Watch Paparazzi

Footballer Jose Maria Giménez spotted wearing IWC

Jose Maria Giménez, the Atlético Madrid and Uruguay national team defender, was recently spotted on the wrist with an IWC Ingenieur AMG Black Series Ceramic, reference IW322503 — a watch that occupies a distinct and serious corner of the IWC catalogue and the broader sports-watch collector market.

The IW322503 was produced as part of IWC's collaboration with Mercedes-AMG, a partnership the Schaffhausen manufacture announced in 2008 to celebrate the Ingenieur's long-standing identity as an engineer's precision instrument. The Black Series takes that premise to an extreme: the 46mm case, bezel, caseback, pushers, and crown are all constructed from black zirconium oxide ceramic — a material harder than steel and almost entirely resistant to scratching. The dial, also black, creates a near-monolithic aesthetic that proved genuinely polarising at launch and has aged into something of a cult object. Inside runs the IWC-manufactured calibre 89360, a flyback chronograph movement with a 68-hour power reserve, silicon balance spring for improved anti-magnetic performance, and a column wheel mechanism. It represents genuine in-house credibility at a price point that, on the original UK list of £8,500, sat well below many Swiss rivals offering less movement engineering.

For collectors, the Ingenieur AMG references occupy an interesting space. They are associated with a specific era — the mid-2000s through early 2010s — when IWC leaned heavily into motorsport branding and oversized case architecture. Opinion remains divided, but the Black Series in particular has found a loyal following among those who value its uncompromising construction and the technical depth of the 89360 movement. It is not a watch that chases approval.

Giménez is a consistent presence in serious watch culture among La Liga footballers. His choice of the IW322503 over more obvious luxury-sport signifiers reflects a degree of horological independence — the Ingenieur AMG Black Series is not a watch that announces itself to non-enthusiasts.

On the secondary market, the IW322503 trades at a moderate premium or slight discount to original retail depending on condition, box, and papers. Its appeal is niche but genuine, and collector interest has strengthened quietly as the AMG-era Ingenieurs are increasingly viewed as significant chapter in IWC's modern history.