Black ceramic, big case, no apologies
By Rafael Ortiz, Mexico City ยท
IWC named the Top Gun line after the US Navy's fighter weapons school, and it shows. Black ceramic case, 44.5 mm wide and 15.7 mm thick, on a fabric strap. It's a big, dark, stealthy watch that looks like it belongs to someone who flies faster than I do.
Ceramic is lighter than steel and basically scratch-proof, which is great when you're climbing in and out of a flight deck and banging the seat rails. The matte black dial has very little glare, and the hands and numerals are crisp. Day-date too.
Here's where it falls down. It's thick, the 69380 has 46 hours of reserve, and water resistance is only 60 meters. Ceramic can also chip if you drop it on a hard floor. For 10,500 to 11,100 dollars, I'd want more reserve.
If you love the look, it's the coolest IWC pilot. If you want the best IWC pilot, the 41 in steel is cheaper and wears better.