If you want to see what other changes have been made to the new Aquatimer Auto you’ll have to look under its hood because the Aquatimer is now powered by an IWC-manufactured 32111 caliber.
This rugged and reliable new movement uses (for the first time) components made of silicon. The escape wheel and pallet lever are also made of this incredibly wear-resistant material.
A bidirectional pawl-winding system supplies the energy required by the movement providing a power-reserve of 120-hours.
In addition to the Si components, the service life of the mechanical components has been further increased with the use of newly developed lubricants.
Oddly there are absolutely no exterior indications on the Aquatimer Auto’s dial or case-back to signify that the new 32111 caliber is within.
However a side by side comparison (old and new) will reveal a change in dial text / logo font sizes here and there. Also a blue dial is now a permanent option alongside black.
The Aquatimer Automatic is otherwise unchanged with its 42-millimeter case made of corrosion-resistant Stainless steel that is water-resistant to 300m.
All diving-relevant indications on its black or blue dial are coated with luminous material to ensure optimum legibility under water.
The watch’s innovative external/internal rotating bezel combines ease of use with safety. The rotation of the external bezel is transmitted via a sliding clutch system to the internal bezel.
The SafeDive system ensures that the inner ring with the dive time scale always rotates counterclockwise.
Therefore, even in the event of an unintentional adjustment, the dive time can never be extended, and the diver's safety is guaranteed at all times.
Thanks to the IWC quick-change system, the black or blue rubber strap can be exchanged for another bracelet effortlessly. MSRP is 6’400CHF (rubber) 7’400 (steel).
Thoughts? Is it a question of - it ain’t broke don’t fix it – or is this a bit of an underwhelming update. I think they could have should have done a bit more.
I would imagine the lume was at least updated but surely they could have made a few more tweaks. What do you think?
A quick-micro-adjust clasp on the steel bracelet, and a folding clasp for the rubber. Disappearing of the thingy at nine. And that's it. And a thinner case, even if WR is lower.
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