She was expected, she arrived at the end of 2024, it is the blue dial version of the IWC Automatic 40 engineer. So yes, there was indeed the Aqua version which was part of the initial dial colors when this watch was revealed in April 2023 but the classic blue lacked. It was all the more unfortunate that the engineer Automatic 40 took over the aesthetic codes of the SL engineer Reference 1832 designed by Gérald Genta. However, as with any good steel watch with integrated bracelet today reinterpreting the Genta style, the blue dial becomes essential not to say compulsory. Well, a year and a half later, here it is and this is excellent news because IWC found the right shade. The color is truly successful and very well dosed. The dial is dark enough for the watch to remain elegant and clear enough to create beautiful reflections and appreciate its texture.
The rest of the watch is identical to what we already know, namely the diameter of 40mm, the thickness of 10.7mm, the characteristic telescope with 5 screws, the waterproofing of 100 meters and the automatic caliber 32111 (emanating from Val Fleurier, the Richemont movement factory), which offers a 5 -day walking reserve for a frequency of 4Hz. The spirit of the engineer being to ensure protection against the magnetic fields, the watch is also equipped with an internal soft iron case. The movement in this context is not visible, the housing having logically a full background.
This Automatic 40 engineer is with pleasure thanks to the flexibility of his bracelet. Because if there is a detail that I do not regret with the original watch, the reference 1832, it is the rigidity of the bracelet at the level of the pieces of the end. Now, in the contemporary offer, is this blue dial version my favorite? Maybe yes in the end. The one who until then had preference was the titanium version. The color game of this version is really very successful with its different shades of gray. The lightness of the piece offers other sensations to wear and I find that its chromatic atmosphere gives it more originality and refinement. The fact remains that the price is much less friendly, located more than 3,000 euros above that of steel versions. So, this Automatic 40 engineer with blue dial is perhaps the best option. Its dial is successful, it works well with the case, the watch offers a good compromise between a sporting and more formal style and the price is more affordable than that of the titanium version.
I know that, in addition, in absolute terms, this price has made a lot of talk. Unfortunately, we enter subjective concepts. A selling price in “luxury” watchmaking is never an output (the consequence of a calculation integrating production and marketing costs) but an INPUT, that is to say market data, departure data. The comparison with the prices of the 3 needle versions of the previous engineers created rapid shortcuts. I know very well that we can find engineers within 4,000 euros. The question must be asked is the following. Can we compare the price of a watch that we do not fundamentally want with that of a more desirable watch which takes up a drawing designed by Gérald Genta? I think that IWC was not wrong to set the price at this level because the engineer Automatic 40 is today the integrated bracelet steel watch incorporating the most “affordable” Gérald Genta codes on the market. We are very far from the segments of the Royal Oak or the Nautilus. Of course, the level of finishes is not the same but the engineer Automatic 40 remains very good.
The problem of this assessment of the price of 12,700 euros for the steel versions is more at the level of the context around the watch than of the watch itself. The perception of customers is that the holding of the rating is more difficult and that ultimately, the availability of the watch does not play in its favor. What world do we live. If the watches are complicated to obtain, we groan. If they are easy to buy, we groan. What I feel personally is that IWC did well to make your watch available, simply because it feels good to have a “Genta” watch that is not the subject of silly speculation. The detail that I appreciate less in this engineer is the use of a generic movement. I would have appreciated that this part was equipped with a real IWC movement and this would have contributed to its valuation.
Be that as it may, whatever its dial or the material of its case, the engineer Automatic 40 is an excellent watch, well made and which allows access to a GENTA design more easily than with other references. As for the movement, it is pleasant to note that the long power reserve gives an additional asset to the room. I have the feeling that the engineer Automatic 40 deserves more attention and consideration on the part of the customers, especially since the release of this version with blue dial.
