IWC's Mesmerizing Blue Marvel - Big Pilot IW388003 TOP GUN Chronograph

Fully titled IWC Big Pilot Chronograph TOP GUN Boutique Edition IW388003, this mesmerizing blue marvel is yet another memorable example of a 150-year-old tradition of supreme horology craftmanship IWC stands for.

It's part of the Top Gun Boutique Edition family of three, along with the Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Boutique Edition (Ref. IW502903) and the Big Pilot's Watch Top Gun Boutique Edition (Ref. IW501903). The latest Boutique Edition collection brings something of interest to all IWC and Top Gun fans who are into chronographs, perpetual calendar complications, or simply love minimalist and elegant design. Consequently, those intriguing watches have aroused interest among IWC fans ever since their announcement.

IWC Big Pilot Chronograph TOP GUN IW388003 all-black timeless elegance is naturally enhanced when combined with black leather straps. From Left : Pilot Style Black Woven Texture Strap with Rivet and Beige Stitching and  Military Style Black Aniline Italian Leather Strap with Rivet, right : Semi-gloss Black Leather Strap with Rivet, let's remind ourselves why they have been so beloved through the perspective of the IW388003, the blue family member.

IWC Big Pilot Chronograph TOP GUN Boutique Edition IW388003 is an excellent match for vintage-looking straps.  Left :Black Washed Canvas Rivet Military watch strap , right :  MiLTAT Distressed Blue Denim Watch Strap, Rivet Military strap

A Bit of History

IWC designers have been drawing inspiration from Top Gun references for more than 16 years now. The first IWC Top Gun-themed watch came out in 2007. And it turned out the be one of IWC's most fruitful cooperations.

It yielded many memorable watches that stand out as examples of the supreme craftsmanship and innovative design IWC is famous for. Take IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Edition "MOJAVE DESERT" IW503004 as one example of many in IWC's Top Gun family.

What better proof of quality and appeal could there be than that IWC is nowadays the sole horology brand officially licensed to create watches for the US Navy and Marine Corps?

Now, how does IWC Big Pilot Chronograph TOP GUN Boutique Edition IW388003 follow in the footsteps of its infamous elders?

IWC Big Pilot Chronograph TOP GUN IW388003 is up for bold choices, too. A seemingly unusual pack of IW388003 and Gunny X MT '74' Light Brown Handmade Reversible Bund Leather Strap leaves a lasting impression.

Technical Data on IWC TOP GUN IW388003

• 46mm ceramic case with a screw in crown
• Convex Sapphire glass that features antireflective coating on both sides
• Driven by an automatic, self-winding 89365 Calibre in-house mechanism
• Small hacking seconds
• Chronograph minutes and seconds function with a flyback function featured
• 6 bar water resistant
• Magnetic field protection provided by the soft-iron inner case
• Front glass secured against drops in pressure
• Black dial with luminescence and unique blue hands, subdials, and indices
• 68 hours of power-reserve
• Limited to 500 pieces

IWC Big Pilot Chronograph TOP GUN Boutique Edition IW388003 is also a great choice for casual and sporty styles of ultimate comfort. It makes a great combo wit Left : Navy Blue RM Vented FKM Quick Release Rubber Watch Strap and  right : Crisscross White FKM Rubber Strap

IW388003 Dial and Subdials

The dial design is a beauty in itself. Blue hands, subdials, and indices elegantly complement the black background. The smooth dual-color theme is accomplished by a touch of white present on the tip of the chronographs second-hand and date subdial figures.

The dial features three subdials. The date subdial is positioned at three O'clock, and its look is inspired by the aircraft instrument table, namely the altimeter design. The 12 o'clock subdial is the 60-minute chronograph counter. Finally, the 6 o'clock subdial counts the running seconds when the watch runs in regular mode.

Paired with The HAVESTON Straps General Service Strap set of TWO (Khaki & Olive), IWC TOP GUN IW388003 takes a whole new perspective and can easily turn into a single watch great for all occasions.

The siblings of IWC TOP GUN Boutique Edition IW388003

As mentioned above, there are two more TOP GUN Boutique edition members, unique in appearance and features and easily distinguishable.

The eldest is the Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun Boutique Edition IW502903. It's the biggest of the bunch, with a 48.6mm diameter and 16mm tall case. It continues the IWC perpetual calendar renowned legacy. Following in the footsteps of IWC Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar and the likes is a genuinely challenging task. To keep it short, the red sibling of the Boutique Edition family does everything right to keep up the IWC perpetual calendar legacy, both technically and aesthetically. The lucky owners of this 250 limited edition will surely be pleased.

The youngest family member is the Big Pilot's Watch Top Gun Boutique Edition IW501903. The green sibling comes in an equally large diameter as its red sibling but is slightly less tall, 14.9mm.

IW501903 is the most elegant member of the lively family. It comes with a minimalistic designed black and green dial, and no additional complication is featured besides the calendar subdial. That's an appearance that is increasingly interesting to many lovers of ultimate quality watches, which consequently guarantees satisfaction to future owners of this 500 pieces limited edition.

The Navy-66 IVA Strap by HAVESTON Straps  rich space exploration history and earth blue shade are an out-of-this-world match for IWC TOP GUN IW388003.

IWC TOP GUN IW388003 Watch Strap Choices

The watch naturally comes in an original IWC box and is paired with a folding clasp black soft strap. It perfectly complements the watch's aesthetics and is suitable for any occasion.

However, a wide variety of straps are available for people who like to experiment with the straps and achieve whole new possibilities with IW388003. The featured photos display the most compelling examples on the market and memorable combinations of IW388003 with straps such as Pilot Strap, One-piece Nylon strap and hand-made Bunds strap.

All blue, all the way! One simply cannot go wrong with adding more blue when IWC TOP GUN IW388003 is concerned.  Left :  Q.R. Blue Tapered Zermatt Leather Strap with Red Stitching and Right :  Navy Blue Nubuck Leather Watch Strap with Red Stitching

From sleek and sporty to refined and versatile, the COOL BLACK tone picks starting from the left, we have the Military Grey 'Chaffle' FKM Rubber watch strap, followed by three quick-release watch bands: the Dark Grey Nubuck Leather Strap, the PVD Black Milanese Mesh Watch Band, and lastly, the Black & Grey Stripes Nylon Watch Band.

Written by S.K., images by Toni

External References :

• IWC Top Gun: A Guide To The Robust Chronograph