# Mini review of my new Inge 322701 - with pics



## tfar

I just took receipt of the famous IWC Inge in steel with calibre 80110. What a watch! Even with two and a half links removed it weighs still 202g. My heaviest watch.

Why the Inge?
I'm a sucker for classics and for steel watches (good thing I can't afford any gold models) and the Ingenieur fills both boxes. While it was only produced from 2005 to 2009 it has all the ingredients of a classic. The shape and design are perfect. The proportions on the newer model are not quite as esthetically pleasing, plus it is just ridiculously big and heavy. It comes from a well-heralded line of watches starting as early as the 1950s. The movement, while taking the Valjoux 7750 as an inspiration, is entirely in-house and includes such IWC specifics as the Pellaton winding system and Delrin shock absorbers on a sprung rotor mass. I reckon that it is one of the most rugged sports watches on the market, even if it has no crown protectors and is only rated to 120m.

I had always been fascinated with the watch but had never pulled the trigger. Too expensive in my native Germany. However, sometimes you only know a good thing when it's gone. It is clear that these sweethearts are getting really rare. It is also clear that right now you can still find some (in the US) at very reasonable prices if you look around. Once the market is dry the prices will go up as this classic watch is bound to become a collector's item; in my opinion at least. I've never flipped a watch but it's good to be quite sure that it will hold its value nicely or perhaps even increase nominally.

So the hunt was on and I was able to scoop a BNIB for a very interesting price from a reliable source in Boston (PM for dealer).

What do I think about it?

I like it a lot but I also have a couple of critical points. For me the design is reminiscent of a round bank vault door. You know how these doors are usually multi-tiered and sit in a massive square frame. They also often have the most magnificent polish and appear obviously to be super solid. I could almost bet that the designers were inspired by a bank vault door when they drafted this watch. Even the holes around the bezel are like the big screws in a vault door and the crown is not unlike the lock wheel on a vault. Wouldn't you agree?

The bracelet is a work of art. Really nice and it is not a coincidence that it reminds me of what Genta did for the Royal Oak. After all he also did a version of the Inge in the 70s (77 IIRC) and the genes clearly come through. The level of polish and detail all over the watch is just amazing. The bracelet is super comfortable and the link removal can be accomplished with two tooth picks. However, the bracelet is also one of my two points where I'm a bit critical. Sure the mechanism is genius and a real engineering feat. That's what this watch stands for so you can't really fault it for that. But overall a simple screw for link removal is possibly more efficient than fiddling with two tools at the same time so that you can hold pressure on the spring while pushing and pulling out the pin. But, as we say in German, 'dem Ingenieur ist nichts zu schwör', meaning nothing is too difficult for the engineer. A more stringent criticism is that the bracelet has no micro-adjustments at all. There are two half links but that's about it. Given that this is a really heavy watch and bracelet combo it needs to be well fitted to be comfortable. I removed two full links and a half link. My wrist is 6.5". The watch now sits just the way I like it. Lucky, but that's certainly not everybody's case. There is a single deployant clasp détente. Maybe a double one would be more appropriate and safer.

The other point of contention is the lume. As far as I know, it has Super Luminova and is not older than maximum five years, probably no older than two. The lume I'd rate C only. What in the world does an A class watch do with C class lume? It doesn't last through the night and it's not super bright to start with. Many $300 watches do this much better. A shame. As a little detail I note that the 60,15,30 and 45 second markings are actually luminous and that the lume application is so crisp that one can actually read that in the dark.

Accuracy after full wind and wearing it for eight hours per day has been +3 seconds per day. Very good, if not absolutely excellent. I reset it today to see if it gains a little less when I don't start from a full wind. Still, well within COSC specs, even if the watch is not COSC'ed. The crown operates with a very distinctive noise and you can tell that there is good power behind it. The whirring of the rotor is easily perceptible when you hold the watch to the ear. It sounds firm and efficient but not as elegant as the sound of my JLC Master. Louder than the sound of my 20 year old Explorer I which only has a sleeve bearing. Much nicer and not as loose as the Oris TT1 with ETA 2893-2 movement (can also be found in Omega Seamaster GMT).

