You make some compelling points. While I love the new Mark XX, I can’t get onboard with the steep price increase from the earlier version, especially for the steel bracelet version at over $6000. I love IWC but their prices are nuts. You’re much better off in the secondary market where you can get some great deals.
I agree the ETA 2892 IWC watches are underrated. It's so nicely finished with a jeweled rotor - some of the older watches from the early 90s even have a 21K solid gold rotor. People love to pay more for an in-house movement that performs worse, is thicker, less reliable and much more expensive to service (not saying that's the case for the Mark XX, just that it's generally the case for in-house as there's a reason why the 2892 dominates even among expensive luxury watches).
The Mark XV is my favourite of the bunch. I had an XVIII with a special limited edition dial for a while, but the lug-to-lug was too much for me and I found I much prefer the look of smaller watches. I miss the finishing of the XVIII though, it's amazing for the price you can get them now.
Great pickup! Amazingly enough i went through the same thought process and just received my 1 year old Mkxviii Prince today. Got it on bracelet for £3.3k, which is a used black bay GMT cheaper than the MK XX equivalent. Also the XX movement isn’t even in house, it’s made by Val Fleurier and can also be found in 2.7k Baum et Mercier watches. The main issue I’ve seen with it is that the minute hand jumps a few minutes when pushing the crown in making it impossible to set accurate time. Great choice mate and great video/B-roll. 🙏
Thanks so much for your kind words! That sounds like quite a steal. My deal starts to fall apart should I pick up a bracelet from IWC, I have the pilots watch chronograph on the bracelet and I never wear it. It’s such a killer bracelet though. I’m probably one of the last people to buy into the in house movement hype myself!
Thanks I’m happy with my purchase. With some of the more recent releases within their performance materials collection seems to have segmented customers even further sadly. An IWC is nearly the same cost as a Rolex. 😢
Hi, I have owned the mark XX for over an year now and just chanced upon your video. I chose the XX over the XVIII due to better power reserve, water resistance and slightly shorter lug to lug. I love the XX and wear it quite frequently. But I have definitely had some issues with it - Firstly the movement, even though very precise, does create issues while manual winding. Also I have doubts about the full 5 days pr. I expect it is more in the 3-4 days range. Secondly the strap. You are right, the Santoni straps were far superior. The current strap is stiff and not comfortable to wear at all. Also the ease x-change system - i haven't used mine that often but it never worked that easily as shown in videos. I gave up on the factory strap and ordered some from CNS. Quite happy with the strap and the comfort now. Love looking at the blue dial and knowing that it is highly accurate. But yeah the negative points do lurk at the back of my head.
sounds very minor to me. 3-4 days PR is more than enough for myself and most ppl i believe. it also gives me confident as the same movement is used for ingenieur which doubles the price. always buy the bracelet version therefore the strap is not my concern. just never buy at msrp, it can be easily found in the grey market with 25% off, totally bang for buck as a new model with those improvements as mentioned.
Sorry to hear about having issues with the Mark XX. Since the watch is under an 8 year warranty have you brought it up to the AD? Might need to go back to IWC sadly 😢. I love CNS. I always come out with like 20-30 straps cause of how cheap they are. Thanks for your comments!
@@SillytanNThere’s definitely a lot of improvements in the Mark XX. Everyone has their buying choices but I’d personally buy a XX from an AD. For the small money you’d save on the gray market you’d get yourself protected under the 8 year warranty. Dealing with those trashy grey market warranties you might as well throw the watch away. Especially with an in house movement. I personally don’t mind buying off the shelf calibers on the grey market. But imagine if something is truly wrong with his watch. It would likely need to go back to service. I would just hate that for anyone! I bought my watch second hand and out of warranty. Knew what I was purchasing though.
@@lonelywrist - Yes, I did send it to the service center in Dubai through my AD (I am based out of India). The watch was gone for a couple of months and I was constantly in touch with IWC rep for India and the Dubai service team. They were very professional and courteous. But the service center didn't find anything wrong with the winding mechanism and sent it back. I still have some random issues on manual winding, but now I choose to ignore them and wear the hell outta this watch :)
@@pulkits9862I guess you’ve done your part, and that’s really all there is left to do! I’m certainly glad you’re not letting those issues get in the way of your enjoyment of the watch! Whenever I send a watch off for service somehow I feel like something major is missing from my life. It’s an odd experience. I have a Rolex that I’m waiting back for 😅
I’d love either version. I usually up new from an AD just for the reassurance that if something goes wrong I can take it back. In this case, I can’t justify to myself buying another daily wear watch. I already have a few which means none get worn daily!
