The IWC Ingenieur is one versatile watch. So we took it touring through Tasmania for a week in a very different style of watch article with some great watch shots, not to mention some epic scenery!
I love travelling, and I love watches. It’s not often that you can combine the two together, and take a week where you just travel and enjoy a watch, take photos and tell people about the experience of both. And when it comes to our Hands On Reviews, it’s normally around town, day to day, which, let’s face it, is where watches get worn the most for most people, so it’s perfect in that regard. But sometimes, it is good to do something a little different. Let’s get out and about with a watch and see some places, and in doing so, have a watch that could be a constant companion while I explore the best Australia has to offer.
So, that thought in mind, this is not a review. It is part travel blog, part watch review and part photo gallery. I wanted to chronicle my travels with a watch as a daily companion, and at the end, see how I felt after having a selected piece on my wrist day to day, in a part of the country that is very different to where I normally live…
The Inspiration & Destination
After some thought, I settled on one of the few places I had not been to in Australia – Tasmania. Known for its wilderness, contrasting countryside, the arts and its food, Tasmania felt like the right place to head to. It had a mix of cosmopolitan life in Hobart and Launceston, the rugged beauty of Cradle Mountain, and beautiful rural and coastal towns, plus some great wineries through the Tamar Valley.
So for this trip, I wanted a watch that could be a kind of chameleon. An all-purpose sports watch that wasn’t too sporty, but had a touch of elegance and vintage design cues to it. I thought the IWC Ingenieur could work for this trip as this is where the IWC Ingenieur sat in my mind. That, and we have covered quite a few of the IWC Ingenieur releases this year, since it was the Schaffhausen brand’s focus for Watches & Wonders 2025. We also spoke to CEO, Chris Grainger-Herr, at length back in April, and one of his comments about a holiday watch sparked this idea in a roundabout way, or rather, made me think of the watch when it came to travel.
Rather than a coloured dial, which would be my standard choice, I chose the white dial, mainly due to the fact that it would suit pretty much any occasion, and the white checkerboard pattern looks great in any lighting conditions. So we spoke to IWC, and they agreed to lend me one to take on an adventure. Spoiler Alert: It was the right choice!
To put context to this article, I went to Tasmania in June, just as the snow had started to fall in the more alpine areas. So, it would be nice and brisk in the cities, fresh by the coast and beautiful and crisp with some snowfall in the high country. The white dial now seemed the appropriate dial choice considering the destination. Plus, maybe a few good snow shots as well would be great to capture. And I did just that.
First Stop – Hobart
Hobart is a bit of a unique town in the sense that it has a very European feel to it, with a mix of an old English seaside town. On one side, Mount Wellington provides a scenic backdrop that, in the winter months, is normally snow-capped. The centre of town meanders down to the port, where you have fishing boats, tourist charters and of course, Salamanca, where they hold the famous Salamanca markets on Saturdays. Any other day of the week, it’s still bustling, thanks to the number of cafes, restaurants and bars along the foreshore.
Hobart is probably more well-known than Launceston, yet it is smaller and, as a result, has a cool alternative vibe to it. The arts culture is strong here, and events and festivals, like Dark MOFO do well. It is also a great base to explore the coast and islands off the coast of Tasmania, like Bruny Island. And while I wanted to get out and explore the city first up, I decided to let the weather dictate my movements and head to Bruny Island on my first full day.
Picking up a car, I drove out to Bruny Island. To get there, it is about half an hour out of Hobart down to Margate, where you can jump on the car ferry that takes you across the bay to Bruny Island. Leaving about every 20 mins or so, I got there a little early, so it gave me a chance to chill, have a coffee and wait til the cars were loaded.
The island is divided into North and South Bruny, connected by a narrow stretch of land known as The Neck, where a lookout offers sweeping panoramic views across both sides of the island. It’s one of those places that perfectly captures Tasmania’s raw beauty – ocean on both horizons, seabirds circling overhead, and the wind rolling in off the Southern Ocean. However, the day I was there, the weather seemed to want to switch from nice and sunny to rainy and windswept with a bitter chill!
Outside of the amazing scenery, Bruny Island is known for its food, and one of the more special things you can do, if you can find them, is get some freshly baked bread from a “Bread Fridge” on the side of the road. They work on an honour system, with the bread being stored in the fridges on the roadside, made by locals. The fridges are not on, but they keep the bread fresh and warm until you get to it each day. Combine it with some local butter and honey, and it’s a perfect on-the-road snack!
The next day, it was time to explore the city, putting on the IWC Ingenieur as my trusty companion on the wrist, keeping me on time and making sure I didn’t miss anything I was booked to do. And there was a lot to do! I started the day with a coffee and wandered around the harbour and docks. Some beautiful heritage buildings are present, and wandering around to Salamanca, I had to stop to take some shots with the Ingenieur near the Spirit of Hobart.
