WatchTime – USA's No.1 Watch Magazine
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Newsletter
  • News & Features
    • Watch Blog
    • Watch Features
    • Watch News
    • Watch Reviews
  • WatchTime Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Print Archive
    • Subscriptions Service
    • Subscribe Now
  • Watches
    • Popular Watch Brands
    • Watch Pronunciation
    • Watch Term Glossary
  • Events
  • Shop
  • submit search
  • Watches & Wonders
  • Geneva Watch Days 2022
  • WatchTime New York 2022
  • Videos
WatchTime – USA's No.1 Watch Magazine
  • News & Features
    • Watch Blog
    • Watch Features
    • Watch News
    • Watch Reviews
  • WatchTime Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Print Archive
    • Subscriptions Service
    • Subscribe Now
  • Watches
    • Popular Watch Brands
    • Watch Pronunciation
    • Watch Term Glossary
  • Events
  • Shop

IWC

International Watch Co., called IWC (or IWC Schaffhausen), is a luxury watch company based in Switzerland. IWC is the only large watch manufacture in eastern Switzerland (all other brands are in western Swiss regions).

IWC Schaffhausen was founded 1868 by the U.S. watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones to merge the craftsmanship of Switzerland watchmakers with the engineering skills from the U.S. to manufacture movements and timepiece parts for the USA. IWC is unique among similar companies for keeping detailed records for every watch produced since 1885. Since 1885, caliber, materials used and cases are tracked. Younger IWC watches are shown in the records with reference number, delivery date and the name of the authorized dealer. Every IWC collector can request this information for all watches older than ten years. IWC says it can service and repair all watches produced since 1868. IWC Schaffhausen movements in more affordable watches and chronographs (IWC Portuguese Chronograph) are from ETA. Non-ETA IWC calibers are: Caliber 5000, Caliber 8000, pocket watch movements. Notable watch models include the Aquatimer, Ingenieur, Portuguese, Da Vinci, Portofino as well as Pilot’s Watches.

Read more

FEATURE

Flying Ace: Tracing the History of the IWC Big Pilot’s Watch

IWC's Big Pilot’s Watch became an instant classic when it was re-released in 2002. But its history stretches much further back in time. In this feature from the WatchTime archives, we explore the Big Pilot and its many evolutions over the decades.

Read the article

Jan 15, 2023 by Jens Koch

Sponsored: Artel Rotec Introduces New Sky Series

Independent watchmaker Artel Rotec is introducing its second collection, the Sky Series, this month, with the bold timepiece serving as a worthy follow-up to its V-Series limited edition sports watch lineup. Artel Rotec first formed in 2018, when designer and longtime watch collector Matthew Roknipour launched the brand as a family owned, independent watch company...

Read the article

Jan 25, 2023 by WatchTime

TIMEPIECE TIMELINE

The Evolution of the Men’s Wristwatch: A Decade-by-Decade Guide

World War I coincided with the breakthrough of the wristwatch. New and trailblazing designs followed in each subsequent decade. From the WatchTime archives, here are our highlights, from the beginning of the 20th Century to the present day.

Read the article

Jan 14, 2023 by Ruediger Bucher

No Date, No Problem: Six Watches Without Date Displays

While a date display is usually regarded as one of the most popular complications, some purists are opting more and more for harmony and symmetry on their dials by choosing a watch without a date window. Here are six notable examples in our latest story from the WatchTime Archives. Back to the Forties: IWC Big...

Read the article

Dec 31, 2022 by Alexander Krupp

2022 Year in Review: Flying High With 5 New Pilot Watches

Continuing our round up of some of the most important watches launched this year, today we look back at more exciting and innovative releases that broke onto the scene in 2022. Aviation is the theme for today’s recap with a host of memorable novelties on review today. So please fasten your seatbelts and place your...

