A Watch Test: Hands-on with the Wempe Iron Walker Chronograph 46

Wempe Iron Walker Chronograph 46

The Wempe Iron Walker Chronograph 46 is water resistant to 100 meters and is powered by a chronometer-certified chronograph movement. More importantly, Wempe went with a dial made of woven carbon fiber and a forged 46-mm carbon case. Combined with a rubber strap with a textile inlay and stitching, and no shortcuts in quality, the chronograph has never looked sportier.

Updated Movement

Wempe equips all its base movements with its own shock-protection device and its own eccentric screw. Proven chronograph calibers, like the Sellita SW500 used here, also get a specially designed in-house balance cock. With these added features, and after meticulous adjustment, the Iron Walker Chronograph 46, just like every other Wempe timepiece, had to prove its mettle in the chronometer test conducted at the Glashütte observatory, which was recognized by Wempe in 2008. How is this test different? The 15-day certification process is performed in accordance with the chronometer standard ISO 3159. Unlike the Swiss chronometer test, this German version includes all watches only after casing is complete. This means everything that might occur post-assembly and casing will not affect the final, official results.

Of course, Wempe does not conduct the Chronometer test itself. As an independent institute, the observatory is operated by the State Offices for Weights and Measures of the states of Thuringia (TLV) and Saxony (SME). Only when a watch has passed these tests does it receive a certification and may bear the “chronometer” designation on its dial.

And the chronograph showed exemplary rate results. When the chronograph was not running, the average daily deviation was only +1.8 seconds. The maximum difference between the six positions was only 3 seconds, which is also very low. Once the chronograph was switched on, the individual and average values remained almost the same, and the maximum positional error (measured at 5 seconds per day) is only a slightly higher. When worn on the wrist, the watch delivered values that ranged from +1 to +4 seconds per day.

Excellence for Everyday Life

The carbon chronograph has a robust look and boasts solid functions for everyday wear. The screw-down crown is easy to grasp and, along with the chronograph pushers, ensures no user-hand groans are made here. Plus, despite its impressive size of 46 mm, the case wears very comfortably on the wrist.

The only shortcoming in daily wear is the folding clasp. Although it has a nice design that is thoroughly free of scratches after several weeks, it tends to occasionally pinch or pull fine wrist hairs. A lack of release buttons means the clasp is much more difficult to open. And the safety bar, which must be lifted with a fingernail to open the clasp, protrudes well above its recessed seating.

Otherwise, the bold and independent design of the strap and watch suit the quality of both the case and the dial. The case is purpose-built with steel sidewalls and the DLC-coated steel case-back side and relief engraving of the Glashütte observatory — an iconic image for Wempe. The metallic core ensures stability, and the carbon bracelet ring also ensures that the chronograph remains its precise known line even under the wrist. Its 160-gram weight is well-balanced in the lume, and the heft of a striking well-made luxury timepiece is a great feeling.

Mission Accomplished

The bold sports brief of a carbon chronograph has already received multiple accolades in the press, and for the price it is not low. At $8,025, it’s significantly more than the Iron Walker Automatic Chronograph in stainless steel with a steel bracelet (Ref. WI600011), priced at $5,075. Wempe counters this by citing the limited-production number. Three color variations — the models with green accents, shown here, as well as blue and orange versions — are offered in limited editions of only 75 pieces each. The costs associated with developing this case and creating the production tools are just as high as they would be for a mass-produced watch.

But the fun begins right after the purchase. You can revel in a visually attractive, technically well-made, highly accurate sports watch from Glashütte.

SPECS

Wempe
Iron Walker Chronograph 46

Manufacturer:
Glashütte i/SA,
Herbert-Wempe-Platz 1,
01768 Glashütte, Germany

Reference number:
WI690013

Functions:
Hour, minute, small seconds; chronograph with 60-second, 30-minute and 12-hour counters; date

Movement:
Sellita SW500, automatic, chronometer, 28,800 vph, 25 jewels, stop-seconds, quick date adjustment, in-house fine regulator with eccentric screw; power reserve = 48 hours, diameter = 30mm, height = 7.9mm

Case:
Carbon with stainless-steel core, flat sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, fully threaded caseback made of DLC-coated stainless steel; water resistant to 100 m

Strap and clasp:
Rubber strap with textile inlay, simple folding clasp made of DLC-coated stainless steel

Rate results:
Deviation in seconds per 24 hours
(With chronograph switched off)

• Dial up: +1 / 0
• Dial down: +2
• Crown up: +2 / +1
• Crown down: +3 / +1
• Crown left: -1 / 0
• Crown right: -3 / -4
• Greatest deviation: ±3 / ±4
• Average deviation: +1.8 / +1.7
• Average amplitude:
  • Flat positions: 281° / 253°
  • Hanging positions: 262° / 235°

Dimensions:
Diameter = 46 mm
Height = 14.7 mm
Weight = 160 g

Limited edition of 75 pieces

Variations:
75 pieces each with blue or orange accents (Ref. WI690012, WI690011; $8,025)

Price:
$8,025

Scores

Wempe Iron Walker Chronograph 46

Strap and clasp (max. 10 points):
High-quality rubber strap with textile inlay offers something a little different. The stainless-steel folding clasp is scratch-resistant thanks to DLC coating. Unfortunately, there are no micro buttons, and the bar protrudes above the rest of the clasp.
8

Case (10):
Carbon case with stainless-steel core is high-tech and looks great. The solid caseback has a relief engraving of the Glashütte observatory.
9

Dial and hands (10):
The superior quality of the three-dimensional dial is readily apparent when you turn it under the light.
9

Design (15):
A cool sports-watch look from the dial to the strap.
12

Legibility (5):
Good legibility both day and night. Small fonts on the date and chronograph counters are not always easy to read.
3

Operation (5):
Both pushers have a good pressure point, and the crown is easy to grasp. The slot is the only drawback in terms of overall good operation.
4

Wearing comfort (5):
The watch is comfortable to wear despite its large case size of 46 mm and its weight of 160 grams. The clasp may pinch the hair on the wrist.
4

Movement (20):
Wempe equips the decorated base movement with its own fine regulator; chronometer certified according to German standards.
14

Rate results (10):
Low daily deviation of 1.8 seconds and maximum error of only 3 seconds (measured in six positions) are equally impressive.
10

Overall value (10):
The watch has much to offer, but the price is still too high.
6

Total:
79 POINTS

To learn more visit Wempe, here.

This article was originally published in the November / December 2023 print issue. To subscribe to WatchTime Magazine, click here.