Watch Paparazzi Logo
Watch Paparazzi
football managerSpotted May 2023

Football manager Zinedine Zidane spotted wearing a IWC

football manager Zinedine Zidane spotted wearing a IWC
Who & what: IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur Automatic Edition 'Zinedine Zidane' Stainless Steel IW323405

Few celebrity watch sightings carry the narrative weight of Zinedine Zidane wearing a timepiece that bears his own iconic shirt number. Photographed in a navy pinstripe suit at what appears to be a formal event, Zidane's left wrist reveals the IWC Ingenieur Automatic Edition 'Zinedine Zidane' — reference IW323405 — a watch produced by IWC Schaffhausen in collaboration with Real Madrid and released around 2014–2015 as part of the broader Ingenieur line relaunch.

The IW323405 is built on the cushion-shaped Ingenieur case in stainless steel measuring 40mm, a direct descendant of the original 1955 Gerald Genta-influenced design. The defining feature of this particular edition is the deep blue sunburst dial carrying a large red '10' numeral at the 9 o'clock position — Zidane's sacred squad number at Real Madrid — alongside blue and red minute track accents and applied baton indices. A date aperture sits at 3 o'clock. The watch runs on the IWC calibre 35111, an automatic movement based on the ETA 2892-A2, offering approximately 42 hours of power reserve and beating at 28,800 vph.

From a collector standpoint, the Real Madrid partnership editions occupy an interesting niche: they are not pure limited editions in the traditional numbered sense but carry strong thematic identity tied to one of football's most storied clubs. The Zidane variant specifically commands a premium over standard Ingenieur references due to the personal connection — the player's number is literally printed on the dial, not merely referenced in the casebook or packaging.

Zidane's relationship with IWC is well-documented; he served as a brand ambassador and appeared in several campaigns during this era. The pairing made commercial and aesthetic sense — both the footballer and the watchmaker share a reputation for classical elegance over ostentation. The Ingenieur's industrial DNA, with its screw-secured bezel and soft-iron inner cage for magnetic protection, suits a figure who always prioritised function dressed in beautiful form.

On the secondary market, the IWC Ingenieur IW323405 Zidane edition typically trades between $3,500 and $5,000 depending on condition and box-and-papers status — a modest premium over standard production Ingenieurs of the same generation, driven almost entirely by the football heritage attached to the dial.

More watches like this

Other celebrities spotted with the same brand, model or star