Read the article

Dec 27, 2022 by Caleb Anderson

Green Rambles: The Underestimated Importance of a Good Bracelet

Some of you might recognize this: for years, you have been admiring a certain watch, and when you finally get it, you are very excited only to realize after a couple of weeks that you are not wearing it as much as you should. This might have nothing to do with the watch itself but...

Read the article

Dec 24, 2022 by Martin Green

IWC Portofino Perpetual Calendar: The Return of A Small(er) Mechanical Marvel

It is no secret that IWC has a thing with perpetual calendars. It was the genius of Kurt Klaus, the man who developed the legendary Da Vinci Perpetual Calendar, that this was established. Ever since, this complication has played an essential role in the brand’s collections. That makes it so unique that the brand has...

Read the article

Dec 12, 2022 by Martin Green

Mr Porter and IWC Present Limited-edition Big Pilot’s Watch 43 “Mr Porter Edition 1”

Mr Porter and IWC Schaffhausen created a special edition of the Swiss brand’s iconic Big Pilot’s watch. Limited to 500 pieces, the timepiece is a faithful interpretation of the original easy-to-read cockpit-instrument design born in the 1940s. It features a reduced 43mm bronze case with a titanium case back and a signature oversized conical crown. The case,...

Read the article

Nov 18, 2022 by Sabine Zwettler

TIMEPIECE TIMELINE

10 Highlights in the History of the Dive Watch

In the beginning, dive watches were pure tools that helped keep divers on time and alive. Today they’re something else: fashion statements, conversation pieces, rugged companions for a trip to the beach or pool. Our Timeline: "Dive Watches Through the Decades," traces the history of the dive watch from its start in the 1920s, with the invention of the first truly water-resistant cases, to 2014.

Read the article

Nov 5, 2022 by WatchTime

IWC Presents the Portugieser Automatic and the Portugieser Chronograph

Without a doubt one of IWC’s most successful collections, the Portugieser has been a benchmark in the world of luxury watches for over 90 years. The iconic timepiece owes its name and origin to two Portuguese watch dealers who asked the Schaffhausen manufacture to create “precise, generously proportioned men’s wristwatches in steel cases.” The manufacture...

Read the article

Sep 24, 2022 by Sabine Zwettler

A Brief History of the Mechanical Watch’s Fight Against Magnetism

In our latest visit to the global WatchTime archives, a look at how watchmaking has countered the threat of magnetism over the years, from using metals like palladium in 1915 to silicon in 2015. Magnetism has been the mechanical timekeeping’s nemesis through the years. It is to the mechanical watch what Prof. Moriarty is to Sherlock...

Read the article

Sep 18, 2022 by WatchTime

A Quiet Summer in Schaffhausen: Meet the IWC Mark XX

Schaffhausen-based IWC is arguably best known for its signature Pilot’s Watch collection, and this past summer the watchmaker launched one its most significant (and quiet) updates to the line for the year. Dawning the next generation of the historic Mark series, IWC in July introduced the Mark XX, following up on the vintage-derived line that...

Read the article

Sep 8, 2022 by Caleb Anderson

PORTFOLIO

Time Machines: 7 Automotive-Inspired Retro Watches

A classic car is a time machine into the past. But what about the smaller machines that measure time’s passage? Which watches would harmonize best with a vintage car’s styling? Fortunately, the retro trend in watches is bigger than ever. Here are seven suggestions, photographed by our own Nik Schölzel.

Read the article

Sep 3, 2022 by Jens Koch

TIMEPIECE TIMELINE

10 Milestone Moments in the History of the Wristwatch

Today it is common for a man to wear a watch on his wrist, but it was a different story around 100 years ago. World War I, which started in 1914 and ended in 1918, brought to the battlefield much that was new — airplanes, mustard gas, military tanks. It also brought something new to...

Read the article

Aug 3, 2022 by WatchTime

FEATURE

How Green is My Watch? How Watch Brands Are Embracing Sustainability

Sustainability is the topic of the hour. But how committed is the watch industry to ethical and ecological responsibility? We explore several interesting solutions in this feature from the WatchTime archives.

