While the IWC Ingenieur can trace its origins as far back as 1955, the collection was revamped in a rather significant manner in the 1970s following the popularisation of stainless steel luxury sports watches. Designed by Gerald Genta himself, the new Ingenieur SL was a slim ‘Jumbo-sized’ case much like Genta’s Royal Oak that featured an integrated bracelet. Furthermore, it even featured a bezel with four rivets, much like the Royal Oak’s exposed screws. Eventually, following a period of insufficient sales, IWC decided to launch smaller variants of the Ingenieur, one of which was the ref. 3521, in the 1990s - which is what we have here. With an emphasis on IWC’s elegant design language, the ref. 3521 utilized design touches such as gold hour markers and hands along with an array of dials in a bid to swap the Ingenieur’s tool-watch design with a sophisticated look that echoed IWC's dress watch aesthetic while remaining true to the new Ingenieur. Produced until 2001, the ref. 3521's smaller proportions and officially certified movement combined to create a watch was well-received while it was in production, and today is a rare variant of the Ingenieur that collectors still love to see.

In very well preserved condition. The dial is excellent and the gold numerals and hands with minor tarnish. The case and bracelet are equally well preserved with nice proportions and case lines. There is only very slight surface wear to both the case and bracelet. The case back with still very clear and easy to read case number. The bracelet with 20 links, 2 removable.

An icon from Gerald Genta's portfolio, the Ingenieur is amongst IWC's most sought-after vintage models and rightfully so. However, while its construction fits in with today's ideals, at the time of its launch it was still an extremely avant-garde design that few brands dared to explore.