WatchPro recently announced its Watches of the Year 2012 – the 10 winning timepieces and 90 highly commended watches that we felt boasted commercial appeal, innovation and had wowed consumers and retailers alike over the past 12 months.
Now we are showcasing a watch a day that made the cut in 2012. Here is our winning Sports Watch of the Year by IWC, a striking timepiece that sums up casual, functional luxury in a single timepiece.
Sports Watch of the Year – IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Top Gun Miramar
The Top Gun Miramar caused the WatchPro team to do a double-take when it was first announced at the very end of last year, as a teaser for SIHH.
It was a timepiece hard to ignore and one that stood out against the brand’s typically classic offer. Made as a tribute to Miramar, California, a place where the elite pilots are trained, the Top Gun Miramar timepiece is an extension of the brand’s Big Pilot range and has the largest automatic movement ever made by IWC — the 51111 calibre — housed within a similarly sizeable 48mm case.
It has obvious good looks; we adore its modest design and matte-finished black ceramic and titanium case. But there is also plenty under the surface for lovers of pilot’s watches or those looking for a timepiece that will stand tall and prove itself amongst others.
The watch boasts a 168-hour power reserve and is one of the most robust chronographs IWC says it has ever produced. It has a flyback function as well as an analogue display for stopped minutes and seconds, a date counter, a screw-in crown and has been designed to cleverly withstand drops or changes in air pressure.
IWC says it is a timepiece for watch fans who adore pilot’s watches but want the best of modern-day technology — something we agree with.
It’s not often WatchPro finds itself racing about in the cockpit of a plane, but this is a winning watch that translates to everyday without a shred of the pretentious, making it our winning Sports Watch of the Year 2012.
