Zee Germans!

I have to admit I am not the biggest european football fan, but hell I gotta write this because my brother in law is a football junky and happens to be one hell of a happy German. I personally feel that watches with white dials look like ass. They are really stark, boring and have no character for the most part. Depending on the name on the dial and whose behind it white dials can look cheap like a 5 cent black and white photocopy, until IWC dropped the most stellar Dopple Chrono for The German Football Federation for 2008 also known as (DFB).

As you may or may not know IWC has focused on the Dopple Chrono Functions for their special editions in the last 5 years to reinvent their image. To be fair this is the perfect watch to provide technical masculinity with the functions and size. This limited edition of 500 pieces in stainless steel of which the first 24 will be given to the players and trainers of the German National Soccer team and the rest will be sold at exclusive IWC dealers in Germany and a few top dealers worldwide. This was perfect timing on IWC's part to be part of the recent Euro 2008 because even though Germany Lost to Spain in the Final in Austria, the German players all got to wear the watch which was incredible exposure for the brands image especially with regards to European football/soccer which is the biggest sport in the world. This is just the first of Partnership with IWC and Football because there will be another piece produced for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

This Partnership between IWC and German Football is the ideal relationship. Both of these outfits compliment each other as well as diversify their image on global scales. Much like the German Football Team is known for their precision in executing field goal kicks with such accurate timing IWC is known for their incredibly finished movements and attention to detail with their watch cases and dials. The special edition (DFB) is a dynamic 44 mm stainless steel case with a highly modified Valjoux 7750 movement to IWC Specs which has been wrapped with soft iron to deflect magnetic fields so the watch never gets magnetized.

The dial is a bold white dial with black subdials for the chronograph and a red subsecond hand at 9 o'clock, black Arabic pilot numerals and the happy colors of the German flag yellow red and black are used to highlight the particular functions of the chrono and the split second functions, also featuring the very cool signature date displacement inspired by pilots cockpits of showing the day before the day of and the day after . The domed sapphire crystal gives perspective and a vintage feel to those looking in and the caseback is specially engraved. A black rograin nylon strap with white stitching is used to complete this equation to show what a year it has truly been for Zee Germans!

pic courtesy of www.iwc.ch