One of the defining moments in the history of the IWC Ingenieur occurred when in the 1970s, IWC invited legendary watch designer Gerald Genta to have a crack at reinventing the collection. The resulting watch, released in 1976, was the Ingenieur SL and it became a cult classic. 47 years later, the Ingenieur became a mainstay of IWC’s collections again thanks to a 2023 revamp that reinstated the core elements of the SL design after several years of deviation. Now, in 2026 IWC are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the original SL by launching the Ingenieur Automatic 50th Anniversary limited edition, with new dial colours and a brushed finish, which I have been hands on with.
There are two versions of the watch: the Ingenieur Automatic 40 50th Anniversary Ref. IW328910 and Ingenieur Automatic 35 50th Anniversary Ref. IW324909. Out of the box, the overall case design and shape of the watches is identical to the existing 40 and 35 models in stainless steel if you’ve ever had the chance to encounter them. That means broad, brushed surfaces with polished bevels across the case and bezel. The bezel itself features the signature five visible screws that attach it to the case and give the watch its quasi-industrial appeal.
On my wrist, the 40 is definitely the better fit, measuring 40mm in diameter x 10.7mm thickness, but I am pleasantly surprised by the 35 at 35mm x 9.4mm. It’s definitely on the small side (smaller than I would wear on a day-to-day basis) but paired with a chic outfit it definitely has a place in the wardrobe of the modern fashion-conscious man. Plus, unsurprisingly, it is the better fit for my female colleagues who also tried on both watches. The 40’s functional length of approximately 50mm due to the integrated bracelet led to too much overhang while the 35’s approx. 40mm length is significantly shorter.
However, what separates these Ingenieur Automatic 50th Anniversary limited editions from every other watch in the Ingenieur range is their dials. Both are silver-plated with vertical brushing and fitted with hand-applied rhodium-plated hour markers with matching hour, minute and second hands. Gone is the grid pattern we have grown familiar with across the past three years. This design does have its origins in SL heritage because there was a silver brushed dial edition released in the late 1970s that these models are based on.
I really like the dial, it emphasises the quasi-industrial vibe of the watch by giving it the appearance of plain brushed metal. It works in tandem with the case design instead of fighting against it or drawing too much focus onto itself. It also feels more practical and legible as the bar indexes with Super-LumiNova aren’t conflicting with the texture beneath them to be read. Another small detail that I enjoy is that a small 50 has been added below the Ingenieur logo at 6 o’clock, which is enough of a visual hint as to the anniversary nature of the watch without being overwhelming.
Turning the watches over reveals the first major difference between the 40 and 35 models aside from their size. The Ingenieur Automatic 40 50th Anniversary has a solid caseback with an inscription marking it as a limited edition while the 35 has a sapphire exhibition window revealing the movement inside with its gold rotor. This difference is because the 40 is fitted with a soft iron cage around its movement to improve its magnetic field resistance.
The movements in question are the calibre 32111 with 120-hour power reserve for the 40 and the calibre 47110 with 42-hour power reserve. Given the spec difference you might expect a bigger difference in price but the 35 is £9,750 and the 40 is £11,100. That’s roughly £1,000 higher than their respective non-limited counterparts. Speaking of being limited editions, both versions are limited to 1,150 pieces each.
As a fan of industrial design, these are up there as some of my favourite Ingenieurs since the revamp in 2023. The monochrome look paired with the more minimalist dial texture just really works. I do still think the price is the most contentious feature of the collection and that hasn’t changed with these models, but at the least they have the extra prestige of being an anniversary limited edition.
Price and Specs:
More details at IWC.
