The Collector’s Nook – Discussing the IWC Deep One IW3527

The fourth entry in The Collector’s Nook sees us returning to IWC, and although the corporate would possibly greatest be recognized for its pilot’s watches, we’re taking a plunge into the depths right this moment. There are dive watches, and there are DIVE watches – the latter refers to watches which can be so over-engineered that they’re principally a chunk of survival equipment in their very own proper. The IWC Deep One is a DIVE watch, and it’s our topic right this moment. And it’s one of the crucial fascinating, instrumental, and collectable watches of the model. 

Background

We took a have a look at IWC’s historical past main as much as the quartz disaster in our first put up in The Collector’s Nook earlier than we dove deeper into the pivotal position Günter Blümlein performed in shaping what we all know as the fashionable IWC. As a substitute of treading that very same floor (or water – okay, I’ll cease with the puns now!) once more, allow us to have a look at some traces of sports activities watches that emerged on this period. 

IWC’s collaboration with Porsche Design was its saving grace after the onset of the quartz disaster. Beginning with the Compass Watch, an avant-garde built-in bracelet watch made solely of aluminium, the watches within the Porsche Design assortment cemented IWC’s stature as an innovator within the watch house, significantly when it got here to utilizing sci-fi supplies. Together with the bread-and-butter quartz and base mechanical fashions that enabled IWC’s monetary viability, the GST served as a launchpad for a number of halo efforts such because the 1980 Titan Chronograph, the world’s first manufacturing titanium wristwatch, and the 1982 Ocean 2000, a record-breaking dive watch that was so sturdy it was additionally commissioned by the German navy. 

After IWC’s 20-year collaboration with Porsche Design got here to an in depth in 1997, it was clear the corporate wanted one thing to fill the hole in its product portfolio. The GST was IWC’s resolution. Introduced to the general public in September 1997, the gathering was named after “gold, metal, titanium”, the three case metals during which the gathering can be provided. The GST line spanned chronographs, alarm watches, and the GST Aquatimer, the one mannequin within the assortment with an exterior rotating bezel. In 2001, extra problems had been added, particularly the rattrapante chronograph and the perpetual calendar, earlier than the gathering was renamed the “Aquatimer” in 2004, a improvement that additionally noticed all problems however the chronograph disappear from the line-up. 

A quick have a look at IWC’s dive watches

The archetypal dive watch was born in 1953, with the arrival of the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, the Rolex Submariner and the Zodiac Seawolf. With out spending any time on the talk of which of those watches got here first, suffice to say that IWC was late to the celebration. The corporate’s first true dive watch was the Aquatimer ref. 812 AD of 1967; it was water resistant to 200 meters with an inside rotating timing bezel and a supercompressor-style double crown case. 

With the daybreak of the Porsche Design period in IWC’s historical past and extra strong monetary footing, IWC developed the Reference 3500, the Ocean 2000. This was a radical watch – crafted solely in titanium, with an built-in bracelet to match and water resistance of two,000 meters – the Ocean 2000 was an engineering feat. What’s much more spectacular is that the substantial water-resistance was achieved with out using a helium escape valve and inside a skinny, compact case. Following the corporate’s ethos, the engineers reasoned that there was no want for a helium escape valve if the watch was designed so nicely that helium didn’t enter within the first place (take that, Rolex!).

The IWC Deep One Reference IW3527 – The fundamentals

Once you take a primary have a look at the IWC Deep One, you might be forgiven for pondering that you simply had been taking a look at some form of chronograph. Three crowns, examine. Centrally mounted arms, examine. The reality is definitely way more attention-grabbing, however let’s get the specs out of the best way first. 

Born in 1999, the Deep One measures 42.8mm in diameter 14.75mm in top. There’s something extremely purposeful and industrial in regards to the watch, which is heightened by the darkish tone of the bead-blasted titanium that’s used for all exterior surfaces. The case center has a little bit of a tuna-can look: the perimeters are sheer, and the case appears moderately like a canister to which lugs have been welded on. In profile, the lugs themselves are quick and angular, jutting sharply out from the case, with a slight downward slant that resembles that of the lugs of a Patek Philippe 3448 (I do know, unusual comparability!). In brief, the look is unabashedly tool-like. 

The lugs proceed seamlessly in a bracelet design borrowed from the GST assortment. The 2-link bracelet design options distinguished H-shaped essential hyperlinks held along with narrower rectangular hyperlinks. The built-in bracelet tapers from the lugs to a twin-trigger folding clasp. A spotlight of the bracelet is the quick-release system: every of the hyperlinks has a small dimple on its underside. Utilizing the instruments provided with the watch, the dimple may be depressed, which releases the bar holding the hyperlink in place.

Coming to the dial, the very first thing you discover is how deep it’s. Let’s begin from the within and work our method out. IWC’s no-nonsense white on black printing is the star of the present – the look is purposeful and extremely legible. A date window is tucked away neatly (and discretely, due to white on black printing) at 3 o’clock. Unconventionally for a dive watch, there’s a small operating seconds indicator at 6 o’clock. Shifting to the dished flange across the dial, we have now a standard rotating countdown bezel. The choice to make use of an inside rotating bezel was a aware one: inside bezels are shielded from unintended changes to the dive timer and are, in idea at the least, safer. Final however not least, we come to a monitor that’s labelled “METER” and goes as much as 45. That is the depth show, and it may be learn along with the 2 skeletonized arrow arms on the centre. 

