Either way, you’ll have a great tool watch from an esteemed brand. I’d probably throw this watch on a distressed beige suede or a classic riveted thick leather strap. Production was between 19, so there is plenty of small-cased meca-quartz cool to choose from.
If you enjoy your tool watches pre-scratched and looking like a proper tool, you’ll find yourself a bargain for less than €2,000. This means that we’re looking at the absolute best entry into the fighter-pilot-daydream world of IWC. You will find a superb choice on Chrono24 and other marketplaces, with prices fluctuating between €1,500 and €3,500. Is this the best entry ticket to the world of IWC pilots? Nevertheless, it hits my vintage-love nail on the head. I’m assuming this is a 20-year-old fade, as I haven’t seen any shots of a 3741 when it was new. All printed markings are a clean white, and some dials have a creamy touch on the large lumed quadrant markers. The centered and balanced registers at 3 and 9 o’clock are encircled with one or two sharp white rings, and there’s a cheeky date at four-thirty. This means that the overall look is closer to a twin-register chronograph, which just so happens to be my favorite kind. The running seconds indicator at 6 o’clock has minimal markings and no outline at all, making it less noticeable. To add to the temptation, as a dial-a-holic, I find the 3741’s dial better looking and a cleaner design. 3706, its closest mechanical sibling, this 3741 is about half price - the meca-effect. 3741 - half the price and twice the value? A purist’s dialĬompared to an IWC ref. But for many out there, this is this grail-level cash.
There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but this is IWC, a brand whose €5K-10K offerings represent strong quality and the right amount of bang for your buck. To get that rich, vintage-feeling aesthetic in a new chronograph, what can you look at? You’ll mostly be looking at a microbrand with a Seiko meca-quartz movement, such as my two Furlan Marri watches. Even with all the recent love for small-cased beauty, that’s not really available for a decent price if you buy Swiss. I know we put a lot of emphasis on mechanical chronograph calibers but love vintage small-cased aesthetics. The crown and the pushers are big for the case size, a personal favorite trait of mine that makes it wear larger. At 10.2mm thick with 18mm lugs, it’s a slim, brushed delight of smooth proportions with all the right vintage clues. The heart may be meca-quartz, but this Flieger’s 36mm case is ’50s-inspired for sure. Image courtesy of A vintage soul with a meca-quartz heart
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