I’ve had this guy for a while, but never really wrote up a review on it. I did post a video review of is a ways back, but never got around to posting the real deal. I shot some photos of it with my dSLR and just ran into them while sorting my photographs this morning and figured this would make a nice Sunday Morning post.

The color is a bit off on these first two photos, and isn’t a correct representation of the true color like the last two photos are. I generally do prefer the Stainless models but the Titanium is quite slick with its darker color and its not every watch you see that’s available in both Titanium and Stainless so sometimes its good to get something different.

The case measures a healthy 42.5mm, and has non-standard lugs, so only bracelets and straps designed for the Ingenieur specificially will fit on it. The thickness is 14.5mm, so it does have good wrist presence. The watch wears quite large for its measurements in my opinion, and feels similar in size to a Breitling Chronomat 44.

Another shot of the pusher side of this watch shows the unique pushers which are hinged on one side so only push in near the middle. A nice subtle touch. The watch also features an IWC Calibre 79350 movement, which is a modified ETA (Valjoux) 7750 movement, with the seconds moved to the 6 o’clock subdial and the date removed. The Chronograph measures seconds and minutes only. This watch keeps excellent time, within 1 second per day and is anti-magnetic as well.

From the size you can see IWC’s bracelet removal system for the Ingenieur, which allows the bracelet to be removed with two toothpicks if you wanted to. Very nice system. The AR coated sapphire crystal is flat, and provides fantastic visibility in bright light. Lume, on the other hand, is nothing to write home about.

Clasp is a fold-over style with hidden button release on the side. A very nicely articulated titanium bracelet, very smooth and comfortable – so comfortable that I would say this is possibly the most comfortable bracelet I’ve ever worn and I’ve worn a lot. In general this watch is an absolute joy to wear and put on. While lighter because of the titanium, it is not as light as many titanium watches such as the Breitling Aerospace. This one is a keeper!

Breitling for Bentley releases a watch to commemorate the Ice Speed Record broken by the Continental GTC Supersports. That carbon fibre dial is insane, and the watch definately has very definite Sportscar inspired styling. The watch also features a Titanium case, same as the one featured on the Supersports Lightbody as well as the same color scheme. It also features a Breitling Caliber 27B movement, and a cool Carbon Fiber dial.

The record-breaking tribute watch.

ISR. Ice Speed Record. On February 18th 2011, in the north of Finland, a special version of the Bentley Continental GTC Supersports convertible set a new ice speed record at 205.46 mph (330.695 km/h). In thereby testing its fastest and most reliable car ever in such extreme conditions, Bentley once again proved its supremacy in terms of technology and engine performance. Strapped firmly to the wrist of driver Juha Kankkunen was the new Bentley Supersports Light Body. In tribute to this milestone in automobile history, Breitling for Bentley has created a limited edition of the watch that was part of the record-breaking achievement and named it Bentley Supersports ISR. Embodying a blend of British chic and Swiss expertise, this high-performance chronograph is distinguished by its light and sturdy titanium chassis, its red-accented dashboard-style carbon fiber dial and its raised knurled bezel reflecting the style of Bentley control buttons. Its selfwinding “motor” chronometer-certified by the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute) drives a highly ingenious double-counter system and a twin-handed totalizer serving to read off the elapsed hours and minutes at a glance, just as one reads the time on a watch. Issued in a 100-piece limited series, this commemorative watch will be exclusively available to the one hundred privileged purchasers of the Continental Supersports Convertible ISR – the commemorative edition celebrating the original car that accomplished the record-breaking feat, and of which the outline is engraved on the watch caseback.

Specs:

Breitling Calibre 27B, officially chronometer-certified by the COSC, selfwinding, high-frequency (28,800 vibrations per hour), 38 jewels. 1/4th of a second chronograph, central 60-minute totalizer, combined 60-minute and 12-hour totalizer. Calendar.

Titanium Case, 100-piece limited edition featuring a carbon fiber dial. Water-resistant to 100 m. Screw-locked crown. Bidirectional rotating pinion bezel with variable tachometer (circular slide rule). Cambered sapphire crystal, glareproofed on both sides. Diameter: 49 mm.

This is a little crazy looking for me, but hey, I’m sure there are many folks out there willing to shell out $16,500USD (15,000CHF) for an iridescent watch. Nothing like taking what is already a pretty funky looking watch, and making it funkier!

From Graham:
The multitude of colours is hypnotic. The iridescence of the Swordfish Booster Iris, similar to the most beautiful natural wonders, is eye-catching. Do you know what Iris means in Latin?

Rainbow.

This rainbow effect is not due to pigment but interferences of light. It means that light waves interfere with one another on a surface refracting parts of the spectrum which create the iridescent colors. You have probably already seen it in a soap bubble or in an oil stain on a wet pavement but it results from a high-technological process.

The change of colours is also due to the extremely complex composition of the layers’ oxide. The steel case and components have been placed in big vacuums producing plasma reaction.