Read the article

Aug 1, 2022 by Maria-Bettina Eich

PORTFOLIO

Splash! A Plunge Into the Colorful World of Watersports Watches

Take the plunge with us into the colorful world of water sports in our latest dip into the WatchTime Archives! Here you can find professional instruments with appealing technologies, styles, and prices. In this article, we present divers’ watches without complex additional functions (e.g., chronographs) because the watches listed here are designed to focus your...

Read the article

Jul 31, 2022 by Alexander Krupp

WATCH LIST

Splendid Splitters: 5 Noteworthy Rattrapante Chronograph Watches

Rattrapante chronographs, also referred to as split-seconds chronographs, are a type of chronograph with two seconds hands that allow for the ability to time multiple simultaneous events, such as runners during a race. It can also time a series of events, such as the laps a single person makes on a track. One of the...

Read the article

Jul 15, 2022 by WatchTime

FEATURE

Dive Watches in Depth: A Dive Watch FAQ

"How water-resistant does it need to be?" "How does a depth gauge work?" We answer your FAQs about dive watches: learn about water resistance, diving bezels, depth gauges, and more in this feature from the WatchTime archives.

Read the article

Jun 19, 2022 by WatchTime

WATCH REVIEW

Change of Course: Reviewing the IWC Pilot’s Watch Timezoner Chronograph

IWC’s Pilot's Watch Timezoner Chronograph was developed to be an ideal travel companion. A quick spin of the bezel suffices to show a new time zone, and a built-in flyback chronograph makes this an exceptional timepiece at a reasonable price. We give it a closer look in this feature from the WatchTime archives.

Read the article

Jun 4, 2022 by Martina Richter

FEATURE

Touching the Past: Six Modern “Retro” Watches and the Historical Pieces That Inspired Them

When retro-inspired watches are modeled after specific predecessors, fans of mechanical timekeeping can “grasp” design history. In this feature from the WatchTime archives, we take a look at six watches that awaken a longing for the past.

Read the article

May 21, 2022 by Alexander Krupp

WATCH REVIEW

All Fired Up: Reviewing the IWC Pilot’s Watch Automatic Spitfire

IWC launched a new Spitfire squadron in its collection of pilots’ watches at that debuted in 2019. A self-winding movement from the new 32000 family of manufacture calibers debuts inside the case of the Pilot’s Watch Automatic Spitfire. We tested one in this feature from the WatchTime archives, with original photos by Olaf Köster. “Haven’t...

Read the article

May 1, 2022 by Martina Richter
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 10
  • …
  • 16
  • »
Current Issue
Sponsored
Follow us
WatchTime on Facebook
Blogroll
  • A Timely Perspective
  • WatchTime Germany
  • WatchTime India
  • WatchTime Mexico
  • WatchTime Middle East
  • Dive into Watches
Recent Posts
  • Grand Seiko: A Constant Force in Watchmaking February 5, 2023
  • The WatchTime Q&A: Moritz Grossmann CEO Christine Hutter February 4, 2023
  • Audemars Piguet Surprises With Turquoise Dial for Royal Oak Automatic 37 mm February 3, 2023
Recent Comments
  • Felix Kislik on The WatchTime Q&A: Moritz Grossmann CEO Christine Hutter
  • zvi on Let There Be Light: Girard-Perregaux Launches Two Intriguing Laureato Absolute Models
  • burt on The WatchTime Q&A: Moritz Grossmann CEO Christine Hutter
Return to top
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy
Terms and Conditions
Shipping and Return Policy
Free Newsletter
About WatchTime
Current Issue
Contact us
Advertise
Press Releases
Subscribe

© 2023 Ebner Publishing International, Inc.

Return to top
Return to top

© 2023 Ebner Publishing International, Inc.