@@ianforber Yeah that’s one I’ve been looking at for a while. I have a 36mm vintage datejust, that totally opened up my eyes to the explorer 1 in 36mm. I feel like I’m missing out.
The easX-change bracelet does not fit the Mark XVIII due slight changes to the case size and the bracelets fitting flush. As a result I can't easily take off the bracelet from my Mark XVIII. Luckily, it is an awesome bracelet.
I am in your exact same position right now. I'm looking to add two watches into the collection, one of them being a pilot type watch, and even further, a Fleiger Pilot type watch. IMHO, IWC makes one of, if not the, best Fleiger Pilot watches on the market today. From what I'm seeing, the XX is being sold on the pre-owned market for around the $4700, depending on condition...still too rich for my blood. So, I started to check into the XVIII, for all the same reason you did, but I'm not really seeing a huge difference in pre-owned price, and not seeing a lot of them on market right now. Haven't been following for long, so maybe I need to be more patient, but the watches on the market right now range from $3500-$4000 with only one in the $3000 range, but it doesn't look like full kit.
Yeah they will come up. I paid 3k for mine. Just go to eBay and set an alert for IWC Mark XVIII. It’s gonna be a while for the XX to fall. Either way you can’t really go wrong. I’m happy with my purchase!
I have the mark xviii. The accuracy is better than 4s a day, which is fine. Both watches look very similar. The longer power reserve would be useful, as I find I need to wind the mark xviii daily.
Sounds like you’re not getting full power to the watch. You can wind the crown until you hear a little audible “tick” which will let you know the mainspring is fully wound. From there if you wear the watch everyday, or every other day, it’s unlikely you’ll have to wind it again.
I have owned a Mark XV on a bracelet since its intro year ('99). I can take issue with one thing only you stated, and it's a cautionary tale of who is, or who is not qualified to service a costly, and somewhat complicated timepiece. Disclaimer: What I'm about to say here - categorically - applies to my watch and my watch only. Not any other IWC Mark XV, much less any later Mark. Moreover, not any other watch retailer, and not even the dealer that sold me the watch. A short (okay, maybe not so short) history of my watch goes like this: My watch was bought from one of the largest watch dealers in L.A. (largest?). I was advised at the time by the store to wait until the watch - essentially - stopped running before having it serviced. I am nothing if not an obedient lad when it comes to taking advice from people more experienced and knowledgeable than I. So when the watch stopped running some 6 or 7 years later. I returned it to the retailer's on-site service department. I ponied up the quoted price without even seeking a price from IWC. I just presumed that service from the maker would greatly exceed the price I'd get from the dealer. But the dealer wasn't as economical as I would have liked, and immediately regretted my failure to check out IWC. Call me foolish, but by then I sort of felt obligated to go ahead with repair by the dealer. Primarily because in the interim I'd had other perfectly acceptable dealings with them concerning my other other quality timepieces. At any rate, I got the XV back and it ran perfectly ... for a week or two. Then it stopped running altogether. It went on like that for two years! They'd service it, I'd wear it for a short time, and then it would fail again. I finally (!) lost patience and extracted from the store a promise hat if it failed again, they would send it to IWC for service. And, sure enough, it failed again. So, they did as promised, and sent the piece to IWC. The watch was in essence hollowed out to be replaced with parts which had been damaged and were beyond repair. As you can well imagine, I've since returned my Mark XV to IWC for service every 6-8 years. Every time the watch is returned to me by IWC, it looks and runs like a new watch. And (if you're still with me), for a price which I consider to be entirely reasonable and worth every dime. Finally, a word about dealing with IWC: They are as classy as Switzerland is beautiful.
Yes, this is a great observation. I have worked in the industry for years and have a vast network of excellent watch technicians. I have access to a great and authorized service center here at Bucherer in Las Vegas, which also holds a Rolex certification. It’s always best to explore service options before committing. Each case is specific, and if you are not sure about the credibility of your local watch repair, I would always suggest sending it back to its brand. This, however, has its own problems, such as extended delays and service times. For people who don't have many watches to wear in the interim, there are pros and cons to every situation. For me, I can take my watch to my repair center and have it back on my wrist in a week. I recognize how fortunate I am and am sorry to hear about your Mark XV. Personally, I favor serviceability over these fancy in-house movements. Thanks for your comment, and appreciate you sharing your experience with us. One story at a time we can grow our community and industry as a whole. Certainly glad its back in collection and running as it should🙌
A good idea regarding the movement choice. The Mark XX only has a Valfleurier movement, so there's no real improvement. And the ETA is universal, as described.