Of the 2 arms, the one in white measures the diver’s present depth and rotates clockwise because the diver descends and counter-clockwise because the diver ascends. The yellow hand, however, acts as a measure of the utmost dive depth. Principally, whereas the white hand can transfer up or down the depth gauge, the yellow hand sticks in place till a brand new max dive depth has been achieved. 

Now, in regards to the three sharpy-knurled crowns of the IWC Deep One IW3527, additionally in titanium. The highest-most crown is used to set the dive bezel. This crown is unidirectional and has one-minute clicks. IWC developed an extra fail-safe system to forestall precise shortening of the dive time: when the watch is submerged past a number of meters, the exterior strain acts on the crown and deactivates it. This crown has one other trick up its sleeve. Urgent it resets the utmost depth gauge. The center crown is engraved with IWC’s historic fish image (the sought-after fish crown) and is used to set the time and date. Lastly, we come to the decrease crown. Pushing the crown resets the calibration of the depth arms to zero, which turns into needed for high-altitude diving (suppose mountain lakes). Shut inspection of the crown reveals 9 small holes drilled into it. That is the Deep One’s true celebration trick and is the key behind the depth gauge. 

Underpinning the depth gauge is a mechanism named after the French scientist Eugène Bourdon in 1849. A Bourdon tube is a thin-walled metallic tube that permits the entry of strain into it: as strain enters the system, the metallic tube straightens. This motion is transmitted by way of a lever to the dial facet of the system displaying the strain. 

To translate the identical precept to a depth gauge: as an alternative of letting strain enter the gauge, it permits water to enter a sealed tube – because the tube fills with water, it straightens; in shallower water, it coils tighter. The motion of the tube is transmitted by way of a toothed rack system (such as you would discover in a retrograde complication) to the dial of the gauge. The utmost depth studying of 45 meters of the Deep One is linked to the Bourdon tube’s traits – the system is most correct at depths of 40 meters or much less. 

The selection of the bottom motion was a vital one – the ébauche needed to be slim sufficient to permit for the depth gauge mechanism to be mounted dial-side and sturdy sufficient for the Deep One’s rough-and-tumble vocation. That is additionally the explanation why IWC engineers opted out of a central seconds hand – the ensuing motion would merely have been too thick. 

Each Jaeger-LeCoultre and IWC had been headed by Günter Blümlein on the time, which allowed belongings to be shared between the sister manufacturers. IWC determined to make use of a JLC calibre 891, a fantastic and skinny computerized base motion with 36 jewels, beating at 28,800 beats per hour over its 38h energy reserve. With IWC’s modifications, the motion grew to become the IWC calibre 8914.

Why do you have to take into account the IWC Deep One?

The IWC Deep One IW3527 was produced for under two quick mannequin years, and although there aren’t any official manufacturing figures, the estimates fall nicely wanting 1,000 items. Although it’s not clear why manufacturing was halted a mere two years in, it’s probably that the manufacture of the total titanium case and sophisticated mechanics was merely not economical in comparison with watches in treasured metallic, even given the stately worth of EUR 10,600 in 1999 (slightly below EUR 16,000 right this moment after adjusting for inflation). The rarity and area of interest attraction of the Deep One has led to appreciable appreciation, significantly prior to now three years. Whereas this reference IW3527 might be had for beneath EUR 10,000 three years in the past, anticipate to pay greater than double that for a full set now (anticipate round 25k). IWC continued the lineage of its depth gauge dive watches with the Aquatimer Deep Two of 2009, and the Aquatimer Deep Three of 2014. Nonetheless, the fashionable Deep iterations had been produced in far increased volumes than their namesake. Additionally, they appear to observe the maxim of “larger is best” and, at 47mm-48mm, are far too massive to be worn in a day-to-day setting (by yours really, at the least!). 

Usually, when speaking about dive watches, the conservation typically steers towards the depth ranking of the watch in query. A standard viewpoint is {that a} increased depth ranking robotically implies a greater dive watch. 300 meters, 500 meters, 1,000 meters; after some extent, all these measurements turn into tutorial, particularly contemplating that the protected dive depth for leisure diving tops out at 40 meters. The Deep One, rated at a “mere” 100 meters, wouldn’t win this combat. 

On the similar time, nonetheless, the Deep One needs to be one of the crucial purpose-built dive watches the world has seen. Each facet of the design appears to have been pored over. Take the case materials, for instance. Titanium is notoriously troublesome to machine but additionally has the identical power as all however the strongest metal alloys whereas being 45% much less dense, resulting in a terrific strength-to-density ratio. Titanium can be proof against corrosion (at all times a pleasant factor to have in dive watches) and is hypoallergenic. The truth that its gunmetal hue appears cool additionally doesn’t damage! The dial is a case research in legibility – white on black print makes for a clear look, regardless of all the data on show. A very powerful markers are highlighted in sign yellow, which is actually purposeful, but additionally provides a splash of color to what would in any other case be a design some would go as far as to name boring. 

In brief, the whole lot about this watch is designed in such a method as to maintain you alive within the occasion your digital dive pc fails. I feel there’s one thing comforting about the truth that an out of date piece of timekeeping expertise paired with a depth-measuring expertise from the mid-19^th century has been constructed to outlast essentially the most superior expertise. 

The record of equipment the Deep One got here with additionally hammers that time residence. The complete set got here along with your standard bonuses, akin to an extra textile strap and bracelet sizing instruments. Nonetheless, the true spotlight was an aluminium pump that might be used to examine the proper functioning of the watch’s dive counters earlier than a dive! IWC actually spared no expense to make the final word dive watch. And this mixture of ultra-instrumental conception and rarity makes for a real collector’s piece.