One thing that stands out is the anti-reflex coating. I thought my Aerospace from the late 90s had a good coating but this thing is spectacular. It's as clear as some Zeiss and Rodenstock lenses I have in my glasses with even less of a color tint. There is a blue tint and that makes the deep black guilloche dial appear dark midnight blue at times. A beautiful effect. Somehow it also is not very effected by finger smears. It always looks clean. The guilloche or rather stamped pattern on the dial has a double-T shape, which I really dig given my first name is Till. If my first name was Henry or Ian, I might call it an H-shape or I-beam shape, though. J Cinq, pointed out that it is most likely an "I" shape, standing for Ingenieur. An intelligent thought. 

Packaging was very nice but not utterly spectacular. Matter-of-fact and engineer-like is more it. As was to be expected of a Swiss-German firm and for this model.

I hope you liked the little review and would love to hear back from others who have or would like to have this watch.

Cheers,

Till


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## kelwatches

Wonderful Review for a classic.

Wear it in good health!

Kelwatches


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## tfar

Thanks for the kind words.  The only thing suffering is my pocket book. 

Till


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## Ultraman

Wonderful review of the Ingy! Wear it well!:-!


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## Frodo

Great review of a great watch!:-!


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## dukerules

Great review of a great timepiece. I agree that the new Inge models just aren't the same as the 3227. And I also agree that IWC bracelets, while absolutely superb, need micro adjustments.


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## Cinq

Congrats on the magnificent Inge 3227 and thanks for the great review! This is my favorite IWC and it gets lots of wrist time. As for the double T pattern on the dial: I tend to see it as the I for Ingenieur but I like your explanation :-!

Kind regards,

Cinq


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## tfar

Thanks, Cinq. I enjoyed your photos and writing on it, too. You are most certainly right about I for Ingenieur (not for Ian as I sheepishly made up). Could also be "I" just for self-centric people. Ego, Ego, Ego written all over it. 

Seriously though, I think while it has a lot of wrist presence it is still not a show-off watch. It is also very masculine but still elegant. If you look at the production numbers it's far more exclusive than Rolex or Omega. And frankly, as much as I like Rolex (have an Explorer I and got a Sea Dweller incoming), this does play in a different league.

For the production number I read here that IWC sold 79,000 watches in 2009. 5% of those were Ingenieurs (all models). So that's 4000 Inges. Probably not more than half of them were this model. That makes 2000 ref 3227-01 per year. They were produced for hardly four years. Even if we presume an even production count over the years, which is unlikely, there would not be more than 8000 3227-01 ever produced. And that's worldwide. Compare that to the roughly 1 million watches Rolex is producing, probably 100000 of them being Submariners, PER YEAR.

I really like that exclusivity.

Till


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## Cinq

Thanks for the math Till, I never even looked at it this way. I have heard more than once that the Inge 3227 was a slow seller so the total number might even be lower. IWC doesn't disclose much information about production numbers so maybe we will never know. One thing I do know however, the Inge 3227 is sure to become a classic :-!

Kind regards,

Cinq


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## tfar

Very much agreed. It's sure to become a classic. Everything is just right about the watch. The fact that it didn't sell better is probably due to three things:

1. The initial confusion, that lasted about 1.5 years (way too long), whether it is an in-house movement or not. IWC should have made that very clear and gave the correct info to the dealers.

2. The price that was too high especially when people thought it was not in-house. $6600 is a lot of money for a steel watch with basic functions. More than Rolex. And IWC's prestige overall is lower than Rolex, so that's a hard sell.

3. The weight. This is a seriously heavy watch. I fear the new one will sell even worse. But perhaps the big watch craze is so big now that people mind less. I feel it has a lot to do with the American market. Americans are generally of a bulkier build than Europeans so they make bigger watches for them. So I think people may have been turned off by it from the get-go.

Till


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## FrancoDB

Really enjoyed your review of a great piece.

Wear it well :-!

Regards
Franco


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## roseskunk

Jeez, nice. I want one.