The increased power reserve doesn’t mean much to me, considering I’m either gonna wear the watch or not. I want a serviceable option, like you mentioned in another comment, these luxury holding groups are distorting the line of in-house. Tudor movements are made by Kenissi, the Tudor chronographs are made by Breitling. The Breitling “in-house” is made by Tudor, I mean Kenissi, all of the Richemont movements in the mid range brands are ValFleurier, the IWC perpetual was designed with JLC. It’s just the industry. When we buy a leather bag from Hermes and the hides come from another tannery, it’s just all one big supply chain cocktail.
@@lonelywrist You're right. All we can do is educate ourselves and hope we make the right decisions. The buying public is being duped, though; that's one thing for certain.
I’m sure if I didn’t call it “in-house” another commenter would also call me out on it. But I do my best to be non biased and provide the best information I can.
I got the bracelet from eBay for $120. It is exactly the same bracelet, same high quality, just doesn’t have the IWC logo on the adjustable button. Came from China. I also have the Green Pilot Chronograph 41 on the original bracelet, so I can tell that the bracelet is identical. Apparently IWC are sourcing their bracelets from China…
Thank you for your comment, I was aware of the changes in the case dimensions, however I personally didn’t feel like anything was wrong with the proportions of the Mark XVIII
Nice video. Love my mark xx and have owned it for five months now. Would love a le petit princess engraving that’s going to be collectible for sure. Overall, I’m too much of a sucker for increased water resistance and PR
From my research it depends on the release date of the reference, The later Mark 18's have the Sellita based calibers as opposed to the earlier counterparts which had the ETA 2892-A2.
I prefer the mark 18 as i like the dial layout better and longer lugs. I may also look at adding the LPP as i have the black dial and also wanted the blue when i bought mine 2 years ago. Thr mark xx is also really nice but i think the 18 edges it.
Couldn’t agree more. The date window apparently annoys a lot of people, but I don’t see what’s wrong with the position. The longer lugs feel just perfect here on my wrist. I passed up on the brown dial (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) for 2,5k am kicking myself now. Would have been nice to have both.
@@lonelywrist date window is fine, you don't notice it at all on the black dial. It's not perfect but it's the watch that I've really enjoyed and love the most.
Although it’s possible to get the MKXVIII at c40% less than the XX I’d imagine it’s possible to get at least 20% off retail at an AD these days. I’d possibly try that route first before considering the bargain choice. The only issue with IWC is the AR coating of the sapphire crystal on both sides. This leaves the glass open to surface marks and scratches - I’ve had this before in a Breitling piece. I’ve no idea why they do this and not just on the underside. They put a highly scratch resistant surface over the dial for protection then add a thin layer which is easily marked.
This happened on my last pilot chrono and I used polywatch to remove the top AR. I’ve heard from the dealers, and networks that I’m in that the Richemont discounts are drying up. 20% was easy way back when, but I haven’t heard of a discount like this in years. I’ve heard a few dealers offering around 10%. Of course,I can’t talk too much about this in my video because the information may not be accurate for all. But I would always encourage consumers to try for retail plus a discount as a first means to purchase.
@@lonelywrist watches are not selling like the post Covid boom when everyone was cash rich. These are thin times for sales assistants chasing their targets. Worth trying for 20% at a few stores. I think it’s possible.
I always shoot for the moon! But I have a pretty vast network of contacts, and have always heard similar news, if you’re bored with some time to spare and want to prove a UA-camr wrong call around. Call around to IWC dealers and report your findings. Just a social experiment! Dealers who I’ve spent mad money with would only give me 10% max. 😢
@@bobbydazzler1780I used to sell 35 brands at an AD and had access to nearly every brand. Corporate boutiques are taking over the country to prevent this from happening not to mention the price increases are going wild.
Really, the railmaster? I mean there are some three handers that could make an arguement against the mark line due to price, but in my opinion not the railmaster. The dial of the railmaster is overdone, and not well thought out The bezel proportions of the railmaster are odd. The 55 hour power reserve versus 120hr on the mark XX Omega bracelets are not good, and their textile options aren’t great either finally it’s really only a few hundred cheaper than the Mark in bracelet and basically a wash on textile. What are you seeing as the advantage to the railmaster?
