IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph 'Tribute To 3705'

Regular price
$11,850
Regular price
Sale price
$11,850
REF IW387905
Automatic
41 MM
– Show less
SKU AS05198
Article Number 40970020
ref IW387905
case size 41 MM
movement Automatic Winding
approximate age 2020s
dial color Black
material Ceramic
style Aviator
category Pre-Owned Contemporary
bracelet Leather
lug width 20 MM
Includes Signed black leather strap with signed Ceratanium pin buckle. Also includes box, leather watch tube, books, hangtag, pin, polishing cloth, and warranty card dated 2/25/2021.
overall condition The case is in outstanding condition overall showing only faint signs of wear from careful use. Luminous matte black dial is in as-new condition with matching handset. Signed crown. Caseback numbered 121/1000.
REF IW387905
Automatic
41 MM
– Show less
SKU AS05198
Article Number 40970020
ref IW387905
case size 41 MM
movement Automatic Winding
approximate age 2020s
dial color Black
material Ceramic
style Aviator
category Pre-Owned Contemporary
bracelet Leather
lug width 20 MM
Includes Signed black leather strap with signed Ceratanium pin buckle. Also includes box, leather watch tube, books, hangtag, pin, polishing cloth, and warranty card dated 2/25/2021.
overall condition The case is in outstanding condition overall showing only faint signs of wear from careful use. Luminous matte black dial is in as-new condition with matching handset. Signed crown. Caseback numbered 121/1000.

Why We Love it

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. 

Then, in 2021 IWC released this - a tribute to the original 3705 from the 1990s. Limited to just 1000 pieces worldwide, this contemporary take on the cult classic offers everything that we love about the original, with just a few changes. The case size grows from 39mm to 41mm and and is finished in IWC's proprietary Ceratanium. Additionally, it utilizes IWC's Calibre 69380 and Superluminova for the luminous material throughout the dial and handset. 

And that is it. A very faithful tribute indeed. 

In near mint condition and accompanied by its full kit, this piece, like its predecessor, is sure to become a modern classic. Don't miss this one!

Brand Story

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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.

A:S Guarantee

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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.

Shipping & Returns

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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.

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IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph 'Tribute To 3705'

IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph 'Tribute To 3705'

Regular price
$11,850
Regular price
Sale price
$11,850
IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph 'Tribute To 3705'