IWC Pilot's Watch Top Gun Chronograph 3890
The Pilot's Watch Top Gun Chronograph (Ref. 3890) is a pilot's watch automatic chronograph with flyback produced by IWC from 2016 through 2017.
Overview
The legendary IWC Mark XI aviator's watch was a "cult watch". Produced from 1948 until the early eighties, the Mark XI was never available to the public. Sensing an opportunity in the 1990s, IWC introduced a civilian version in 1993, the Mark XII. But this was not the first civilian "flieger" from IWC. In 1988 the company introduced the Pilot's Watch Chronograph Mechaquartz model, with a Doppelchronograph added in 1992. In 2007, IWC launched the blacked-out IWC Top Gun line with a version of the famous Double Chronograph in black ceramic.
The Top Gun Double Chronograph Ref. 3799 was replaced in 2012 by the Ref. 3880. This new model boasted an in-house flyback movement, Cal. 89365, with two registers in the dial: Running seconds at 6:00 and a 60 minute counter at 12:00. The date window was enlarged to resemble an aircraft altimeter, a controversial choice also found on other Pilot's Watch models that year.
The Top Gun Chronograph was updated in 2016 with a smaller case and simple small date window. This aligned the look with the Pilot's Watch Mark XVIII which was launched at the same time. The case was black ceramic with stainless steel pushers and crown, and the black dial featured white numerals, markers, and hands. The only color was the red running seconds hand. A Top Gun Miramar version was also available, with a grey ceramic case, grey dial, and beige accents.
The Miramar version ended production after just one year, with the Top Gun continuing alone into 2017. In 2019, IWC released an updated Top Gun Chronograph, Ref. 3891 with a different in-house movement.
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