IWC JOURNAL: Getting away with the Ingenieur

Are you squeezing in a fashionably late summer getaway before fall rolls around? Andreas Weinås of Sweden’s Manolo.se and King magazines gives tips on how to dress for the trip and explains why the Ingenieur Automatic is just the piece to take along for the journey.

My professional life evolves a lot around watches and classic menswear. As an editor for two Swedish menswear publications, the question of how to match your timepiece with the rest of your outfit goes with my job. One of the trickiest yet most interesting challenges is to find the perfect watch for summer vacation that also goes with a lighter wardrobe. Last year I found a watch that fits the bill and has become the timepiece from my collection that I wear the most: The IWC Ingenieur Automatic.

If you wear suits and jackets for your day job, you might that you prefer a slightly more relaxed wardrobe for vacation. But relaxed doesn’t have to be sloppy. Consider packing one or two suits in cotton, linen or a breathable wool for the evenings, as you never know when an unexpected invitation to an elegant affair may arrive in your hotel room. If you prefer to bring no more than one or two watches on vacation, the Ingenieur Automatic, with its simple design and beautiful stainless steel case, bridges the gap between over- and under-doing your wardrobe when you want to pack light but still be ready for any occasion.

—Writer and menswear consultant Andreas Weinås

Andreas wears the IWC Ingenieur Automatic

When I’m on holiday, I tend to go for tailored linen trousers in earthy colors like brown, sand or khaki with shirts or polos in olive, navy or a crisp white. Here’s a tip: An over shirt or shirt jacket is a great choice in these colors. It´s a more relaxed, but still incredibly stylish, alternative to the classic blazer and is normally found with two or four front pockets. I wear my Ingenieur with these pieces to bring balance, adding a little bit of structure to the loose silhouette.

In terms of footwear, consider packing a pair of loafers, espadrilles or soft suede slippers. I find them surprisingly chic even combined with a linen suit, shirt and tie during a late-night dinner overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Take advantage of the waning days of summer at the lake or beach with a pair of casual, but stylish swim trunks. For dips in the water, the Ingenieur has good resistance at 12 bar – and with a steel bracelet or rubber strap - it can join you in the water. Not only does it have a modern yet elegant size at 40mm, but it also has a very useful microadjustment system in the clasp that gives you an additional 5mm on a warm day.

With these tips you can make sure your summer journey remains simple, stylish and sophisticated. And with the Ingenieur Automatic on your wrist, your timepiece will reflect those standards as well.