@@DesertTriDad ignoring aesthetics (as they are in the eye of the beholder) although the dial of the Railmaster is absolutely gorgeous. You’ll only ever find that out by handling one in person, the Railmaster shows its class in a few key areas: The 8806 is Metas certified and Omega exclusive. It’s found here in the Railmaster at its cheapest entry point. Fitted inside other more expensive omega offerings like the NTTD and ceramic and titanium/gold offerings. The 32111 is COSC certified but does find its way into other cheaper Richmond group offerings like the Baume Et Mercier Baumatic watches where some start at sub £3,000. Albeit not COSC certified & under a different name. This clearly demonstrates & proves the lower tier nature of the movement in the Mark XX. Most definitely an improvement on the Sellita based garbage in the Mark XVIII mind! You talk about the 120h power reserve, however we all know the 32111 suffers massively from amplitudinal issues when wound anything less than 60%. Its accuracy really suffers. I steer well clear of single barrel watches with big power reserves. Lastly, the case of the Omega is fantastic, lye lugs, beautifully decorated case back, perfect proportions (again, subjective) and a useful 150M water resistance for extra peace of mind. For me, omega offers a premium watch for the money, worth its retail price based solely on what you’re getting. When you buy an IWC watch, 50% of the cost is brand equity. IWCs profit margins are a lot higher than Omega (which is a known fact given they sell less watches). It has to be. If you ok paying 50% of an IWCs retail price for brand equity, good luck to you. Personally for me, I’ll take the Omega and be safe in the knowledge I have a better watch that’s more well thought out, engineered & precise at telling the time. 👍🏻
You miss the point. If you love a pilot/flieger style watch, no one really makes a more deluxe offering than IWC. The Mark packs that styling in an everyday sized watch. If you don’t get it, you don’t get it (and that’s ok)… but that triangle and two dots and the font and the handset all separate this from any other three-handed field watch… I had the XX in blue, sold it and got it in black. Both are highly enjoyable despite the price tag, because again it’s the pinnacle of this design language (IMHO) I’m currently thinking of getting the Big Pilot 43 and, like Lonely Wrist did here, getting an older Mark as a more everyday wearer. Probably blue again 😂
You make some compelling points. While I love the new Mark XX, I can’t get onboard with the steep price increase from the earlier version, especially for the steel bracelet version at over $6000. I love IWC but their prices are nuts. You’re much better off in the secondary market where you can get some great deals.
Couldn’t agree more! Made sense to my mind.
Very wise trade off and save the extra money for a new watch or accessories 🙌🏽💪🏽. It’s a win win either way.
Couldn’t agree more! More money for the next one 💪
I'm watching the date roll over on my Mark XV as I type this, those Flieger Uhrs are just lovely watches
Couldn’t agree more. Designed to be accurate tools. Nothing more or less. But boy does IWC really finish the hell out of them!
I agree the ETA 2892 IWC watches are underrated. It's so nicely finished with a jeweled rotor - some of the older watches from the early 90s even have a 21K solid gold rotor. People love to pay more for an in-house movement that performs worse, is thicker, less reliable and much more expensive to service (not saying that's the case for the Mark XX, just that it's generally the case for in-house as there's a reason why the 2892 dominates even among expensive luxury watches).
Couldn’t agree more. I want an easy to service watch. Top consideration before purchasing.
The Mark XV is my favourite of the bunch. I had an XVIII with a special limited edition dial for a while, but the lug-to-lug was too much for me and I found I much prefer the look of smaller watches. I miss the finishing of the XVIII though, it's amazing for the price you can get them now.
Thanks for sharing! The XV is also a vintage beauty. A bit more toolish back then!
Great pickup! Amazingly enough i went through the same thought process and just received my 1 year old Mkxviii Prince today. Got it on bracelet for £3.3k, which is a used black bay GMT cheaper than the MK XX equivalent. Also the XX movement isn’t even in house, it’s made by Val Fleurier and can also be found in 2.7k Baum et Mercier watches. The main issue I’ve seen with it is that the minute hand jumps a few minutes when pushing the crown in making it impossible to set accurate time. Great choice mate and great video/B-roll. 🙏
Thanks so much for your kind words! That sounds like quite a steal. My deal starts to fall apart should I pick up a bracelet from IWC, I have the pilots watch chronograph on the bracelet and I never wear it. It’s such a killer bracelet though. I’m probably one of the last people to buy into the in house movement hype myself!
I have six iwc 's. You can't get a better watch. Omega 19. Not even close to iwc. Absolute personal opinion
IWC makes a hell of a watch. That’s an epic collection! Wear them in good health my friend!
You purchased the better watch for money. No doubt. Good job.
I still think IWC is a bit overpriced.
