The Timezoner was first presented by IWC in 2016 as the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Chronograph ref. IW395001 and is the first world timer in the world where the user can set a new time zone using just the bezel. The hour hand, 24-hour display, and the date also move automatically. No other watch manufacturer has ever succeeded in making a world-time watch that is so simple and practical. Then in 2019, the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Spitfire Edition ‘The Longest Flight’ was released without the chronograph function. Earlier this year, IWC presented the Pilot’s Watch Timezoner ‘Le Petit Prince’ edition, and now right before the end of the year, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner returns in a ‘TOP GUN’ edition cloaked in a full black Ceratanium case.

The new IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner TOP GUN Ceratanium features IWC’s special alloy that combines titanium with ceramics —similar in properties to the pioneering Cermet alloy released almost a decade ago by Audemars Piguet. Ceratanium is light and robust like titanium and, at the same time, similarly hard and scratch-resistant like ceramic.

The new Timezoner TOP GUN Ceratanium is equipped with a case measuring 46 mm in diameter and 15 mm in thickness, a black matte dial with light grey —almost white— Arabic numerals, a black ceramic bezel matching the color of the case, and a black rubber strap with a black nylon insert.

The IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner is the only watch that enables the user to set another time zone together with the date and 24-hour hand, in a single movement by rotating the bezel. The patented Timezoner mechanism is powered by an automatic IWC in-house movement making it a very functional and quite good-looking stealthy timepiece. If tomorrow you were part of a Spec-Ops somewhere around the world, most likely you’d love to have this watch on your wrist. The rotating ceramic bezel is very easy to operate and is matte finished with the 24 cities in white offering a very easy-to-read world time display. The bezel and case have a nice graphite grey color that blends nicely with the matte black dial.

The Pilot’s Watch Timezoner TOP GUN Ceratanium also solves the problem of summertime time zones since not all time zones in the world recognize summertime. Some places in the southern hemisphere put their clocks/watches back at precisely the time those in the northern half of the globe are putting theirs forward. Therefore, if you wish to see what the time is in Rio with a conventional world time watch, it is almost certain to be wrong. For this reason, the rotating bezel has a small “S” to indicate the names of cities that recognize summertime, such as London, Los Angeles, Anchorage, and Denver amongst others.

The IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner TOP GUN Ceratanium is available in a limited edition of only 500 pieces and is one of the nicest watches we’ve seen recently released by IWC. The world timer complication is totally controlled by the bezel and not the crown and all you need to do is push the bezel down, turn it to the desired time zone, and release it. It’s as simple as that.

The minute and hour hands display the local time while the 24-hour arch indication aperture at 12 o’clock shows the home time on the selected time zone. The date display is also synchronized correctly, regardless of whether the watch is advanced or turned back, and whether the 24-hour hand passes midnight.

The Movement

Powering the IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner TOP GUN Ceratanium is the newly developed IWC automatic in-house calibre 82760 with Pellaton winding system with components made from wear-resistant ceramic and with a power reserve of 60 hours. The movement is protected by a case back with slightly smoked sapphire crystal and the watch is water-resistant to 60 meters.

On the Wrist & Price

On the wrist, the IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner TOP GUN Ceratanium wears slightly smaller than its actual 46 mm size and is quite comfortable. Thanks to its graphite grey —almost black— case and bezel the watch is very stealthy super cool-looking. For the price, it really doesn’t get much better. This is a watch that ticks all the boxes. The watch is available in a limited edition of 500 pieces.

Sticker Price $16,900 USD. For more info on IWC click here.