back in December, 2012. Well, it seems that the brand decided not to limit its onslaught to just one F1-themed watch.

Five years ago a proof-of-concept Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Carbon Concept Tourbillon and Chronograph watch was released that had its body and even parts of mechanism crafted from forged carbon fiber.

It is not the first time that a major Swiss watchmaking brand offers a watch that has most of its parts crafted of high-tech carbon-fiber material.

IWC Ingenieur Carbon Performance Limited Edition (Ref. 3224) automatic wrist watch

Heck! Even Graham started manufacturing its Chronofighter Oversize Score Baja 1000 limited edition watch that had its signature trigger-style chronograph push-piece made of carbon.

In 2010, Hublot, which is also known for its passion for non-traditional, high-tech materials, introduced an ultra-expensive Hublot King Power Ayrton Senna Limited Edition model that, too, combined carbon-fiber with scratch-proof ceramic.

Well, it looks like IWC was certainly pushed hard.

IWC Ingenieur Carbon Performance Limited Edition (Ref. 3224, front view)

Judging by their official press release and high-resolution images that accompanied it, the new IWC Ingenieur Carbon fiber copy watch has almost all of its visible parts made from so called “wet” carbon fiber. Although clearly not as cutting-edge as the aforementioned forged carbon (which is considerably lighter, but is also easier to shatter), the material is still as light as a feather and looks almost as cool as Halle Berry.

Used to make the bezel, the (outer?) body and even the dial face, the material is combined with matte black ceramic (crown and crown guards), as well as titanium (screws and case back ring).

IWC Ingenieur Carbon Performance Limited Edition (Ref. 3224, dial)

So far, the watch is planned to be issued in two versions that will only differ from each other with colors chosen for stitching and minute track numerals. Available with either red (ref. IW322402) or yellow (ref. IW322401) accents, the each version will be issued in only 100 individually numbered pieces.

The materials provide enough contrast for their well-known IWC Caliber 80110 in-house automatic caliber that features a somewhat kitschy oscillating weight decorated with three stylized motor pistons. I am not really sure, but it looks like the parts of the “pistons” are crafted from white gold or some other relatively heavy metal to ensure better, more efficient winding of the mechanism.

 

IWC Ingenieur Carbon Performance Limited Edition (Ref. 3224, ceramic crown)

I mean, a watch crafted from gold will retain its value for a really long time (well, at least before they have discovered a low-cost lead transmutation technology, which still seems to be reasonably far away), while costs of forged carbon fiber, ceramic and all that are mainly dictated by advances in available technology and there is a good chance that in twenty years or so watches crafted from carbon fiber will sell a dime a dozen, like it happened with plastic that was kind of expensive back in fifties.

 

Well, a luxury wristwatch was never a good investment anyway.

See also: IWC Ingenieur Titanium Doppel-Chronograph (Ref. 3765)

IWC Ingenieur Carbon Performance Limited Edition (Ref. 3224, sapphire back)

IWC Ingenieur Carbon Performance Limited Edition (Ref. 3224, caliber 80110)

Photos: IWC

IWC Ingenieur Carbon Performance (Ref. IW322401 and IW322402) watch specification

Price: $26,500 (MSRP)
Movement: Automatic, IWC Caliber 80110, in-house, Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 28
Movement frequency: 28,800 vph
Power reserve: 44 hours
Movement decoration: Geneva stripes, perlage, skeletonized oscillating weight
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Case material: Black carbon
Bezel material: Matches case
Crown material: Black ceramic
Case shape: Round
Bezel shape: Round
Case size: 46.00 mm
Case height: 14.50 mm
Lug width: No data
Dial: Black carbon
Numerals: Arabic, luminous
Hour markers: Luminous
Hands: Black, luminous
Water resistance: 120 meters
Strap: Black rubber strap with textile inlay with yellow or red nylon stitching depending on the model
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective on both sides
Case back: Sapphire

What really worries me here is the price. According to the Swiss IWC Ingenieur Carbon Performance copy watchmaker, they plan to offer these beauties with MSRP of $26,500, which sounds a bit impressive even despite the high-tech material they used for the model.