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## tfar

I can add one more thing to the review. The Pellaton winding system is touted to be one of the most efficient out there. Well, the proof is in the pudding. I didn't wear the watch for more than five hours yesterday and didn't put it on a winder, either. So I thought it must be pretty unwound. I open the crown and after only 4-5 turns I hit the clutch. Amazing! When I do that with the Explorer I I have to turn at least ten times. So it really seems to be highly efficient at keeping the watch wound with minimal movement. In this light the winder info from the Orbita database seems doubtful. The Rolex is spec'd at 650 tours per day to keep it fully wound, whereas the IWC at 800. I suppose the IWC spec is wrong.

I can also tell you a little more about the lume. If you want it to light up in a dark room you must really charge it beforehand or take a walk in the sun. It is not sufficient to just be indoors in a well lit room and still have enough energy in it so that you see the lume glow when you go into a dark room. Very disappointing. That said, Adam (craniotes) IIRC said that the contrast of hands and dial is so high and that the hands are so shiny that they really catch any glimpse of light. That is true and somewhat makes up for the lacking lume. When I send the watch in for service I will make sure to pester them about either giving me a freshly lumed dial or touching up the lume on this one.

Till


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## Radjoe

Thank you for your mini review :-!,and it is imho a superwatch.
Hereby a picture of mine


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## stockae92

nice review, thanks. i would love to see more pix and wrist shots :-!


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## tfar

Here's another wrist shot for you. I will try to get in some decent shots from other angles in the coming days. Just don't hold your breath. 










Till


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## georges zaslavsky

congrats on your great IWC :-! wear it in good health


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## bbqbrew

These are probably the best looking watches on the planet. The weight is the only thing that has stopped me from getting one. I hope one day to find a deal on the Titanium AMG model. Enjoy:-!


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## Cinq

bbqbrew said:


> These are probably the best looking watches on the planet. The weight is the only thing that has stopped me from getting one. I hope one day to find a deal on the Titanium AMG model. Enjoy:-!


The weight was only noticeable the first few days. After that, you just know you have a watch on your wrist but it's not uncomfortable at all!

I noticed there was a request for more wrist shots, so here are a few from mine:






















































































































Kind regards,

Cinq


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## tfar

bbqbrew said:


> These are probably the best looking watches on the planet. The weight is the only thing that has stopped me from getting one. I hope one day to find a deal on the Titanium AMG model. Enjoy:-!


Well, look around then. I've seen the AMG model with in-house 80110 movement for under 4k new.

Not sure if they are the best looking watches on the planet but I'm glad you should think so and agree that it's a VERY good looking watch, actually better looking than the Genta version it takes as a model.

Cinq, thanks a bunch for all the pics. I love the one where the Orange Monster looks at the IWC with suspicion. That's hilarious. :-d

Till


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## novedl

congrats till, that is certainly an example of the contemporary classic. she looks to be made for you|>

cinq, your photos are fantastic but i must add that it's very hard to take a bad shot of the inge:-!


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## NightScar

Great great watch, another classic that I wish IWC never discontinued. It's a beauty, I wish I find myself owning one in the future.


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## Argon

Great review Till - thanks, I enjoyed reading that. I agree the 3227-01 is a definite future classic. Here are a few shots of mine:


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## tfar

Those pics add a lot to the thread! Many thanks, Argon.

Could you tell us how accurately your Inge is running? Mine is at about +3 per day, perhaps a tiny bit less.

Till


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## jjy3

Congrats and nice write-up. It would be interesting to know the actual sales figures for this model. 

Enjoy and wear in good health!


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## tfar

Read post #13. I estimate between 4000 and 8000 3227-01 ever produced. The total number of Ingenieur models produced during their run was probably around 16,000. Rather less. The 16,000 are divided into several models:

1. the normal Inge
2. the titan AMG Inge on strap and on bracelet
3. the chrono in steel
4. the titan AMG chrono
5. the ceramic bezel Inge
6. the midsize Inge

The normal Inge was the most expensive of those models. But it was still the flagship of the line. So we can savely presume that anywhere between one fourth and one half of the total production was Inge 3227-01s. That makes it somewhere between 3500 (if 15k total were produced and it was 1/4 of the production) and 8000 (if 16k produced and 1/2 of production). And that's over a production period of a little less than four years and worldwide.

