Comparing Two Black Dial Watches
After not owning a black dial watch for almost 20 years, the last two watches I have purchased both have black dials. I thought a comparison would be nice to show how different two watches with similar features can be and to help people learn more about these popular brands (Tudor and IWC).
The Dials: Here these watches are starkly different. The Ranger is quite casual with printed numerals and indices in an interesting pistachio color. There is also no date. The overall aesthetic is quite casual. The IWC has no numerals at all and only indices which are highly polished and really reflect the light. Pictures do not do the watch justice. The IWC can easily be dressed up and worn on formal occasions. A well executed date window with color matched sub-dial also makes this more appropriate for work situations when a date can be useful. The hands and indices on both watches are lumed. It seems to me that the lume lasts longer on the IWC.
The Bracelets: The Ranger has an all brushed bracelet whereas the IWC Ingenieur has polished center links. Again, the IWC is the dressier of the two. The links on the IWC are smaller allowing for a better fit. The Ranger bracelet lies flat when placed on a surface whereas the IWC does not. It has some natural curvature built into it. As for comfort, the IWC is clearly the more comfortable of the 2 although the Ranger one is acceptable. IWC bracelets are just on another level.
The Clasps: Both watches have adjustable clasps. The Tudor uses the T-fit system which requires pulling the bracelet outward and then moving itside to side. The IWC has a button that is pushed and then the bracelet slides back and forth. The button, which has the IWC logo, is not noticeable when worn and appears to be part of the bracelet. Both systems are nice as I don't want a bracelet without micro adjust, but I'd say the IWC clasp is better.
Features: both watches have similar specs with sapphire crystals and solid water resistance. The IWC, despite being dressier, is actually rated to 120 meters vs 100 meters for the Ranger. The IWC case is 40mm, the Ranger is 39mm. The IWC is slimmer coming in under 11mm. The Ranger is closer to 12.
The crowns: Both watches have screw down crowns but the IWC crown screws down right to the case whereas the Tudor has a tube extension that sticks out a bit from the case so the crown is not flush to the case when screwed in. Both are functional but I give the aesthetic nod to the IWC.
Movements: The Ingenieur uses an ebauche sellita moment whereas the Ranger used an "in-house" Kinessi movement. Both seem to run quite well but the Tudor has a much longer power reserve of around 70 hours compared to 42 for the IWC. This is the one area where I give Tudor the nod.
I plan to put the Tudor on a strap but haven't done so yet. It seems like a much more casual watch to me and I want to wear it as such. I may get a nice black leather strap for the IWC so I can have a formal dress watch if I need it.
In any event, these two watches sound very similar if you describe them to a non-watch person (black dial three-hand watches on bracelets), but they are quite different once you look at the details. I hope you like my comparison!
Sold luxury watches in my early 20s (including AP) and developed an interest in horology and mechanical watches. Over 20 years later, I have started to move up market from budget mechanicals.
Both great watches here, appreciate the comparison. Really like the IWC, lots of little stand out details. Wonder if they’ll bring these back with the updated ValFleurier movements later.
I think IWC is more likely to return to an integrated bracelet model for the future Ingenieur that has Genta inspiration, but we will see. I think all future IWCs are going to have in-house or Val Fleurier movements.
Just an update on this post for anyone who is thinking of purchasing this watch: I had to send mine back for warranty service shortly after buying it b cause it kept stopping. I spoke to another sales wan at my AD who said she had one of her customers return the Ranger within two weeks for the same issues with the watch stopping for no reason. My IWC watch may have an ebauche sellita movement and a lower power reserve, but at least it works.