IWC Aquatimer

When one thinks of a dive watch, IWC isn’t a brand that springs immediately to mind. Despite other companies taking the lead in the dive watch race, however, the Schaffhausen-based firm has contributed significantly to the aquatic scene. Their compressor-cased Aqautimers from the late 1960s have since become collectible classics, while the Ocean 2000 designed with none other than Ferdinand Porsche was one of the first titanium-cased divers. All in all, the pilot’s watch-focused company has had quite an impact on the design of undersea timekeepers. The particular Aquatimer we have here is a Reference 3548 from the 2000s. Introduced in 2004, it marked the return of the internal rotating bezel featured on the 1967’s Reference 812 AD, referencing the model’s ‘Compressor’ design. It features a 42mm titanium case with a sapphire crystal, dual crowns, an inner, unidirectional rotating dive timing bezel operated by the bottom crown, and a functional and highly-legible luminous matte black dial