Thanks I’m happy with my purchase. With some of the more recent releases within their performance materials collection seems to have segmented customers even further sadly. An IWC is nearly the same cost as a Rolex. 😢
Hi, I have owned the mark XX for over an year now and just chanced upon your video. I chose the XX over the XVIII due to better power reserve, water resistance and slightly shorter lug to lug. I love the XX and wear it quite frequently. But I have definitely had some issues with it -
Firstly the movement, even though very precise, does create issues while manual winding. Also I have doubts about the full 5 days pr. I expect it is more in the 3-4 days range.
Secondly the strap. You are right, the Santoni straps were far superior. The current strap is stiff and not comfortable to wear at all.
Also the ease x-change system - i haven't used mine that often but it never worked that easily as shown in videos. I gave up on the factory strap and ordered some from CNS.
Quite happy with the strap and the comfort now. Love looking at the blue dial and knowing that it is highly accurate. But yeah the negative points do lurk at the back of my head.
sounds very minor to me. 3-4 days PR is more than enough for myself and most ppl i believe. it also gives me confident as the same movement is used for ingenieur which doubles the price. always buy the bracelet version therefore the strap is not my concern. just never buy at msrp, it can be easily found in the grey market with 25% off, totally bang for buck as a new model with those improvements as mentioned.
Sorry to hear about having issues with the Mark XX. Since the watch is under an 8 year warranty have you brought it up to the AD? Might need to go back to IWC sadly 😢. I love CNS. I always come out with like 20-30 straps cause of how cheap they are. Thanks for your comments!
@@SillytanNThere’s definitely a lot of improvements in the Mark XX. Everyone has their buying choices but I’d personally buy a XX from an AD. For the small money you’d save on the gray market you’d get yourself protected under the 8 year warranty. Dealing with those trashy grey market warranties you might as well throw the watch away. Especially with an in house movement. I personally don’t mind buying off the shelf calibers on the grey market. But imagine if something is truly wrong with his watch. It would likely need to go back to service. I would just hate that for anyone! I bought my watch second hand and out of warranty. Knew what I was purchasing though.
@@lonelywrist - Yes, I did send it to the service center in Dubai through my AD (I am based out of India). The watch was gone for a couple of months and I was constantly in touch with IWC rep for India and the Dubai service team. They were very professional and courteous. But the service center didn't find anything wrong with the winding mechanism and sent it back. I still have some random issues on manual winding, but now I choose to ignore them and wear the hell outta this watch :)
@@pulkits9862I guess you’ve done your part, and that’s really all there is left to do! I’m certainly glad you’re not letting those issues get in the way of your enjoyment of the watch! Whenever I send a watch off for service somehow I feel like something major is missing from my life. It’s an odd experience. I have a Rolex that I’m waiting back for 😅
I’d love either version. I usually up new from an AD just for the reassurance that if something goes wrong I can take it back. In this case, I can’t justify to myself buying another daily wear watch. I already have a few which means none get worn daily!
Thanks for your input. The Mark XVIII is so good I might get a different dial color, what’s your daily driver currently?
Varies between an Explorer 1 or an Aqua Terra. But sometimes I get into a Seamaster Planet Ocean mood.
@@ianforberI myself would love to own an explorer 1! Heck I’d even take the explorer 2 with a polar dial in 40mm.
I’m infatuated with my Explorer 1! Only picked it up new last month from my AD. I decided on the 36mm because I have a small wrist. It’s so cool!
@@ianforber Yeah that’s one I’ve been looking at for a while. I have a 36mm vintage datejust, that totally opened up my eyes to the explorer 1 in 36mm. I feel like I’m missing out.
For me, the Mark XVI is the best as it has a black date wheel, which matches the dial. I bought mine new on the bracelet years ago.
It’s a shame they don’t do that anymore! They did do it on the black dial Mark XVIII also!
Great video as always, Blake!
Giancarlo :-)
You're the best!
I did the same - and ended on the 18 as well.for almost the same reasons. ;)
Love mine so much. What color dial did you go for?
The easX-change bracelet does not fit the Mark XVIII due slight changes to the case size and the bracelets fitting flush. As a result I can't easily take off the bracelet from my Mark XVIII. Luckily, it is an awesome bracelet.
Thanks for your comment. This I didn’t know… I was hoping to get the XX bracelet some day 😢
Agreed. I have the mark 18 le petit edition and absolutely love it. Not worth the upgrade. It is a stunning watch.
Thanks for your kind words. For me it also doesn’t, but there’s others where the Mark XX makes sense. Wear it with health!
