This IWC watch concept has an illuminating ceramic case, dial and strap

Swiss watchmaker IWC has revealed a watch with a glowing ceramic case, plus a fully-illuminated dial and strap. It’s called the Ceralume, and although this is only a concept for now, it shows what’s possible with luminous ceramic.

IWC says the patent-pending technology enables it to produce fully-luminous ceramic watch cases for the first time. It says the material is made by “homogeneously mixing ceramic powders with high-grade Super-LumiNova pigments”. Although often expensive, Ceramic watch cases aren’t out of the ordinary, while Super-LumiNova is commonly used to create the glowing elements of watch dials. But blending the two hasn’t been done before.

IWC claims the Ceralume material can emit a bright bluish light for more than 24 hours. Dr Lorenz Brunner, research and development manager at IWC, said: “With our first luminous ceramic case, we underscore our role as a pioneer and innovator in ceramic watches. The development of Ceralume took several years.

"The main challenges we faced were producing watch cases with maximum homogeneity and meeting our exacting quality standards. To achieve these goals, we engineered a ground-breaking new manufacturing process, which is tailored to the unique combination of ceramic powers and Super-LumiNova pigments.”

Created by IWC’s experimental engineering department, called XPL, the timepiece is based on the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41, but with a Ceralume case, white luminescent dial and matching rubber strap. There’s a day and date window at the three o’clock position and push buttons at two and four o’clock for controlling the three sub-dials of the chronograph movement.

The watch appears all-white during the day, then glows blueish-white in the dark. Engineered by Swiss firm RC Tritec, Super-LumiNova particles absorb natural or artificial light during the day and emit it when ambient light levels fall; the material can do this infinitel, so there’s no danger of the watch ever losing its ability to glow.

IWC says the new Ceralume technology “will be at the foundation of future developments and releases,” but doesn’t say whether the concept watch pictures here will actually go on sale.