The IWC Men’s Pilots Mark XVII is a time piece for a real man’s man. This black dial, black alligator band watch is luxury personified. The traditional look is supplemented by strong features, bold design, and is one of the favorite time pieces from their Pilot line.
IWC manufactures their timepieces movements from Schaffhausen, an island in Switzerland’s watchmaking industry. IWC cornered the market in this area on the bank of the Rhine, in order to become the leading brand of luxury time pieces via haute horlogerie—a combination of precision engineering with exclusive and unique designs.
Brand: IWC
Type: Pilots Mark XVII
Model: IW326501
Specs/Size/Design
This luxury watch by IWC is a part of their 2011 line that features a design inspired by pilot models. The 41mm stainless steel case features a stationary bezel, a matte black dial face, white hands, white hour markers, and white minute markers around the edge of the dial. Along with a genuine black alligator strap, this luxury time piece by IWC has proven itself as one of the best Swiss-made Automatic luxury watches on the market.
Technical Specifications and Features:
- Display: Analog
- Display Shape: Round
- Movement: Automatic, Swiss-made
- Model Year: 2011
- Dial Color: Matte Black
- Case Material: Stainless Steel
- Case Diameter: 41mm
- Band/Strap Width: 17mm
- Clasp: Buckle
- Band Material: Black Genuine Alligator
- Push in crown
- Features: Calendar, 3 o’clock position, second hand, minute markers
- Dial Window Material: Scratch resistant Sapphire crystal
- Bezel: Stationary; Brushed Stainless Steel
- Water Resistance: 60 meters (197 feet)
Power Source
The power source of this IWC is a Swiss-made Automatic movement made in Schaffhausen. This Automatic movement has proven to be among the best in the world, and offers extremely accurate timekeeping with only the movement of the wrist needed to power it.
The Good
This simple luxury watch has nothing but positive design features. From the genuine alligator band; Sapphire crystal; beautiful brushed stainless steel case; a respectable water resistance; the date, hour, minute, and second functions; and a two-tone black and white dial, the Pilots Mark XVII has outstanding design features.
The Swiss Automatic movement is very accurate and functions with precision.
The 41mm stainless steel case is not too large and not too small—it stands out on one’s wrist in perfect proportion. The fixed stainless steel bezel offers a solid, rounded look to this Pilots-themed time piece.
The Bad
There are no bad reviews or problems with this time piece that have been reported by buyers. For a 2011 model, this is great news. This Pilots Mark XVII model is a very solid Swiss-made wrist watch has stood the test of time on the buyer’s market.
Highlights
The materials used in this IWC is top-notch. Made with brushed stainless steel, the 41mm case is as durable as it is classy. The genuine black alligator band offers superior comfort and quality material. As is expected of a time piece of this caliber, the dial window material is made of scratch resistant Sapphire crystal.
The design is beautiful, with a fixed stainless steel bezel, Arabic numeral hour markers, and minute markers around the outer rim. The black and white contrast is traditional, classic, and perfect for men who want a luxury time piece with high-class style.
Functionality
The functionality of this IWC model is impressive. First, the Automatic movement is Swiss-made, which is arguably the best in the world. IWC creates their precision engineered time pieces in Schaffhausen, which is well known for their incredible and world-renowned designs.
From the high-end movement to the watch face design, this time piece can be counted on to function as advertised under a variety of conditions. It is water resistant up to 60 meters (197 feet), which is suitable for swimming, snorkeling, boating, and other recreational activities, but it is not recommended for scuba diving.
The watch face features a solid black background with pure white hour markers and dial hands. At the 3 o’clock position lies a calendar window with three dates showings, the middle date is indicated as the current date of the month. This simple analog display is for men who do not want or need all of those sub dials and other features.
Pricing
The IWC Pilots Mark XVII is priced at a retail value of $4,900, but you can purchase it on Amazon (straight from IWC), for $4,001. While this is a bit pricey for a time piece of this caliber (other models with similar features sell somewhere in the $2000 mark), IWC is well known for their craftsmanship and excellent Automatic movements.
The fact that this 2011 model has retained its price so well in the past five years is very impressive and is a testament to the durability, functionality, design prowess, and longevity of the Pilots Mark XVII.
If you are seeking an even more luxurious IWC time piece, take a look at the new 2016 Portuguese Chronograph Automatic Men’s Watch by IWC. This incredibly luxurious time piece runs at $7,900. If you want the best and want a five-star luxury watch to impress, consider the newest in the IWC line.
You can also take a look at another IWC Pilot series watch; the IWC Pilot Black Dial Chronograph Automatic, which runs around the same price as the Pilots Mark XVII.
Overall Impression
The overall impression of the IWC Pilots Mark XVII is classical tradition. In the spirit of a pilot’s design, the hour markers have an antiqued font that is reminiscent of 1930s to 1950s luxury time pieces. In conjunction with the white indices and hands on the matte black dial, the genuine black alligator strap tops off the solid, sophisticated look of this luxury time piece.
To view more articles and photographs of the best time pieces money can buy, take a look at our full list of reviews.
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SOURCE:http://luxurywatches.io/iwc-mens-pilots-mark-xvii-black-alligator/