I am in your exact same position right now. I'm looking to add two watches into the collection, one of them being a pilot type watch, and even further, a Fleiger Pilot type watch. IMHO, IWC makes one of, if not the, best Fleiger Pilot watches on the market today. From what I'm seeing, the XX is being sold on the pre-owned market for around the $4700, depending on condition...still too rich for my blood. So, I started to check into the XVIII, for all the same reason you did, but I'm not really seeing a huge difference in pre-owned price, and not seeing a lot of them on market right now. Haven't been following for long, so maybe I need to be more patient, but the watches on the market right now range from $3500-$4000 with only one in the $3000 range, but it doesn't look like full kit.
Yeah they will come up. I paid 3k for mine. Just go to eBay and set an alert for IWC Mark XVIII. It’s gonna be a while for the XX to fall. Either way you can’t really go wrong. I’m happy with my purchase!
I have the mark xviii. The accuracy is better than 4s a day, which is fine. Both watches look very similar.
The longer power reserve would be useful, as I find I need to wind the mark xviii daily.
Sounds like you’re not getting full power to the watch. You can wind the crown until you hear a little audible “tick” which will let you know the mainspring is fully wound. From there if you wear the watch everyday, or every other day, it’s unlikely you’ll have to wind it again.
I prefer the dial printing on the xviii as well. Numerals are closer to the index hashes and the IWC logo closer to center of dial among other things.
Both special watches, but I definitely don’t mind the date window placement or dial spacing.
Well articulated, bravo 👏
I have owned a Mark XV on a bracelet since its intro year ('99). I can take issue with one thing only you stated, and it's a cautionary tale of who is, or who is not qualified to service a costly, and somewhat complicated timepiece.
Disclaimer: What I'm about to say here - categorically - applies to my watch and my watch only. Not any other IWC Mark XV, much less any later Mark. Moreover, not any other watch retailer, and not even the dealer that sold me the watch.
A short (okay, maybe not so short) history of my watch goes like this:
My watch was bought from one of the largest watch dealers in L.A. (largest?). I was advised at the time by the store to wait until the watch - essentially - stopped running before having it serviced.
I am nothing if not an obedient lad when it comes to taking advice from people more experienced and knowledgeable than I. So when the watch stopped running some 6 or 7 years later. I returned it to the retailer's on-site service department.
I ponied up the quoted price without even seeking a price from IWC. I just presumed that service from the maker would greatly exceed the price I'd get from the dealer. But the dealer wasn't as economical as I would have liked, and immediately regretted my failure to check out IWC. Call me foolish, but by then I sort of felt obligated to go ahead with repair by the dealer. Primarily because in the interim I'd had other perfectly acceptable dealings with them concerning my other other quality timepieces.
At any rate, I got the XV back and it ran perfectly ... for a week or two.
Then it stopped running altogether.
It went on like that for two years!
They'd service it, I'd wear it for a short time, and then it would fail again. I finally (!) lost patience and extracted from the store a promise hat if it failed again, they would send it to IWC for service. And, sure enough, it failed again. So, they did as promised, and sent the piece to IWC. The watch was in essence hollowed out to be replaced with parts which had been damaged and were beyond repair.
As you can well imagine, I've since returned my Mark XV to IWC for service every 6-8 years. Every time the watch is returned to me by IWC, it looks and runs like a new watch. And (if you're still with me), for a price which I consider to be entirely reasonable and worth every dime.
Finally, a word about dealing with IWC: They are as classy as Switzerland is beautiful.
Yes, this is a great observation. I have worked in the industry for years and have a vast network of excellent watch technicians. I have access to a great and authorized service center here at Bucherer in Las Vegas, which also holds a Rolex certification. It’s always best to explore service options before committing. Each case is specific, and if you are not sure about the credibility of your local watch repair, I would always suggest sending it back to its brand. This, however, has its own problems, such as extended delays and service times. For people who don't have many watches to wear in the interim, there are pros and cons to every situation. For me, I can take my watch to my repair center and have it back on my wrist in a week. I recognize how fortunate I am and am sorry to hear about your Mark XV. Personally, I favor serviceability over these fancy in-house movements. Thanks for your comment, and appreciate you sharing your experience with us. One story at a time we can grow our community and industry as a whole. Certainly glad its back in collection and running as it should🙌
If you get the black ref the xviii has a nice black date wheel
Yeah, I love those matching date windows. Super nice touch!
A good idea regarding the movement choice. The Mark XX only has a Valfleurier movement, so there's no real improvement. And the ETA is universal, as described.