Calculate that around 3% of watches have been destroyed or lost. So in the biggest scenario there should be around 7750 IWC 322701s still roaming the planet.

It's not super exclusive like real limited editions or the famed Ingenieur SL by Genta of which only around 520 something were ever produced but it's quite exclusive for such a big design for a big brand like IWC.

Till


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## tfar

Read post #13. I estimate between 4000 and 8000 3227-01 ever produced. The total number of Ingenieur models produced during their run was probably around 16,000. Rather less. The 16,000 are divided into several models:

1. the normal Inge
2. the titan AMG Inge on strap and on bracelet
3. the chrono in steel
4. the titan AMG chrono
5. the ceramic bezel Inge
6. the midsize Inge

The normal Inge was the most expensive of those models. But it was still the flagship of the line. So we can savely presume that anywhere between one fourth and one half of the total production was Inge 3227-01s. That makes it somewhere between 3500 (if 15k total were produced and it was 1/4 of the production) and 8000 (if 16k produced and 1/2 of production). And that's over a production period of a little less than four years and worldwide.

Calculate that around 3% of watches have been destroyed or lost. So in the biggest scenario there should be around 7750 IWC 322701s still roaming the planet.

It's not super exclusive like real limited editions or the famed Ingenieur SL by Genta of which only around 520 something were ever produced but it's quite exclusive for such a big design for a big brand like IWC.

Till


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## stockae92

Can we guess the number of production from the serial numbers? or does IWC ever release the production number per year for each model?


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## tfar

My estimates are based on 2009 production numbers. I don't know if we can guess by serial number. My own watch has a 6-digit number. If we presume that production of this particular model was less than 10000 total, we can presume a 4-digit counter. But that only works if they don't have a huge running serial number for their entire production. If they do that, then there is no way to know unless you get the list of actual serials produced by type. If they divide serials up by type, then we can probably take the first four or the last four digits of my serial number and in both cases we get something in the 3000 range.

But that's all speculation. I wonder if IWC would simply answer the question of how many were produced, if asked directly. Then there is the question of how many were produced and how many were sold. It is unlikely that they produced many more than they sold but it's possible they produced a few more than they sold. I can tell you that even big dealer ADs at this point cannot buy one anymore directly from IWC. I got this info from several dealers.

Till


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## WatchFiend1

tfar said:


