I have a confession to make… I have never owned a Swiss watch. I know what you’re thinking, how can I run a website about wealth when I myself have never owned the basic possession of the wealthy? Well first, stop being such a snob. Second, I can’t help it, I have never been able to legitimize that price for something I treat so poorly. A Swiss watch for me would be like me owning a Ferrari and living in Alaska; it just doesn’t make any sense.
But that being said, I do appreciate a fine watch. I think I made my feelings on Tag Heuer clear, I’m not a fan. But I really do love Breitling, especially the Breitling Chronomat 01 Limited Edition, and the James Bond Omega product placement works beautifully on me. But when it comes to pure beauty I Have to say that the watch that really caught my eye is the IWC Big Ingenieur Chronograph, specifically the model with the brown leather strap and gold case. This watch, or timepiece as collectors call them, is nothing short of stunning.
The Ingengieur line was introduce by IWC over 50 years ago, and it’s one of the more premium models they offer, meaning that this thing is pricey. How pricey? I was able to find the model I like online for a little under $22k, but that was with a grey market vendor, so if the thing breaks, you’re on your own.
$22k is a lot for watch, but on the upside it’s less than 1/10th the price of that Porsche watch in Dubai. I don’t know if I can ever legitimize buying this level of watch, but I can say that looking at the IWC Big Ingenieur Chronograph, I can see why people do. It really is a masterpiece.
I had only seen the IWC Portuguese, it was on a television show about fine timepieces. But this watch is even more beautiful.