The increased power reserve doesn’t mean much to me, considering I’m either gonna wear the watch or not. I want a serviceable option, like you mentioned in another comment, these luxury holding groups are distorting the line of in-house. Tudor movements are made by Kenissi, the Tudor chronographs are made by Breitling. The Breitling “in-house” is made by Tudor, I mean Kenissi, all of the Richemont movements in the mid range brands are ValFleurier, the IWC perpetual was designed with JLC. It’s just the industry. When we buy a leather bag from Hermes and the hides come from another tannery, it’s just all one big supply chain cocktail.
@@lonelywrist You're right. All we can do is educate ourselves and hope we make the right decisions. The buying public is being duped, though; that's one thing for certain.
I’m sure if I didn’t call it “in-house” another commenter would also call me out on it. But I do my best to be non biased and provide the best information I can.
I did exactly the same. Picked up a beautiful Mark 18 blue Le Petit Prince for $2800. I had exactly the same reasons…
Did you get it on the Bracelet or Strap? I was trying so hard to find one under 3k with a bracelet with a complete set.
I got the bracelet from eBay for $120. It is exactly the same bracelet, same high quality, just doesn’t have the IWC logo on the adjustable button. Came from China. I also have the Green Pilot Chronograph 41 on the original bracelet, so I can tell that the bracelet is identical. Apparently IWC are sourcing their bracelets from China…
another great video my friend!!
The dimensions on the new one, as small a the changes were, work better for me
Thank you for your comment, I was aware of the changes in the case dimensions, however I personally didn’t feel like anything was wrong with the proportions of the Mark XVIII
Nice video. Love my mark xx and have owned it for five months now. Would love a le petit princess engraving that’s going to be collectible for sure. Overall, I’m too much of a sucker for increased water resistance and PR
Thanks for sharing your comments on the Mark XX! There might be space in my collection for both 😂
@@lonelywrist I might just join you for you that. Everyone who owns one wants the other
The green dial Mark XX has my name written all over it😍
@@lonelywrist my friend, that’s exactly the one I have, on bracelet.
@@KnifeWatch Would you say it’s worth the $1500 price tag to buy it after the fact?
Are you certain your mark 18 has the 2829 and not the SW300?
From my research it depends on the release date of the reference, The later Mark 18's have the Sellita based calibers as opposed to the earlier counterparts which had the ETA 2892-A2.
I prefer the mark 18 as i like the dial layout better and longer lugs. I may also look at adding the LPP as i have the black dial and also wanted the blue when i bought mine 2 years ago. Thr mark xx is also really nice but i think the 18 edges it.
Couldn’t agree more. The date window apparently annoys a lot of people, but I don’t see what’s wrong with the position. The longer lugs feel just perfect here on my wrist. I passed up on the brown dial (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) for 2,5k am kicking myself now. Would have been nice to have both.
@@lonelywrist date window is fine, you don't notice it at all on the black dial. It's not perfect but it's the watch that I've really enjoyed and love the most.
@@coffeeboyclips1973 Couldn’t agree more! I love the watch so much I’m thinking about buying the bracelet 😂
Yeah get the bracelet, I think the blue looks better on the bracelet, it's expensive though@@lonelywrist
@@coffeeboyclips1973yes very much expensive!
Although it’s possible to get the MKXVIII at c40% less than the XX I’d imagine it’s possible to get at least 20% off retail at an AD these days. I’d possibly try that route first before considering the bargain choice. The only issue with IWC is the AR coating of the sapphire crystal on both sides. This leaves the glass open to surface marks and scratches - I’ve had this before in a Breitling piece. I’ve no idea why they do this and not just on the underside. They put a highly scratch resistant surface over the dial for protection then add a thin layer which is easily marked.
This happened on my last pilot chrono and I used polywatch to remove the top AR. I’ve heard from the dealers, and networks that I’m in that the Richemont discounts are drying up. 20% was easy way back when, but I haven’t heard of a discount like this in years. I’ve heard a few dealers offering around 10%. Of course,I can’t talk too much about this in my video because the information may not be accurate for all. But I would always encourage consumers to try for retail plus a discount as a first means to purchase.
@@lonelywrist watches are not selling like the post Covid boom when everyone was cash rich. These are thin times for sales assistants chasing their targets. Worth trying for 20% at a few stores. I think it’s possible.
