IWC Aquatimer 2000: A Missile Sub Among Minnows
It’s a missile sub among minnows; it’s the IWC Aquatimer 2000 3580-02. This 46mm titanium titan sits at the top of the Aquatimer food chain and arrives strapped for sub-surface combat with the Rolex Deepsea and Omega PloProf 1200. With water resistance rated to 2000-meters (over 6600 feet!), the IWC Aquatimer 2000 is ready to take on anything from your local pool to the wreck of the Andrea Doria.
Since IWC‘s 2014 reboot of the Aquatimer line, the “Aquatimer 2K” has stood as the last word in deep-diving sports watch technology from Schaffhausen. Ergonomics was IWC’s first order of business. The titanium case recalls the famed 1982 IWC/Porsche Design Ocean 2000 diver, and the gray metal dramatically pares the mass when compared to steel. IWC adds a soft vulcanized natural rubber strap with accordion bellows that provide an effortless fit over any wrist shape or diving suit cuff.
IWC equips the new generation of Aquatimer dive straps and bracelets with a quick-release system that allows owners to fit and remove all wrist retention systems in a matter of seconds. From bracelet to rubber to textile, the IWC Aquatimer 2000 converts with pull-tab ease.
Each Aquatimer 2000 features the newest generation of IWC dive watch dial. Loosely inspired by the first 1967 IWC Aquatimer Ref. 812, the new watch face places a premium on legibility. Each hour index is lumed until it glows like a magnesium torch, and the internal bezel features luminescent calibration to match.
IWC’s newest unidirectional internal diving bezel employs the “SafeDive” system. While the external machined bezel provides a chunky bidirectional ratcheting knob, the internal bezel moves in one direction only. When submerged, the dive can only be shortened, never extended by accident. On the surface, the large rotating bezel provides a convenient timing device for intervals between 0 and 60 minutes.
While the standard IWC Aquatimer 3920 soldiers onward with IWC’s variant of the venerable ETA 2824, the IWC Aquatimer 2000 employs the manufacture’s own caliber 80111 automatic movement. Its Albert Pellaton bi-directional winding system draws upon IWC’s signature engineering triumph, and the 44-hour power reserve ensures that the Aquatimer 2000 will remain topped-off from day to day.
See this robust and innovative IWC Aquatimer 2000 reference IW358002 in high-resolution images at The 1916 Company.