The afternoon rolled around quicker than I realised, and it was time to venture up Mount Wellington. Down at sea level, it was a relatively pleasant 10 degrees Celsius. At the top, 2 degrees with a wind blowing, making it feel like -5 degrees. However, the views were incredible, and with the Ingenieur under my gloves to keep track of the time, I had about an hour at the top before the bus left.
I was assured that it would leave without me should I be late. But it was enough time to explore, take in the views on top of the clouds, and grab some pics of the Ingenieur. It’s rare these days that I can take some nature shots with my watches, so I was going to take any opportunity I could. And, thanks to the early snowfall, there was a bit around I could play in and see what I could capture.
The Devil’s Cradle
It is an ominous header, but kind of apt as I journeyed from Hobart up to Cradle Mountain for a few days, which does have Tasmanian Devils along with a plethora of other wildlife. This was one of the selling points, the wildlife, actually, in the wild and up close. Staying at the Cradle Highlander, it was a chance to switch off and just be present in the day and enjoy the wilderness. The first morning, I had a Pademelon (like a smaller kind of Wallaby) sitting at my front door, which set the tone for the next few days.
A few days at Cradle Mountain isn’t enough, so if you’re thinking of going, allow for at least 3-4 days to take it all in. It is a beautiful natural wilderness area and National Park, with a decent amount of places to stay, but it’s not too crowded in the off-season. Mostly because once the snow hits, and the roads get icy, you really need a 4WD to navigate up there with chains if the road is too covered in snow. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, just yet in late June, but enough snow to give the place a wintery feel.
Most of the park you need to navigate on foot, or take the shuttles that go back and forth to the different drop-off points. From the main visitor centre through to the Overland Track, to Dove Lake, there’s a heap of hiking trails and walkways, so you just have to take the time to explore. It’s a nature photographer’s dream, and for me, some perfect places to shoot some shots of the Ingenieur. My favourite spot, and for a lot of others it seems, was Dove Lake. A beautiful lake that was formed from glacial activity around 20,000 years ago, and when you stand on one side, it reflects the peak of Cradle Mountain perfectly.
Dove Lake Boathouse is a favourite for tourists to get a shot in front of, for me, perfect for the IWC Ingenieur! The old wooden cabin that was built in the 1940s just sits there quietly now on the water, and if you’re lucky, you can maybe get a snap without any people around. But it did serve as a great spot for a watch shot, especially with the cloudy, drizzly day, to provide a moody ambience to it. The result below…
The Overland Track was also a great place to explore, with a flat winding boardwalk cutting through the lower part of Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. The full trail runs for 65 km from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. The wooden planks were a little snow-covered and icy, so even with hiking boots on, I still had to be careful. But it provided an easy walk through the grasslands in any event.
The scenery was amazing, and I even spotted some of the locals wandering around, foraging for food in the grass. Again, with a shuttle schedule to keep an eye on, the IWC Ingenieur kept time so I could time my walk up and back and not have to wait too long for the next shuttle to arrive.
With all the walking and in the cold, you build up an appetite, so the restaurant and bar at Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge served as a great place to stop off and recharge. With not a lot of food options at Cradle Mountain, it’s by far the most popular place to eat at, and with a giant wood fire, it’s perfect to chill for a while at night too.
For those who may not want to venture too far afield, the immediate area around Peppers is also great to explore, especially if you have kids who don’t want to walk too much. With a walking track that loops out and around the resort, there’s plenty of wildlife, like wombats, pademelons, and wallabies to greet you, and some nice streams and smaller waterfalls to take in.
I went for a wander on one of the days after lunch around the loop and met some of the local wildlife, which is rare in normal day-to-day life to get up close and personal with. Again, another good excuse to take photos of the IWC in a natural setting. Hey, this is all about exploring and getting out and about with the watch!
Before I left, being up in the mountains and away from city lights, I had to test out some night photography of the stars. We rarely see the stars living in the city, maybe a few brighter ones when it’s not a full moon. Coming from the country, I do miss that sometimes, looking up at the sky on a dark, clear night and seeing a sky full of stars. Here, at Cradle Mountain, there are no shortage of stars…
Foodie Heaven, With A Glass Of Wine…
As my time in Cradle Mountain came to an end, I was off on my next leg of the trip. Travelling to the Tamar Valley. The Tamar Valley is Tasmania’s food bowl, so to speak. At the heart is Launceston, and then travelling out from Launceston along the Tamar River to eventually reach the coast. Along the river are small towns with the main focus being on fresh produce and local wine. The Tamar is a highly fertile region, so it produces some of the best food in the state, and if you’re a wine lover, then there are almost too many wineries to choose from, although it didn’t stop me!