I always shoot for the moon! But I have a pretty vast network of contacts, and have always heard similar news, if you’re bored with some time to spare and want to prove a UA-camr wrong call around. Call around to IWC dealers and report your findings. Just a social experiment! Dealers who I’ve spent mad money with would only give me 10% max. 😢
@@lonelywrist end of month or end of quarter when your sales guy is chasing after his targets. Always a good time to enter into negotiations.
@@bobbydazzler1780I used to sell 35 brands at an AD and had access to nearly every brand. Corporate boutiques are taking over the country to prevent this from happening not to mention the price increases are going wild.
Hi, I own an IW Mark XVIII and I'm searching for an original IWC nato strap. Do you know where I can buy one? Thanks
I have both the green and black nato straps. I got them from the IWC boutique in Caesar’s palace Las Vegas!
Just subscribed brother wow I want one ☝️ great price !!
Thanks for the sub!
Where USD3000?
I bought mine for 3k. The market for these has increased since the release of this video!
Thanks for sharing. I like the XX version better because it looks nicer on my wrist because of the smaller lug-to-lug width. I have sold the XVIII.
Thanks for sharing! Being a shorter lug to lug, I can imagine it being more wearable for most.
Should have bought the mark 20
Do it! Either way you can go wrong!
Is it me or does this guy sound like @Watchgrok ???
Definitely not the same creator.
@@lonelywristI'll take that as definitely not then, just voice twins 😉 lol.
Nudge nudge.
@@brandon_youtube Thanks for sharing is channel, I’m always on the prowl for new UA-camrs to watch.
i like the mk xv ,, but your reasoning is sound.
Love that as well!
That’s a bad buy!
Appreciate your opinion. How would you have spent the money differently?
I don’t know why anyone buys either Mark IWC to be honest. Just buy an Omega Railmaster instead. Better in every single way. Plus it’s cheaper too. 👍🏻
Appreciate your opinion, curious to know what you think is better about the Railmaster?
Really, the railmaster? I mean there are some three handers that could make an arguement against the mark line due to price, but in my opinion not the railmaster.
The dial of the railmaster is overdone, and not well thought out
The bezel proportions of the railmaster are odd.
The 55 hour power reserve versus 120hr on the mark XX
Omega bracelets are not good, and their textile options aren’t great either
finally it’s really only a few hundred cheaper than the Mark in bracelet and basically a wash on textile.
What are you seeing as the advantage to the railmaster?
@@DesertTriDad ignoring aesthetics (as they are in the eye of the beholder) although the dial of the Railmaster is absolutely gorgeous. You’ll only ever find that out by handling one in person, the Railmaster shows its class in a few key areas:
The 8806 is Metas certified and Omega exclusive. It’s found here in the Railmaster at its cheapest entry point. Fitted inside other more expensive omega offerings like the NTTD and ceramic and titanium/gold offerings. The 32111 is COSC certified but does find its way into other cheaper Richmond group offerings like the Baume Et Mercier Baumatic watches where some start at sub £3,000. Albeit not COSC certified & under a different name. This clearly demonstrates & proves the lower tier nature of the movement in the Mark XX. Most definitely an improvement on the Sellita based garbage in the Mark XVIII mind!
You talk about the 120h power reserve, however we all know the 32111 suffers massively from amplitudinal issues when wound anything less than 60%. Its accuracy really suffers. I steer well clear of single barrel watches with big power reserves.
Lastly, the case of the Omega is fantastic, lye lugs, beautifully decorated case back, perfect proportions (again, subjective) and a useful 150M water resistance for extra peace of mind.
For me, omega offers a premium watch for the money, worth its retail price based solely on what you’re getting. When you buy an IWC watch, 50% of the cost is brand equity. IWCs profit margins are a lot higher than Omega (which is a known fact given they sell less watches). It has to be. If you ok paying 50% of an IWCs retail price for brand equity, good luck to you. Personally for me, I’ll take the Omega and be safe in the knowledge I have a better watch that’s more well thought out, engineered & precise at telling the time. 👍🏻
You miss the point. If you love a pilot/flieger style watch, no one really makes a more deluxe offering than IWC. The Mark packs that styling in an everyday sized watch. If you don’t get it, you don’t get it (and that’s ok)… but that triangle and two dots and the font and the handset all separate this from any other three-handed field watch…
I had the XX in blue, sold it and got it in black. Both are highly enjoyable despite the price tag, because again it’s the pinnacle of this design language (IMHO)
I’m currently thinking of getting the Big Pilot 43 and, like Lonely Wrist did here, getting an older Mark as a more everyday wearer. Probably blue again 😂
@@RyanVoightIWC really does make amazing watches!