While we wait for the arrival of a new year, we think about how much difference a year (or several) can make when comparing a watch to its predecessors. Bestiwc looks back on three iconic watches that show how a classic timepiece changes over time. Earlier this week, we took a look at the Rolex Submariner; today, we examine the IWC Mark series.
What the Rolex Submariner is for diving, the IWC Mark Replica Watch series, is for flying. The stark minimalism of this three-hand watch has its roots in the Mark 11 of 1948. IWC had introduced predecessors in 1936 and 1945; their small seconds and the extra details on their dials gave them a dramatically different look from the later classics.
Simplicity was the order of the day when the Mark 11 replica was introduced. The dial of the Mark 11 had two different luminous hands designs showing the time on the clearly marked hour and minute tracks with luminous indexes at 3, 9, and 12 o'clock. The 36mm steel case had a full brushed finish to avoid annoying reflections.
First introduced in 1948, the Mark 11 pilots' replica watch had a triangle added to the dial-in 1952 in place of the 12.
The 1994 Mark XII followed the basic design codes of the Mark 11. As before, the case size was 36mm. However, Roman numerals were now used for the "12" in the model name, a different font was used for the numbers on the dial, and a date display was added. The new version now bore the name of the model and the word "Automatic" on the dial next to the brand name. This would continue on subsequent models, even if it slightly disrupts the original extremely clear dial layout.
The main innovations of the 1994 Mark XII Replica were the use of Roman numerals in the model name, a different font on the dial, and the addition of a date display.
The IWC Mark XV Copy Swiss Watch followed in the year 2000. (Model numbers XIII and XIV were skipped because some think they are out of luck.) The case grew from 36mm to 38mm, bringing the date closer to the center of the dial. To compensate for the larger case size, the indexes and hour markers were made thicker so that the dial appeared to have the same proportions as the Mark XII's dial.
Mark XV of the 2000 Replica had a larger case and a more powerful font for the markings on the dial.
The changes to the Mark XVI made a big step forward: the case grew by just 1mm, but the shape of the hands was changed to the wide sword shape, which is used on many pilot's watches for legibility. This change made the new model look more like historical observation watches, but unfortunately, it also looked more like the vintage pilot's watches from other manufacturers. Another change was IWC's return to the slimmer typeface seen on the dial of the original Mark 11. With the exception of 4, all numbers resembled the 1948 version.

2006 saw the biggest change to date in the Mark XVI fake: sword-shaped hands and a return to the original number font used in 1948.
Moving on to the current Mark XVII, the case grew 2mm, now 41mm wide, while the shape of the case and the appearance of the dial remained essentially the same. Sadly, only really, as the addition of the elongated date window with its red arrow pointer meant IWC abandoned the clean functionality of its earlier models. The new display is a design element that adds extra color to the dial, with the red triangle, but otherwise, it contributes little to the well-known model series.
In 2012 the Mark XVII Replica got an elongated date display with a red marker arrow. A Neutral Perspective on Perfect Watches.