The New IWC Aquatimer 2000

2014 is the year of the Aquatimer and this superb diving watch has undergone some major changes. IWC has taken the designs over the last few years and melded them into a modern masterpiece, equipped with all of the innovations that we’ve come to expect from this highly esteemed brand. IWC has been making watches for almost 150 years and is known for their extraordinary designs, which have made them quite desired by collectors the world around.

The new Aquatimer Automatic 2000 is sculpted from titanium and is fitted with a totally new bezel system called the ‘SafeDive’ system. At first glance, this looks just like an internal bezel but, in fact, it is both an internal and external bezel. Here’s how it works: basically, the inner bezel is bidirectional and ratcheted, which will turn freely in one direction but will turn the internal bezel in the opposite direction. The bezel operates with 60 clicks i.e. one click per minute.

The case is sized at a large yet wearable 46mm, but seems larger when on the wrist (possibly due to the 20.5mm case height). The larger dial makes this watch more legible, a key factor in professional diving watches. At the 9 position on the case is a protrusion, which holds a mechanism that facilitates the rotating of the bezel. The mechanism carries holes to allow water to escape when not submersed. The IWC Aquatimer 2000 is fitted with a screw locked crown, which aids in maintaining the water resistance at 2000 meters or 6600 feet. The case back features a deep sea diving helmet in relief paying homage to this watch’s heritage.

This watch is fitted with the durable self-winding movement caliber 80110. The movement features a power reserve of 44 hours when fully wound. The dial is black with striations and it carries luminous hour markers, hands, and internal bezel indexes. At the 3 position is an aperture indicating the date. Protecting the dial is a convex sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coatings on both sides off the crystal. The strap on the IWC Aquatimer 2000 employs the quick change system for the bracelet, which is an innovation borrowed from Cartier and used with their permission.