> I just took receipt of the famous IWC Inge in steel with calibre 80110. What a watch! Even with two and a half links removed it weighs still 202g. My heaviest watch.
> 
> Why the Inge?
> I'm a sucker for classics and for steel watches (good thing I can't afford any gold models) and the Ingenieur fills both boxes. While it was only produced from 2005 to 2009 it has all the ingredients of a classic. The shape and design are perfect. The proportions on the newer model are not quite as esthetically pleasing, plus it is just ridiculously big and heavy. It comes from a well-heralded line of watches starting as early as the 1950s. The movement, while taking the Valjoux 7750 as an inspiration, is entirely in-house and includes such IWC specifics as the Pellaton winding system and Delrin shock absorbers on a sprung rotor mass. I reckon that it is one of the most rugged sports watches on the market, even if it has no crown protectors and is only rated to 120m.
> 
> I had always been fascinated with the watch but had never pulled the trigger. Too expensive in my native Germany. However, sometimes you only know a good thing when it's gone. It is clear that these sweethearts are getting really rare. It is also clear that right now you can still find some (in the US) at very reasonable prices if you look around. Once the market is dry the prices will go up as this classic watch is bound to become a collector's item; in my opinion at least. I've never flipped a watch but it's good to be quite sure that it will hold its value nicely or perhaps even increase nominally.
> 
> So the hunt was on and I was able to scoop a BNIB for a very interesting price from a reliable source in Boston (PM for dealer).
> 
> What do I think about it?
> 
> I like it a lot but I also have a couple of critical points. For me the design is reminiscent of a round bank vault door. You know how these doors are usually multi-tiered and sit in a massive square frame. They also often have the most magnificent polish and appear obviously to be super solid. I could almost bet that the designers were inspired by a bank vault door when they drafted this watch. Even the holes around the bezel are like the big screws in a vault door and the crown is not unlike the lock wheel on a vault. Wouldn't you agree?
> 
> The bracelet is a work of art. Really nice and it is not a coincidence that it reminds me of what Genta did for the Royal Oak. After all he also did a version of the Inge in the 70s (77 IIRC) and the genes clearly come through. The level of polish and detail all over the watch is just amazing. The bracelet is super comfortable and the link removal can be accomplished with two tooth picks. However, the bracelet is also one of my two points where I'm a bit critical. Sure the mechanism is genius and a real engineering feat. That's what this watch stands for so you can't really fault it for that. But overall a simple screw for link removal is possibly more efficient than fiddling with two tools at the same time so that you can hold pressure on the spring while pushing and pulling out the pin. But, as we say in German, 'dem Ingenieur ist nichts zu schwör', meaning nothing is too difficult for the engineer. A more stringent criticism is that the bracelet has no micro-adjustments at all. There are two half links but that's about it. Given that this is a really heavy watch and bracelet combo it needs to be well fitted to be comfortable. I removed two full links and a half link. My wrist is 6.5". The watch now sits just the way I like it. Lucky, but that's certainly not everybody's case. There is a single deployant clasp détente. Maybe a double one would be more appropriate and safer.
> 
> The other point of contention is the lume. As far as I know, it has Super Luminova and is not older than maximum five years, probably no older than two. The lume I'd rate C only. What in the world does an A class watch do with C class lume? It doesn't last through the night and it's not super bright to start with. Many $300 watches do this much better. A shame. As a little detail I note that the 60,15,30 and 45 second markings are actually luminous and that the lume application is so crisp that one can actually read that in the dark.
> 
> Accuracy after full wind and wearing it for eight hours per day has been +3 seconds per day. Very good, if not absolutely excellent. I reset it today to see if it gains a little less when I don't start from a full wind. Still, well within COSC specs, even if the watch is not COSC'ed. The crown operates with a very distinctive noise and you can tell that there is good power behind it. The whirring of the rotor is easily perceptible when you hold the watch to the ear. It sounds firm and efficient but not as elegant as the sound of my JLC Master. Louder than the sound of my 20 year old Explorer I which only has a sleeve bearing. Much nicer and not as loose as the Oris TT1 with ETA 2893-2 movement (can also be found in Omega Seamaster GMT).
> 
> One thing that stands out is the anti-reflex coating. I thought my Aerospace from the late 90s had a good coating but this thing is spectacular. It's as clear as some Zeiss and Rodenstock lenses I have in my glasses with even less of a color tint. There is a blue tint and that makes the deep black guilloche dial appear dark midnight blue at times. A beautiful effect. Somehow it also is not very effected by finger smears. It always looks clean. The guilloche or rather stamped pattern on the dial has a double-T shape, which I really dig given my first name is Till. If my first name was Henry or Ian, I might call it an H-shape or I-beam shape, though. J Cinq, pointed out that it is most likely an "I" shape, standing for Ingenieur. An intelligent thought.
> 
> Packaging was very nice but not utterly spectacular. Matter-of-fact and engineer-like is more it. As was to be expected of a Swiss-German firm and for this model.
> 
> I hope you liked the little review and would love to hear back from others who have or would like to have this watch.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Till


Awsome watch!:-!


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## Dimer

Great review!! I'm also in love with the Ingy. I wear an Ingy Vintage Collection as a daily watch. But this weekend I borrowed Alon's 3227. Wow! I want one 

Not a great pic, but last Thursday we had Two Watches Thursday (next time I'll smile ):










I would like to add, that at first I thought the watch would wear to big on my tiny wrist. But this it the third day I'm wearing it and the size is just great. Too bad these are sooo hard to get new from IWC. If you have one, keep it and never sell it!


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## tfar

I'd like to add to the review that I counted the crown turns it takes to get from empty to triggering the clutch. 35. At least that's what it took me. Just thought I'd let you know.

Till


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## tfar

Sure. But what does an Invicta dive watch review have to do with the Inge? This strikes me as a commercial site placement.

Till


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