IWC Ceralume(R) Concept watch
When Lewis Hamilton was seen wearing a glowing watch this past weekend, IWC was forced to spill the beans a little early on its patent-pending Cerlaume® Concept watch. In fact, the brand unveils a groundbreaking advancement in watchmaking with its new proprietary luminous ceramic technology, Ceralume®. This innovative development –a first in the watch world — allows IWC to produce fully luminous ceramic watch cases, marking a significant milestone in the world of luxury timepieces.
The Ceralume® technology, meticulously crafted by IWC’s engineering division XPL, involves a sophisticated and patent-pending process. It integrates ceramic powders with high-grade Super-LumiNova® pigments, a state-of-the-art luminous material that functions like a light-storing battery. During tests in a dark chamber, watches made with this technology emitted a vibrant blueish glow for over 24 hours.
The Ceralume(R) Concept technology is seen first on the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41.
IWC Schaffhausen boasts nearly four decades of expertise in ceramic watchmaking. The company’s journey began in 1986 with the launch of the world’s first wristwatch featuring a black zirconium oxide ceramic case. Since then, IWC has introduced numerous ceramic innovations, including cases made from brown silicon nitride ceramic and black boron carbide ceramic, one of the hardest substances on earth. Their latest leap with Ceralume® continues this legacy of pushing technological boundaries.
The key to Ceralume®’s luminous effect lies in the integration of Super-LumiNova® pigments with the ceramic raw materials. These pigments absorb and store light energy from natural or artificial light sources, then emit the stored energy as visible light. Remarkably, this process can be repeated indefinitely without any degradation in performance.
IWC Ceralume(R) Concept watch
Creating Ceralume® involves a highly engineered process. Traditional white ceramic is made by mixing zirconium oxide with other metallic oxides, shaping them into a green body, and then sintering them at high temperatures. For the luminous variant, Super-LumiNova® pigments are added to the raw materials. Achieving a perfectly homogeneous mix was a significant challenge due to the different particle sizes. IWC’s engineers developed a customized ball milling process and precisely tuned the sintering parameters to create the luminous ceramic.
IWC’s experimental division XPL has already utilized Ceralume® to manufacture a fully luminous ceramic concept watch, featuring a Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 design. This concept watch boasts a Ceralume® case, a white luminescent dial, and a white luminescent rubber strap, all enriched with Super-LumiNova® pigments. The dial is treated with a Super-LumiNova® solution before printing, and the rubber strap is produced through an injection molding process. This pioneering Ceralume® technology sets the stage for future innovations and releases by IWC Schaffhausen.
IWC brand ambassador Lewis Hamilton seen wearing the IWC Ceralume(R) Concept watch.
According to Dr. Lorenz Brunner, Department Manager of Research & Innovation at IWC Schaffhausen, “With the first fully luminous ceramic case rings, we underscore our role as a pioneer and innovator in ceramic watches. The development of Ceralume® took several years. The main challenges we faced were producing watch cases with maximum homogeneity and meeting our exacting quality standards. To achieve these goals, we engineered a groundbreaking new manufacturing process – tailored to the unique combination of ceramic powders and Super-LumiNova® pigments.”
