Skip to content
IWC Aquatimer 2000 Titanium, 1999 — view 1 of 6
View 1 of 6 · Image: S.Song Watches · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

Wristwatches · Wristwatch

IWC Aquatimer 2000 Titanium, 1999

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
IWC (maker)
Date
1999
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
titanium
Dimensions
Case 42 mm
Stock no.
Product 4286862950487
Credit line
Dealer listing, S.Song Watches (product 4286862950487)
Catalogue title (original)
IWC Aquatimer 2000 Titanium (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by S.Song Watches (dealer), Seattle (stock number Product 4286862950487), this is a wristwatch by IWC, made in Switzerland, dated 1999. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: titanium. Recorded dimensions: Case 42 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — S.Song Watches

Recently I have taken an interest in neo-vintage IWC pieces. Beginning with collaborations alongside Porsche design culminating to this Aquatimer 2000, this era marks a stage of IWC that was true to its utilitarian roots and design language. Furthermore, IWCs from this era are relatively affordable and incredibly well made. The IWC Aquatimer 3536 came in several variants, and this example is the -1, made in titanium with a black dial. It can be seen as a direct successor to the Porsche Design Ocean 2000, one of the IWC grails today. Being made of titanium is only weighs 120 grams, despite its muscular 42mm size. The titanium used is a very high-quality variant that has been sandblasted and hardened to 2400 Vickers, making it nearly scratchproof. It’s depth rated to 2000 meters which is more than a Rolex Sea-Dweller- let that sink in! Aesthetically this is a true no-nonsense tool watch, with a matte black dial and luminous indexes and hands. Interestingly, IWC used a mixture of tritium and Luminova for the luminous material and a nice quirk of this reference is the yellow 12 o’clock marker. This Aquatimer is, in my opinion, amazing value for the money. What you get is an attractive tool watch that both looks and acts the part.

Historical context

Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)

Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.

Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

Read next:Detached lever escapementIdentification Centre

Related records