IWC Fliegerchronograph Ceramic

The IWC Reference 3705 may very well be the absolute definition of Neo-Vintage perfection.

Combining the traditional function-forward elements of pilot's watch design with a sensibly sized 39mm case, robust automatic movement, Tritium luminous indices and hands, and the groundbreaking first application of ceramic casing material for a sports watch, the 3705 was born a classic when it was introduced in 1994. To say that it was ahead of its time is most certainly an understatement.

Since its introduction, ceramic cases have been used extensively by IWC and other manufactures, but generally in (much) larger case sizes. As such, the 3705 started as something of a cult classic and has found widespread appreciation in recent years, with values doubling or even tripling across the board. 

With an estimated 999 pieces produced in a four year period, and an ever-increasing popularity in the collector community, the IWC 3705 is in our minds a true modern classic with authentic historical significance, the perfect blend of traditional design and cutting edge materials that launched one of the world's most respected Swiss manufactures into the modern era.

This particular 3705 features a matte black LumiNova service dial and handset, a domed sapphire crystal, barrel pushers, and a service crown. Dating to the 1990s, its case is in excellent condition considering its age. Wildly cool and envelope-pushing, it’s a watch that looks no less daring and cutting-edge today than it did in the early 1990s.

Don’t sleep on this one!

When an American watchmaker named Florentine Ariosto Jones arrived in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in 1868, he found a city almost frozen in time. Though the Industrial Revolution had swept through America, in Switzerland the situation was very different. Watchmakers still plied their trades by their own firesides, as they had done for centuries. But Jones had in mind something different — an American-style factory where the watches would be designed and assembled in keeping with the old Swiss ways. His methods caught on, and soon there were 196 people employed at his factory.
Though the International Watch Company was founded 35 years before Wilbur and Orville Wright’s first flight, the association between IWC and aviation began just as the age of flight dawned: A pocket watch made by the company in the 1890s found its way into the pocket of one Robert Albert Lotter, a pilot in the German Luftwaffe who served with distinction during the First World War.
Two decades later, in 1936, IWC released a watch that set the standard for pilot’s watch design, the Spezialuhr für Flieger, or Special Pilot's Watch. Another would follow in 1940, the Beobachtungs-ühren (“observation watch”), which spawned an entire model line in IWC’s current collection called the Big Pilot. However, despite the Big Pilot’s current popularity, it was the Special Pilot’s Watch that would lay the cornerstone for IWC’s most iconic line: the Mark series of pilot’s watches.
IWC released the Mark XI in 1948 according to specifications set forth by the British Ministry of Defense. These watches had to be legible, compact, and able to withstand exposure to the magnetic fields emitted by instruments in an airplane’s cockpit. The Mark XI, therefore, had a black dial with large luminous Arabic numbers, while its incredibly robust Calibre 89 movement was encased in an iron cage. (Later, in the 1950s and 1960s, IWC would produce myriad dress watches in steel and gold based upon the Calibre 89 movement, which remain relatively plentiful on the vintage market.)
The Mark XI served as the basis for design inspiration for a robust line of pilot’s watches still being produced today – easily identifiable by their clean, uncluttered dials, robust cases, and outstanding quality.

Our Pledge

Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.