Rather than basing myself in Launceston, I wanted a more tranquil setting, so I chose a small town about a 35-minute drive from Launceston, Rosevears. Staying in a nice boutique-style hotel overlooking the river, it felt like a good way to end the trip, and when in wine country, you need to end the day of driving with some wine and cheese on the balcony overlooking the river. The Ingenieur tells me that it is definitely “Wine O’Clock”!
The sunsets in Tamar over the river are nothing short of spectacular. According to the sunrise and sunset times, the sunset was around 4:45 pm, so again, even when travelling with no specific times to adhere to, the IWC Ingenieur came in handy so I could time my shots of the sun setting over the Tamar River, and I’m thankful that I could! Even the Mallards came out to say hi!
Heading out along the river, I checked out a few wineries that were recommended. Unfortunately, being a Monday, there were a few closed, but still I was able to sample a few reds and whites along the way. The locals are super friendly in Tamar as well, with each town a seemingly close-knit community. They also have a good sense of humour too!
Being close to Launceston, you have to go check out Cataract Gorge. How many places in Australia have a giant gorge within 5 minutes of the city centre? I can imagine in summertime, Cataract Gorge would be packed as a local place to eat, drink and swim. For those not afraid of heights, you can get the chairlift across the gorge, then walk down and around to the suspension bridge that traverses across the river from one side to the other.
I’m not fond of heights, but I don’t fear them either, so I made the trip across and then walked down across the bridge. Thousands of years of water have carved out the gorge and the South Esk River that runs into the basin. Again, this is a perfect spot for a quick coffee and some shots of the Ingenieur once I was back on solid ground and sitting down near the cafe and playground.
Bon Voyage
After 8 days, which flew by, it was time to leave and head back to the warmer climate, not that I wanted to as I do like the cooler weather. Heading out of Launceston, I did a quick detour via Sydney, mainly because there were no direct flights from Launceston to Brisbane at the right time, but also I needed to hand back the well-worn and loved Ingenieur to IWC. But, not before I grabbed a few last pics of the watch down near Circular Quay.
So, what did I think of my time with the IWC Ingenieur white dial? The short answer is, it was great! But here’s the more eloquent answer: The Ingenieur may have been Gerald Genta and IWC’s most brilliant failure back in the 1970s, but it’s anything but that now. This is possibly also the first integrated bracelet watch I’ve worn I’ve really enjoyed wearing. This could have been the romanticism of travelling, or it could be that it is just a well-designed watch.
When I travel, I like to take watches with me that I can imagine wearing in different scenarios and situations. As Chris Grainger-Herr says, “I have this very weird association with holiday watches. What I visualise in my mind is you have breakfast in the morning and there is this beautiful custom made avocado toast at this avocado toast station, and there’s a few people queuing up, and then depending on what of sort of watch you’re wearing when you come reach for that plate, you feel a certain way and get a certain confidence in that.”
When thinking about the trip, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the Ingenieur as a daily wearer. I had an idea in my head, but not the experience of putting it on each morning, ready for the day, and taking it off each night when the day was done. Now I do. It is a very easy-to-wear watch; the bracelet for me was super comfortable, and it is a watch that doesn’t scream “look at me!” Perfect for travelling.
Its versatility is also a positive. It isn’t a piece that is too sporty or dressy; rather, it sits somewhere in the middle ground. I looks great in the day in the sunlight, when overcast, the dial is more subtle. Hiking through the wilderness, it fits nicely under a jumper or jacket, or in my case, gloves. At night out ot dinner, perfect to wear with anything really. The white dial variant is also fully brushed on the case and bracelet, so this aids in its versatility, compared to the aqua, blue and green dial 40mm versions, which have polished centre links, giving them a more up-market vibe.
The experience has made me think long and hard about this question: Is this a watch I could own? Yes, I could. And in all honesty, I did take a couple of other watches with me as well on the trip, as I always do, and this is the telling thing. I gravitated towards wearing the Ingenieur each day. I found myself putting it on without hesitation and forgetting about the other watches. It just felt right and appropriate for the travel, the places I was visiting, and the fact that it was a no-brainer to wear day in, day out.
All up, I thoroughly enjoyed my extended time with the IWC Ingenieur, and couldn’t have picked a more appropriate piece to take with me. Yes, I could have taken something fancier or more expensive, but that isn’t the point. The Ingenieur was designed for people to wear and take whatever was thrown at it by race drivers, mechanics, and yes, engineers. Now, I see why.