This unique coating contains multi-layered structures that provide thin-film interference. The thickness across the surface causes changes of colours in reflected light. Iridescence adds a new dimension to “surface”.

Graham Swordfish Booster Iris

Functions
Chronograph (seconds, 30 minutes and 12 hours counter) Hours, minutes, seconds

Calibre
Calibre G1710, automatic bi-compax chronograph, 28’800 A/h (4 Hz), Incabloc shock absorber
34 jewels
Power reserve: 48 hours

Case
48 mm steel case with black PVD coating and interferential substrate (iridescent effect) with two portholes at 3 and 9 o’clock
Steel right hand control pushers with “Clous de Paris” high grip pattern
Steel bezel with black PVD coating and interferential substrate (iridescent effect)
Flat sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating
See-through sapphire crystal case back, screwed-down case back

Water Resistance
330 feet / 100 m

Dial
Black mother-of-pearl dial. Hours and minutes black snailed counters. Counters are magnified by 15%.
Skeleton central hands with black tip, black numerals and indexes, black seconds hand, grey hours, minutes counters’ and chrono hands

Strap
Integrated green croco
Black ceramic pin buckle

Price
15’000 CHF

As many of you know, Wyler shut its doors about two years ago due to the economic downturn and its inability to keep up in the marketplace. The reality is that no one really wanted to pay $15,000 for a watch with a nearly bone-stock ETA 2894-2 movement in it. So now we are seeing the watches pop up online and on eBay for around $2200-3000 in their basic models.

As you can see from the above, I bought two! I really love the look of the Code-R Chronos, and they come in tons of different configurations. I actually changed the strap on the white dialed model to a black rubber strap, and like it much better. I generally prefer the rubber straps on these I think – Suits the style much better. These watches feature suspension-mounted movements in high-tech titanium and carbon fiber cases, but are available in many different types of materials including gold, tantalum and ceramic.

As you can see, the brown one features a brown rubber strap that has what looks like a tire-tread pattern on it to give it a sporty look. The four screws visible from the top of the case hold springs that the central round part of the watch sits on, giving the watch a suspension system, similar to that which is found on some Formex watches, though somewhat more refined.

The brown dial is metallic, almost like what some call “Liquid Copper”. Lume is limited to a small portion of the hands and is not especially bright, but is bright enough for regular limited use. Watches are all completely Swiss Made, with quality components. The crown guard is an interested innovation they use, and differs from others in that it pulls out and pops into place and feels very well made. Everything about the watch is very well made, but since it is no longer in production, replacement parts may be hard to find.

The white dial is a glossy white, with black chrome applied indexes. Another interesting feature is that the crown is surrounded in rubber, like the tire of a car. It makes turning the crown much easier since it is partially obscured by the crown protector. The calf leather strap that came with the watch waas very soft and easy to scratch.

Overall, I really dig my two Wyler Code-R’s. For the price that they are available at now, they are a good value if you like the style. The watches are well-made and the fit and finish is a very high level. The movements, while stock ETA 2894-2’s, do have a black chromed rotor which looks pretty nice. I wouldn’t pay anywhere near what the original retail was, but its a watch I would recommend at the current pricing.

Specs
Case Size: 44mm x 52mm
Case Metal: Titanium and Carbon Fiber
Strap Material: Rubber/Leather
Movement: ETA 2894-2, 37 Jewels

A new “affordable” touribillon from Graham, this one featuring a Chronograph as well. Actually a pretty nice looking watch that I wouldn’t mind owning myself, but maybe not for the $57,000US price tag.

Functions: Column wheel chronograph (seconds, 30 minutes and 12 hours counter). Tourbillon mechanism
Hours, minutes, seconds

Calibre: Calibre G1780, automatic column wheel chronograph-tourbillon, 28’800 A/h (4 Hz), Incabloc shock absorber

Rhodium blackened movement with Haute Horlogerie finishing. Perlages, sandblasted, manually chamfered and polished bridges and bottom plate, column wheel with polished segments and black low-friction coating, ruthenium oscillating weight with skeletonised rotor and 925 sterling silver segment

34 jewels

Power reserve: 48 hours

Ruthenium tourbillon cage: 48 components, 0.485 grams. Off-centre construction at 11 o’clock. Complete see-through tourbillon. Two patents. Rhodiated double bridge construction with black varnish coated upper bridge. Golden balance.

Case: 48 mm steel, Steel right hand start / stop and reset pushers with “Clous de Paris” high grip pattern, Steel bezel, Domed sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating on both faces
See-through sapphire crystal case back

Water resistance: 160 feet / 50 m

Dial: Black dial with tachymeter scale on external ring, black snailed minutes and
seconds counters

Rhodiated central hours and minutes hands with black Super-LumiNova coating, rhodiated chrono, hours, minutes and seconds counters hands, rhodiated numerals

Strap: Black croco, Steel folding buckle

Price: $57,000 (approx)